The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-10


excellent constitution in many of its
| parts This is white mans govern
| ment, ii ought to be and always will be-
Being so much better than the old, he
| thought it his duty to vote for 1T and
he did so. He heard Ex-Governor john
| ston speak against the new constitution
and on some points agreed with him, but
| there was nothing else to offer and IL the
new constitution had been defeated there
would have been no change When he
first became Governor, Johnston favored
| a constitutional convention and did so on
| through his second term until the last
| year when he changed his mind and had
| a bill calling a convention signed by him
| repealed. lie also complained that under
| the new constitution some white men were
disfranchised by failing to register and
to pay their poll tax, and had favored
| a constitution some time ago and was
| against it when it was ratified
The main issue in the canvass. con-
tinued General Oates is between the two
| men and as some mems consciences are
| more easily satisfied than others. We
| ought to be careful in making the selec-
ton of Governor, as one might warp
his construction of the new constitution
and defeat many important provisions by
| falling to have them carried properly into
| effect. Johnston was Governor for four
|
| Governor again. but wants to be endorsed
| by the people. If he can u persuaded
to run for an Office he don't want how
easily could he be persuaded to run for
| an Off ce he ooes want He wants to go
to the United States Senate and so do
| |. but we are not old enough. not as old
as the people want, 1t seems" said the
| General. Johnston and Waller both said
Jelks was opposed to primary. and he
was not; but suppose he was. did he not
have a right to his own opinions. / tell
you that if Governor Jelks had been OPP
posed to a primary election that none
would ever have been oruered-his in
fluence on the committee secured a pri-
mary and he could have very easily
prevented it. Waller calls Jelks an ac-
cIdent. and yet he is cSazy himself to be
just such an accident. Johnston takes
Waller along with him to say things he
don't want to say, to set a bait for all
sides in the argument. General Harrison
ran for President of the Senate when he
found that Governor Sanford was going
to die, but Jelks beat him and when he
was elected President of the Senate every
one who voted for him knew he would be
Governor and he got 1t just as though he
had been elected by the people, and is
just as much the Governor. If John
ston and Waller are elected and get the
legislature. why can't Johnston refuse to
qualify and be elected to the Senate, and
let Waller be Governor. Johnston knows
| If he is elected by the legislature to the
Senate he will be admitted. Mr.. Waller
wants to be an accident, even If 1t is so
| very bad. Governor Johnston has two
| sore toes-he got one when he was de-
| Ieated by Morgan for the Senate and the
! other when the State convention failed
to endorse his administration Johnston
says he made an excellent Governor
finding $4,000 in the treasury when the
record shows that there were $4,000 on
| hand.
| General Oates referred to his open let
ter to the Ex-Governor on that subject.
He won't say that he is lying now when
| he repeats that statement-he is an eX
| Governor and that would be undignified
| and unparliamentary, but he told story
| OF a lawyer who manufactured his facts
! to suit his case as he went along but he
couldn't fool the court and the ex-Gover-
nor can't fool the people. man who
| asks the SURFACES of the people and don't
| deal honestly with them Is not worthy of
| their support. Johnston had tread on his
toes and he is only striking back. The ex-
| Governor said he had struck down four
telephones when he struck down only one
| at saving of $45 n year and had increas-
| ed the pay of his messenger from $25 to
| $50 month at a cost of $500 year. The
great and good Joseph cut out one tele-
phone and had the salary of his messen-
| ger doubled. In a letter to the people the
| Governor said the Ex-Governor had hit
| him a back handed lick in referring to
| his management of the Convict Board.
| In Johnston's administration 1t was
| shown that the Convict Board had met
| but once in one year and twice in an
| Ot n
| chairman and approved by the Governor.
| 1t was not deemed necessary to assemble
| the board to pass on little thing like
| that. The employees at the Walls were
| assessed to carry the members of the
| Legislature in Gilmore for Johnston for
| Senator. They made a new office. hog
| waterer. to make a place for a Johnston
| followers and a chicken warden and
| grass waterer. During Governor Jelks's
| short administration as much money has
been paid in from the Convict Department
| as was paid in all during Johnston's four
years in the Governors office. Jeks is
not a lawyer. as they say. but he is
| better business man and has given a bet
| ter administration than Johnston did. He
| knew Jelks well-he was his Secretary
| when he first went to Congress-he was
| capable and trustworthy. and left him
to go into the newspaper business He
| was a bright young man and made good
Secretary and he was the only man who
| had ever made any money in a newspaper
| in Eufaula. He is not a weak man.
| Does it require a lawyer to make
statesman or to fill the Governors office?
| If it does your boys had as we'll give up
| their ambition. Some of the greatest men
| of the world were not lawyers. If every
| body who is not an orator and can't make
| stump speeches is debarred from holding
| office there is little for our boys. Jeks is
| a much cleaner man and has had n much
| more creditable administration than John
| ston gave us and Johnston should not be
elected for third term. The people will
| favor the plan of passing. the bottle
around and will agree that he is not the
only man capable of filing the high office
Of Governor. The General added that he
did not believe that Johnston wants to be
Governor but Senator
| The General said that Johnston and his
| followers had denounced Jelks for pro-
| claiming the new Constitution ratified
and not investigating the charges Of fraud
| in its ratification. and charged with being
| as guilty of the fraud. The Governor I'M
| der the law could not go behind the re-
| turns and had to issue his proclamation
| according to the result as certified to
| him. He could not do anything else and
| the Ex-Governor knows it.
Baseball all week. sylacausa VS., Mont
| gomery. adv.