The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-08
GENERAL OATES NOT A CANDIDATE
HE WILL NOT RUN FOR COVER
 NOR AGAIN.
He Has B sn Solicited to Enter the Race, But It Has No Charms for Him-He Gives His Rea-
 sons for Declining.

last lew QayS. Ine papers anu ehO PSo- pie have coupled his name with the posi- ton and some have been led to believe that he actually intended entering the race. The General let his friends know before he left for Europe that some ad- vances had been made to him in that direction but that he had not been sufti- cientiy fiattered by them to be induced to become a candidate for Governor, an office he did not want and which had no attraction for him. There are hosts or friends of the General all over the State who were anxiously awaiting some decla- ration from him on the subject and since his return he has been besieged on all sides to let the public know what he in- tended doing about it.
 An Advertiser representative called at his law office yesterday afternoon and put the question to him pointedly and direct- ly if he had any idea of entering the race, and he said without hesitation that he would not be. not disgusting his real de- sire and ambition of going to the Senate, and saying candidly that if he ever runs for an ofiice again 1t will be that of Unit ed States Senator.
 The General is always willing to talk when approached by newspaper men and always greets them with such courtesy and friendliness that they are all his friends. In answer to the question If he was a candidate for Governor he said NO, am not and will not be-" and be- gan most interesting review of his ex- perience with the Governorship and gave some reasons why he did not want to run for the office again. He said:
 Only as Duty.
 When I became a candidate for Gov ernor in 1894 it was against my judgment to make the race and leave Congress. which, of course, followed sue cessful race, but I was made to believe that 1t was my duty to and thus believing, went into the con- test and after two exhausting campaigns -one for the nomination and the other for the election-I was elected-resigned my seat in Congress and entered upon the duties of Chief Executive. I found the State very much embarrassed financially in conseuuence of a great falling oil in the revenues, by too great reduction in the tax rate at the closing session of Governor Seays administration and the unprecedented shrinking in the values of taxable property of the State during the panic of the year fS92-93. This, with the large increase of appointments I had to make, with but limited personal &C., quaintance with many of the applicants, radical changes made by the Legislature in the convict system. etc., were more em- barrassing than I had contemplated. But properly appreciated the honor be- slowed upon me and discharged to the best of my ability my duties as Governor.
 T have, since my return from Europe, heard that the report has been freely circulated and mentioned in some news papers that I would be a candidate for Governor this year. Since my return have received letters of inquiry from sev- eral esteemed friends in different parts of the State desiring to know If the report be true and generously proffering me their support. For such manifestations of preference I am profoundly grateful. had received some such solicitations be- fore I left for Europe last April. I have invariably stated in reply to such in- quiries that I would not be a candidate for Governor"
 'T have seen and heard frequently in- timations that you would be a candidate and have heard many express a desire that you would run. May l inquire your reasons for declining to run?" said the reporter.
 Well l have several" said the Gen eral. and I have no objection to stating some of them.
 Without waiting for formal tender of second nomination, which had been the precedent for many years, I let 1t be known that I would not stand for a second term, which was in accordance with what I repeatedly stated when a candidate for the nomination. Under the operation of tax laws enacted by the Legislature in the latter part of Gov ernor Jones's and early in my adminis- tration and subsequently, well administer k1A knNA from it's embarrassment and under the very high tax rate which was fixed by a subsequent legislature the State is re- ceiving more revenue than it's actual needs require.
 ''Esteeming the office of Governor as the highest in the gift of the people of the State, and which was the estimate of the people before the Civil War, tried in the Constitutional Convention last year to restore the office to this just estimate. To this end I offered an ordi- nance to make the Governors annual salary $5.O00-equal to that of a member of Congress or United States District Judge. It is now but 8 .000 which is less than that of the Supreme Court Justices which is too low. and less than that of the president of the Railroad Commission and barely equal to the compensation of Circuit Court Solicitor.
 Our dear old historlc capitol building is in state of dilapidation and too small to properly conduct the business of the State within It. Being familiar with these conditions and knowing that the build ing could easily he repaired and its wings extended SO as to make 1t a good capitol building for thirty or forty years I in- troduced an ordinance for this purpose which would require but very slight in. crease in the bonded debt of the State Many times when visitors from other States go and look at the old building where the tirst Confederate Congress met and where JeR Davis was sworn In as President of the Storm Graded Nation
 which made the largest and brightest chapter in American history ever penned l they naturally express a desire to see the Governor, and then comes the humiliat- ing scenes. The visitor is taken around l through the office of the secretaries and shown into a room, but little more thar | a dozen feet square-a hole in the wall very scantlly and meanly furnished anC | there sets the Governor of the great | State of Alabama, like bear in cage | who, If a poor man, has to live in a cheaI l hotel or ordinary boarding house on ac. count of the niggardly paucity of his salary. He should have a room thirty or forty feet square. decently furnished in which he would not feel ashamed tC receive any visitor and should have ar Executive Mansion furnished by the Stat, and thus make all of our citizens and al l other people feel and see that Alabamian' are proud of their State and their Gov ernor and care nothing for the false cry of economy, of demagogues. Both of my ordinances were voted down or laid or the table by convention saving We vii