The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-30
s Absurd for Him to Claim to Be Leader of Fair
 Elections
INITIATES THAT HE HAS
 SOME ULTERIOR MOTIVES
In Speaking of the Expenses of the State Under Ills Administration Says $5o,ooo Was Paid Out
 Under Johnston Law.

Montgomery, July 29.-(speciaD-Gover- nor Jelks today issued signed statement replying to certain portions of former Governor Johnson's speech delivered in Montgomerl few days ago. The text of the z atement is as follows
 q have had the pleasure of perusing the stenographic report of Governor John ston's late speech at the opera house in this city and desire to offer some obser- vations upon certain portions of it. He says T stand here expressing the free right of every man to aspire to any office and have a fair election and a fair count. Governor Johnston stood all over the state for several months in an attempt to deny to the white people of Alabama the right to have fair election and fair count We sought to rid ourselves of white supremacy by fraud and estab- fish white supremacy by law. There was no occasion for the contest over the con- stitution. People who supported the con stitution did so with the avowed pur- pose of introducing into this state fair elections and fair counts. Governor John ston has done more than any other man to postpone the day for a fair election and fair count. He postponed the rat iication of the new constitution two years and would have postponed it indefinitely if his plans had carried. It Is most ab- surd to have him set himself up as leader of fair elections and fair counts There Is not a reading person in this state who does not know that he has been a consistent enemy to such consumma- ton for at least three years.
 He tells us, too, in that speech that he was standing at the request of a .n great body of honest mechanics. do not know how many honest mechanics are behind him but l am quite certain that a great number of honest mechanics, merchants and farmers supported the new constitution and stood for honest elections and fair counts in this state when Governor Johnston was quite on the other side.
 Johnston's Real Aim.
 "Governor Johnston says he Is not a candidate because he desires the honor of the office. Governor Johnston has been heard to say that he was in politics this year because he had some political debts to pay. There is a suspicion abroad that his interest in this campaign is not only for the office of governor or senator, whichever it may be, but that 1t is to destroy the people who recently made honest elections and fair primaries possi- ble in Alabama. He is aiming at the men who made the constitution.
 t., h o11 f1aof he is elected there will be no combina- tions, no senatorial predestnated selec- tions, no people who are to occupy any office by any promise that he has made His insinuation is that another is rum ming for the office of governor who has predestinated senatorial selections and who has promised out places in the gift of the governor. There is only one other candidate to whom he could allude and that candidate has made no promise im- piled or otherwise. as to any office in his gift or likely to be in his gift That candidate desires to make this statement as emphatic as possible.
 "The ex-governor calls attention to the fact that the state government paid out last year something like ,000 more than was paid out the year before which was the last year of his administration. That is true. Over $400,00O of this was for schools, a sum that much in excess of any previous appropriation. The audi tors report will show that one-half mill tax for old soldiers amounting to $135000, was that much in excess Of any amount disbursed in any one year before for the same purpose. By examination of the same authority I find that the constitu- rfa tr hon s90,000; that the state paid out something like S500O0 licenses refunded, collected un- der law passed during Governor John ston's administration and declared uncon- stitutional that it paid back to the Sloss- Sheffield company $56,0O0 which had been paid in on a land deal, wnIcn was re- scinded. These several sums, added up, amount to more than the excess In dis bursements of last year over the previous year. There were other sums that always follow the session of the legislature, in- cluding the cost of the legislature itself, not set down here. All of these disburse- ments were from plain legislative enact mcnt. Not a dollar was handled improp- erly.
 Administrations Disbursements.
 Governor Johnston complains of the present administration on account of it's disbursements for public schools going so far as to send for the finance commit tee of the senate and begging them to kill the bill. He cannot object to the in- creased appropriation for the old soldiers He cannot object to the refunding of license money improperly collected under an act approved by him. He ought not to complain of the cost of constitution that gives us fair elections and honest counts. He says he stands for fair cleo tions and honest counts, and complains because the disbursements for a constitu- tion which gives up white supremamy by law-not fraud-cost the state $90000. The governor did not go further and inform the public that these increased disburse- ments were made on exactly the same tax rate which was levied during his time. He did not think to say to his hearers that not one of them had been taxed mill mere on the hundred dollars than they
 (Continued on Second Page)