The age-herald., 1899-10-08
GOVERNOR JOHNSTON
 ISSUES AN ADDRESS
In a Lengthy Document He Reviews His Administration and Gives
 Views on Public Questions.

Montgomery. October 7.-Cspecial.)-As has been foretold in The Age-Herald, Gov ernor Johnston today issued the following address to the people of Alabama:
 October 2, 1899. To the People of Alabama:
 Every public official who recognizes that government is organized by the people for their own benefit and protection should be ready at any time to give an account Of how he is dischargng the trust committed to him. Those who have been honest and faithful have nothing to fear, and those who have been unfaithful should feel the scourge of the people on their backs.
 Unfaithful and Incompetent officials
 When I came into office determined, so far as lay in my power, that no dishonest or unfaithful official should betray the people and escape punishment. The first case that came to my attention was Col Hector Lott, of Mobile, who was found short by Examiner Reeves and made good that default, but his bond had been re- ported insufficient by the grand jury. My persistent and unyielding attempts 10 se- cure good bond brought attacks upon my head and charges that I was attempting to persecute and drive out of office an honest and faithful official to make room for some henchman of my own. I gave no need to those attacks and in less than eight months had shown that this man was a de- faulter for nearly $40.0OO. He was driven from office and indicted for his crime. This man had repeatedly been a defaulter, and the state had suffered a loss of thousands of dollars from his acts but his crime had been overlooked or condoned and he had escaped punishment until doubtless he thought it was an outrage to attack him. ha cherif of anothar c0uOtV reported to me for gross neglect of duty and he was promptly impeached and driven from office.
 The doings of the commissioners court of Jefferson county were examined, their incompetence or unfaithfulness shown and the court abolished in spite of the most extraordinary efforts of their partisans and the beneficiaries of their wrong doings.' At my instance legislation was procured that enabled me to institute rigid exami- nation of the books and accounts Of all officials handling the peoples money. By my explicit direction every official sub jected to my examination was given full opportunity to see the errors and deficit fund and to make any explanation he might desire No favortism had been shown no default had been concealed. and no wrong doings condoned. Thousands of errors have been disclosed and thousands of dollars have been paid into the state and county treasuries. Many of these err TOTS were honest. but none the less should the money have been paid in where it be- longed.
 It is a most notable fact that since April, 1897. when these examinations commenced. few errors found in the accounts or any official. Today the county officials or Alabama are commendably prompt, accur- ate and faithful in responding to every duty.
 A few men are yet found who denounce these examinations as an outrage upon the officials. and intended for political effect The day has passed in Alabama when an official can claim to be superior to those who created him, and to deny to his creators the right to examine his accounts just the same as every private individual and corporal tion examines the accounts of its employees. The day has passed when defaulting probate judges and other off, cials can for years and years defraud the people and escape with impunity. There ds not an honest official in the state who objects to an examination of his books ana no rogue will escape as long as am gov ernor. One paper declared that the publi- cation of the sworn reports of these exam tners was brutal and yet published them. The more agreeable way. doubtless, would be to keep the people in ignorance.
 Reform in Assessments
 Another reform instituted at my instance is the tax commission law. The object and purpose of this law was to have an official to go over the assessments made by the assessor and where that official has negli- gently, ignorantly and corruptly permitted taxpayers to escape, or to assess their property at greatly less than its value, to correct the same, and compel every citizen and corporation to bear his, her or it's fair share of the public burdens. The opera tion of this law is best shown in Jefferson county where under quite a conservative administration the taxable values were increased over the assessment this year S, 900, 900, and the consequence was that the capable and honest board of revenue has not only called in for payment $25 900 of county bonds, but reduced the general tax rate of the county nearly one-third. In other words, some five or six hundred tax payers who were escaping their just share of taxation have been pursuaded to do something like their duty and the burden has been lifted from the shoulders of those who are making fair returns.
 It has been charged that this law reflects upon the tax assessor. The people are not disturbed about any reflection that hon. estly saves them money, and. in the case cited. the assessor, In violation of his duty and forewarned of the fact, permitted cor porations to undervalue their property to the extent in one case of a million dollars, and in many others of hundreds of thousands of dollars as shown by the val nations of the board of revenue and the agreement of the corporations themselves.
  stead of allowing them to pass from fear of ref1ectng upon them or wounding their tender sensibilities. they should have their conduct of their offices exposed and held up to the judgment of the people.
 Reduction in Taxation
 It has been my hope and ambition during my term as governor to be able to largely reduce the rate of taxation and tighten the burdens on the shoulders of the people. For this purpose, as well as to equalize taxation, the tax commission law was de- signed. How we'll 1t has operated Is shown by the fact that the raises on property for the year ending September 3, 1898, by the tax Commissioners aggregated over eight million dollars partial returns made within the past thirty days shows that the raises for the fiscal year ending September sO 1S99 already exceed last years, and will probably reach ten million dollars. The tax on nearly twenty millions of property so brought in will go into the state and county treasuries to increase our surplus, build roads and maintain schools. Another year of like work ought to enable us to