The age-herald., 1899-05-28
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

lar SesSlOH goes to the supreme court for Judgment as to its lawfulness. It would be unseemly to guess at the nature of the courts decision, but it may be said that tho inyalidating of the act will cause much confusion, and, in some cases, annoying hardship. He may be added without seem ing impertlnence that it is very generally conceded that the now famous interlinea- tions in the journal of the house, which are to be brought to the courts attention, were unlawfully made. The burden of the proof that they were not so made rests in the first instance upon Mir. McDavid, the secretary of state, and secondly upon MT. Massey Wilson, the clerk of the house. By law the secretary of state is the custodian of the records, and is responsible for them. It is an unhappy circumstance that req sonable grounds for suspicion exist regard ing the accuracy of the legislative rec ords as preserved in the archives of the state. This is not the place to say nor perhaps is there any place for saying that no good has come out of the legislature of 1S9S-99; but it is probably true that the people of Alabama would have been better materially and morally if this legislature had never assembled.
 Should the supreme court set aside the new revenue act, the act which it was meant to supplant would come into full force and effect. But old taxes were in- creased, and new taxed created. Increased licenses and new licenses have been paid already; and should the prevailing law fail the only hope of those who have paid would lie in relief legislation in the fu- ture. The state cannot be sued. And af- ter any tax money has been paid to and receipted for by the tax gatherer it be- comes a part of the general fund, and the only power given by the organic law for the paying out of money from that fund is delegated to the legislature alone. It is not advisable to deal here in figures bear ing upon this matter and it would be just as idle to speculate as to what the gov- ernor might do concerning another extra session, as 1t would be mischievous to fore cast the decision of the supreme court. But the questions that arise are of grave concern. Suspicion is cast upon the in- tegrity of the records at Montgomery. If the journal of the last session of the house has been tempered with and falsifed, isn't it quite possible that the journals of other sessions of other houses have been similar ly dealt with? For a man guilty of such a crime the gate of the penitentiary swings ajar.
 Robert F. Ligon, Jr., the clerk of the state supreme court, was in Birmingham yesterday, looking after private affairs. He declined to be interviewed upon any subject whatever; but that was not sur prising in view of his office and his we'll known ndisposition to talk for publication. Mir Ligon was adjutant-general of The state at the time of his selection as clerk of the supreme court last autumn, and he had borne the heavy burden of organizing and putting in the field Alabama's three regiments of volunteers in the war with Spain. How thoroughly he performed his exaeting duties the former officers of voI- unteers and the authorities at the war de- partment would bear cheerful witness, as would Q number of watchful newspaper men, All this heavy work, necessitatirg that MT. Ligon remain in Montgomery throughout the heated term he did without penny in the way of compensation. After he had quilted office an economy-loving legislature made the pay of the place $15O0 year. MT. Ligon is one of the most brilliant and praiseworthy of all the young
 
 grace and charm of manner are rarely equaled He adorns worthily the high of flee he fills.
 P. Sid Jones returned yesterday from a visit to his son, Captain Norman Jones of the Fifth United States Volunteer infantry at Camp Meade, Pa. He reports his son so much improved in health as to be able to report for duty. The regiment will be mus tered out of service on the 31st of May. after which Captain James E.. Shelley. and the other officers and the men will return south, though the officers are not expeeted to return in body. It is understood that Norman Jones and James Shelley will po back to Cuba after they have fully rested at home; General Wood. at Santiago bav- ing made them excellent propositions to mat effect. P. Sid Jones brought with him from Camp Meade a silver medal presented to Norman Jones by a dying Spanish sol- dier for whom the American had done a kind act. The clasp is dated 1873 and was bestowed for service in Cuba. Three clasns on the rlooon denote three campaigns. The medial is rather skillfully minted
 
 several men were discussing sep+erce day in the criminal court, and tbera --e9a sympathetic references to mercifulness ss shoWn to accused and convicted.
 That reminds of Zeke Pickens. a noted circuit Judse ln West Alabama, many years ago. said Hon. John Mcqueen sHe was very small in stature and so got the nick name Of Little Zeke.' He was somewhat peppery at times, but he always had the highest sense of duty and justice. Every body believed in and liked Little Zeke, One day he was trying an important case Tn Selma and counsel for the defendant asked the judge to charge the jury that it was better that ninety and nine guilty men escape than that one innocent man be condemned as guilty.
 " That's all right, gentlemen; that's quite true said the judge in his shrin way, but must say that I think the nine- ty and nine have already escaped D
 The people of Birmingham ought per- haps to be so grateful that the streets are swept at all that they could find no spirit