The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-12
GOV. JOHNSTON'S REPLY
AIabama's Chief Executive Answers Charges
Of Senator Morgan.
LENGTHY LETTER GOES INTO DETAIL
Explaining Harsh Things the sena'
tor HIS said--Trusts, Organism
and Nicaragua Canal.
special 70 nae rimes. pemocrat.


lowing letter from Governor Johnston to
Senator Morgan speaks for itself:
Hon John 7. Morgan, Washington. d c.
Montgomery, January 4, 1900 Sir
Upon my return from New York last week
found your letter, and | have found
time today to read II. | regret the temper
that you display. You denounce the state
ment that called on you to retract as
false. and demand the name OF the falsi-
fer' who furnished it. | will be more
1 frank than you were, and state that
took that extract verbatim from a special
telegram to the Age Herald, purportins
/ to have been sent BY Mr. A. W. Butt, who
said that he gave 1t as 1t appeared Ia inc
! congressional RECORD. ola not suppose
that your own friends would deliberately
tasty your record to iniure me.
Had you simply denied the statement
| attributed TO you there would have beeu
| no further issue between us as TO tDal
Yon now say that you charged that
owned. or had owned. large amount or
stock in an Alabama corporation, one OF
| several. tnat had sold ali their property
OF every kind to New Jersey company.
| That is true TO the extent that owIel
/ the large amount OF about $4,000 or
stock In the American Coal company and
l am unable to see any crime In dlsposing
/ of that to New Jersey company.
II do not now, and never owned a share
OF stock In the Sloss- Sheffield company,
nor have | ever had any interest, direct.
remote or contingent, in any syndicate or
trust to which the lands referred to were
/ sold.
II presume the interests referred 10
/ by Mr.. Mayhem were my interest In the
$500 acres Of Rookery lands and stock
above referred TO. All the lands 50 far
% ! know. were paid for IN money AMI
taken into the company Tor the exact
! amount paid for them except the property
Of the Sloss Iron and Steel company, In
\ which | had no interest whatever.
81 say there things SO that II you have
occasion 10 speak Of me again in the sen
ate YOU may know the truth, and not rely
upon or give currency to the statements
of falsiners
81 shall not senator, like you. depart
from the real Issue or endesvor to defame
you hy quoting false charges made against
you by your personal and political enc
mics and 7 trust ! shall never FORGET
the respectful consideration due 10 yolr
age fesbeness and rrltabilily,
II freely forgive you for being mislo1
by some Of your supporters In Alabama,
and especially among the press. You have
occasion to know that some are not very
scrupulous. do not believe YOU would
Intentionally Islander your neighbor, but
fear that your anger and resentment
have been 40 aroused that YOU can not
impartislly differentiate the false from the
\ true,
i II beg TO express my great satisfact on
at your present attitude against trusts,
"If IL is crime to aid In securing tae
formation Of company to bring more
than $4,000 900 into our state to hgii+
furnaces and steel works and open mines
and give employment TO labor, what must
! r. - oesin In in n
, organize the international American
bank. with capital Of s25000,000. md
OF which your colleague, Senator Pettas.
said. Here Is the most damnable trust
that God ever allowed to live on eaT,hl
You and Senator Cafrery OF Louisiana are
the only democrats in either house that
voted for that measure, and Caffery will
never return to the senate.
And why did you vote against putting
: tax OF 1I2 per cent on all goods man
ufactured by trusts? On this measure you
were found in the republican column.
p Then, do you not think that the MARI
time Canal company was something OF
trust or monopoly? And yet you In
= sisted on voting millions to II in the
: Nicaragua canal scheme.
y THE gravamen OF my offense in your
2 eyes seems 10 he that encouraged the
formation Of company to bring a very
large amount OF money into Alabama, |
thought. senator, that every good citizen
and taxpayer would be glad to see that
and II that he an offense, ! am afraid
II that you must have forgotten. when you
we're supporting me for governor, that
was one OF the parties who organized
the Sloss Iron and Steel company IN
y 1877 II this be an offense | am guilty
not only In the case cited, but in numer-
Gus others. have never failed when
opportunity offered to use my influence
to aid in bringing money into the State
! have been wanting all the time to Ia
= crease our circulating medium hops
4 that | did something to aid Ia securing
1 the building OF the Tuscaloosa branch
Of the Mobile and Ohio railroad and In
= locating cotton factories az Huntsville,
F: / Cordoya and Gadsden. ! think may
6 say that have aided in bringing In
millions of dollars. | would rejoice II
YOU could point to even hundreds you
have brought in Possibly you do not
, know. senator that the corporations IN
Jefferson county alone. the most exclusive
result of foreign money, now pay taxes
8 on many millions OF dollars and have
/, enabled us TO greatly improve our schools.
3 You say that since the Georgia legis-
lature refused to call convention. you
G do not favor one in Alabama. Don't you
c think you should have as much respect
!. for the conclusions OF the legislature Of
Alabama as OF Georgia. Why did you
not change when the Alabama iegisla-
;, absent so long senator, as to almost f-r-
= get which State you represent! You
certainly favored convention last spring;
q you came all the way here TO line up
: with that crowd. You approved Il In your
u subsequent canvass OF the state and until
you left the State. The convention pa
" pers and leaders support you almost solid
a ", We fear YOU may change again. You
" are somewhat given 10 change OF resent
IS years. In July last you were ready e
throw Mr. Bryan over for a man who
would promise not TO veto silver bill
At Athens YOU said you had your arm
!, around Bryan's neck you were almost
y his political twin aud, in order to show
how very ultra you were, sou denounced
Mr. Cleveland as dishonest man,
r. You now assail me. senator, With the
IT reeklessness OF youth and the garrulity
u of old age. Before I became a candi-
/ date for the senate you canvassed the
State and had not word OF criticism for
me or my administration. II was really
n doing all the wicked and unconstitutional
Il and lawless things you now charge
y why did you not have the courage TO de-
J, ncunce me- 90 the peopier Speaking OF
y my misdeeds and uneonstitutionai acts
you cay that the legislature had nc
power to repesi the convention act. Il