The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-29
OATES TO
 EX-GOVERNOR JOHNSTON
Latter'S Statements in Regard to States Finances Shown to Be Absurd--Jelks's Election Will
 Serve States Best Interests.

tee was s5es.ooo and not s6eo.ooo as you stated; and the amount reported by them was rot as a ''deficit, nor was 1t as you said that the State owed that much money that 1t could not pay" IL was an ascertainment by the committee of the amount of the appropriations and current expenses which would fan due on the last day of December of that year. This was erroneous by at least N0O.0o0. the Nell son note. which by it's terms d.d not fall due until the 18th of January, and the amount of the Mason liability of $5o,0o1 which was included in the appropriations. The committee did not take into account the probable amount of the receipts into the treasury during the moflth of Janu- ary which is never less than $2b00o per day and sometimes four or i've times that much. The committee did not state the further fact that the full amount of the appropriations for which the treasury was liable January Hare never all drawn out during that month. It Is a fact that during that January the receipts of the treasury aggregated more than $soe0oo. You therefore certainly knew that your statement was misleading and incorrect.
 Your statement that the treasury con- tained 's5os.ooo good solid dollars" when you went out of ofiice. was the result of the higher rate of taxation. Fifteen cents on every s10o worth of taxable property in the State. more than was imposed by law during my administration. and the increase in tax values. I give you full credit for all that you did. but don't you know that it was the money of the people paid in taxes that paid all indebt- edness and got plethora in the treasury rather than your great financial skill? Yet,
 'T said the sparrow,
 With my bow and arrow
 killed Cock Robin"
 Governor, you stated m your speech that when you entered upon your duties as Governor that you took out of the Capitol three or four telephones that ordered struck down. found out that they had a telephone in nearly every of fice there. These gentlemen. who had been aspiring to ofiicc, could run very nimbly while seeking it. but could not get up and walk intos another room to telephone. I found out that they were largely used by the young men, clerks in the office. in telephoning the girls down town, etc thought we might strike these down and save this money and 1t would teach some public school in the country for three or four months, and that was more important than to enter tain the girls.'' This was charge against my administration of extrava- gance and useless expense. From your statement one would conclude that the Capitol was full of telephones which were used for private purposes and not ofiici- ally. What are the facts? There were but i've telephones in the Capitol. one in the Governors office. which remained there; one in the Secretary of States office, t~h AmA nt1f fin fha ofice of the Commissioner of Agricul- ture which you had taken out; but a year later you saw your mistake and had that one restored, There was one in the ofiice of the Clerk of the Supreme Court. which remained, and one in the Convict Bureau, which remained. You said there were three or four telephones that I. ordered struck down. I can prove that you had but two struck down." one of which you anaily restored. Now when thus throwing mud at my administration why did you not tell the truth about 1t and say "one or two telephones" instead of three or four7' How much was your boasted savings7 These telephones cost the State sas each per year. Xou there fore saved s% and some portion of that amount while the machine was out which you restored. ,@f
 The law allowed the Governors offlce a messenger at s25 per month or 800 per year. I had as messenger during my term Michel Screws. as intelligent, bright and reliable boy as there was in the State of Alabama, who was very glad to get the office at that salary and perform ed the duties of this office we'll.
 When you came in as Governor you ap- pointed another boy as messenger, no better qualified than Screws, and got the II A. .N- make it $50 per month, or $500 per year. You desired this done; you could have vetoed the bin, but you approved 1t. Now while you were on your small economies why did you not save that 500 which might run a school longer than the s45 you saved on the telephones?
 There are other things of which you boast to which could reply but deem the foregoing sufficient. Governor had hoped that you would not revive or ri- diculousiy revamp these old erroneous claims of your great @ achievements. I had no inchnation to appear in print. but I feel it due to myself and to the truth of history to make this reply against your mud-slinging and damning of my administration as Governor to magnify your own. Mine was, at least, as hon. est, faithful and capable as yours
 While Jelks may not be so wonderful a financier as you claim yourself to be. yet he is honest, capable and Is making Q good Governor and not boasting about 1t. He has never become an adept in the maxim of the demagogue, that He who bioweth not his own horn. by man shall his horn never be blown" shall, therefore, vote for him, believing It to be to the best interest of the State.
 William c. Oates.