The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-17
IN HOTEL LOBBIES w
AND ELSEWHERE

"People in Montgomery have ceased to
pay any attention to the legislature" said
a visitor from the capital; business man.
by the way. 1.-The lazEbreakers have dis
gusted the public, and nobody seems to
care what they do. Governor Johnston COM
trolls and directs the majority as absolutely
as he could wish. They do his bidding
if they were his personal property, and APP
pear to have no wills of their own. Thus
these 1awbreakers present pitiful speeta-
Gle, and each one receives four dollars a
day. For one days pay any one of them
can get eight acres of cotton. chopped,
whilst he registers the governors wishes
and drinks ice water or liquor in the shade.
1 should estimate that not Z lore than a
third of the members of the general assem-
bly, earn each at home more than four
dollars day.
Governor Johnsto.ls personal and po-
ltical extra session is proving to be very
expensive to the state. 1t is costing the
taxpayers a thousand dollars day That
equals forty or fifty bales of cotton, or
about hundred tons of pig iron. 1t rep
resents the farm labor of 1000 men, And all
this tax because the governor was dis
pleased with the high character of the men
tional convention.
There is one comfort about 1t all. Tho
governor is powerlesss to force the self
respecting minority to do his bidding in
the matter of inadequate and ridiculous
amendments to the constitution. lie has
opened Pandora's box of evils. and he
must abide by the consequences. He has
set himself up ina effect as the three
branches of the state government. He is
the executive, the legislative, and the jus
dicial. His role he shall play to the end"
sit Is given out on excellent authority
that Hon. Edward L. Russell, the genial.
gifted and deservedly popular president of.
the Mobile and Ohio railroad, takes occa-z
sion when away from home to sound the
praises of Governor Johnston as a fear
less, upright and farseeing statesman .,
said well known public man in the lobby.
IF this be true, and there is no reason
to doubt it. Mr.. Russell enjoys the not
altogether enviable distinction of being the
only democrat in Alabama with state
reputation who is supporting the governor
in his present course. The governor has no
leaders; he is the state; but all of his
strikers are practically unknown outside
of their own counties; the which makes
the situation all the more remarkable.
This reminds of a lobby story on a
former governor. This distinguished gem
tleman is said to have been profoundly dis
gusted by the. action of the obedient legis-
lative majority in repeating the act calling
a convention.
:" DO you know why Governor Johnston.
has gone to such extreme lengths to pre-
vent at all cost the assembling of a con-
stitutional convention containing amongst
its membership such men as Clarke, Cum
nlngham, Knox, Pettus, Lomax, Coleman
and Harrison?" the good man angrily de-
manded of a group of listeners.
Mol somebody answered.
"'Wellp I'll tell you. He preferred him.
self to be a king among FOOLS
This broke up the crowd in laughter
and good humor."
Messrs A. T. London and Jack Martin,
opposing counsel in the matter of the
Highland Avenue and Belt railroad, have
returned from New Orleans, whittier they
went to appear before the United States
Court of Appeals regarding the latest de-
cision of the United States district court
Equipment company as represented by Me-
Martin Mr. London was asked if he
thought the case was likely to pass out Of
the courts soon.
81 can't tell anything about that" ne an
swered. 1.-TWO of my clients, James, T.
Woodward and E. E. Whitaker; of New
York, have appealed against the decision OF
the lower court, and the hearing Of the
appeal is set for the 24th. of May at New
Orleans. A decision may be looked. for
within three weeks after the court of APP
peals takes the case under advisement.
1t depends upon that decision. as to when
the railroad property will be put up for
sale. Meantime, the situation is hard on
those who have money involved, and per-
haps harder still on the public. A great
many people are eager to buy residential
lots for the purpose of building at once
but they won't invest as long as the pres
emit inadequate dummy service continues
If the property could be sold now, or
within the next few weeks, the whole Of
Highland avenue would be built up by next
winter, and adjacent property would be i'm
proved, while Lakeview would become the
most attractive resort in the south. In
vestors are positively hungry for building
lots along the line of the railroad, and
electric cars would cause a great boom.'
81 suspect that James p. Witherow, tho
famous pig iron furnace expert, has been
sent to Gadsden and Admission to report on
the condition of the furnaces at those
points with view to some scheme of con-
solidation,''4 said AMMAN largely interested
in mineral property, IT hayenitl seen Mr..
Witherow, and know nothing of his pur-
poses in coming to- Alabama att this time;
but his visits to Gadsden and Admission,
as recorded in The sAge-Heralds today, sug-
gest to me that possibly there is a con-
solidationsi scheme in contemplation. That
lisa fine, furnace. at Gadsden, and with the
expenditure of $35,O0o could be made to turn
out 175 to 200 tons of pig iron a day. And
they can produce pig iron at Gadsden as
cheaply as we cam make it. at. Birming-