The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-20

- II
company, Governor Johnston and others
had been requested to make statements,
which they declined to do. The governor,
he said, had ignored the committees re-
quest
DR.. Eugene A Smith. state geologist, was
requested to make a supplementary state
ment and referring to the accessibility of
the University lands sold to the Sloss-S Shelf
field company, stated that railroad run
through one part of these lands, other boz
dies of the land were within a mile of
railroad, and the most remote were not five
miles away.
At this point the president read the fol-
lowing telegram:
New York, December19-
"The President of the Alumni Association.
I organized the Sloss-Shefield company got
the subscriptions and had more to do with
1t than any one else. In justice to Cover
nor Johnston desire to say that he did not
have share of Sloss stock, nor did he sub
scribe one cent to the new company.
HE aided in forming the syndicate and
more than once stated that so far as his
interests We're concerned, to drop them If
they impeded in any way the organization
of company that would do so much for
the state.
HE acted more for the interest of the
state than anything else.
~. C. MABEN."
Offer Resolution
Mr. Bowie offered a resolution condemn
ing the sale of the University lands to the
Sloss-Sheffield company as unwise, unjust
and Illegal and calling upon the trustees
of the University to take necessary steps
to return them to the University and to au-
thorize the governor to return the purchase
money to the Sloss-Sheffield company, also
lnstructing the advisory committee to take
the report of the committee and all naners
records, statements and other shoWings
bearing on the case before the trustees at
their meeting tomorrow
E. M. Robinson, of Mobile, offered as a
substitute resolution expressing the faith
and confidence of the alumni in the trus-
tees, in their integrity, honesty and devo-
ton to the interests of the university, and
referring all documents, papers, records,
etc, to the trustees.
Mr.. Bowie had embodied in his resolution
an expression of confidence in the trustees,
in their integrity, honesty, devotion to the
university
motion to adopt the resolutions and
substitute opened the way for argument.
Captain w. C. Ward, of Birmingham. led
off with a defence of the governor and Cen
eral Rucker.
w. w. Quarles followed. He said he came
to Tuscaloosa a Johnston man, but the
showing made there and to which the gov
ernor had made no answer, had changed
him.
He severely arraigned the governor for
what appeared on the face of the state
ments of facts at hand, his conduct in this
transaction and for his contemptuous treat
ment of the alumni.
He said the governor had said he was ac-
countable only to the people of Alabama
for his conduct.
The alumni, he said, are the people of
Alabama DIN part.
Other speeches in defense of Governor
Johnston were made by S. w. John, of Bir-
mingham, and F. NJ Purifoy, of Tusca-
loosa.
Phares Coleman. of Montgomery, and s.
ton of the majority resolution.
Robnsons minority resolution was de-
feated by a vote of 20 to 16.
+. S. Moody introduced a substitute reso-
luton, to which Mr. Bowie agreed, in which
was declared the sale was not in the best
interest of the university, and, as many
lawyers believed. was illegal and void, and
directing that all reports papers, records,
maps, etc, be presented to the trustees by
the advisory committee of the alumni, ana
requesting the trustees to use every honor
able means to have the sale set aside.
This substitute was adopted with not more
than half a dozen dissenting votes. Inc
alumni then at $40 O'Clock. adjourned.
The full text of the committees report
and Governor Johnstons reply to certain
questions will be found, beginning on page
9 of this issue.