The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-30

expenditures peculiar thus far to the samford-Jelks administration. Which of the five items does Governor Johnston consider oppressive to the taxpayer? He claims that, taken in the aggregate. they are sufficient to set aside the Party rule against a third term and place him in power. What would he do with the Acts of the Legislature that cover these ex- penditures?
 We pass to a wider range of compari- son between Governors and the financial conditions they are supposed to control or influence: Total values for State taxes were under:--
 1S91-s4-Jones .. ..$1. .0Ss. .5S6,sS6 1ey9-So-OateB .,s.s.-ss 4oes0tS,ezl 97-1900-Johnston ...... 1,0SS. .205 The tax rate under Jones was an ay- craze of mills. soldiers special tax in- cluded, for four years.
 The tax rate under Oates was an aver age of 6 mills, soldiers special tax in- cluded, for two years.
 The tax rate under Johnston was an average of sk mills. soldiers special tax and the special tax for schools included. for four years.
 Had uniform rate of e& mills prevailed in the three administrations. the income from Jones's would have exceeded the income from Johnston's. A uniform rate of 6% mills would have produced income to the State as follows:
 From Jones's four years ...e7,0l7111 From Oates's two years. 3,264S3S
 From Johnston's four years. 6.9i6,126
 So that Jones, on a tax rate of 6% mills would have exceeded Johnston's collec- tions. which were on the rate of sN. by $1. .040.S95 in terms of equal length.
 Without using more statistics. the reader may calculate for himself that at a 6A tax rate, the assessments under Governor Oates would have produced all the revenue that Governor Johnston claims from his assessments for an even time, two years. As Governor Johnston the figures of record place his claim to Business Governor" in excelsior, in an absurd and preposterous light.
 It may well be borne fin mind that Jones's last two years were years of the zenith of the greatest financial panic of American history. save, perhaps, 1t may have equalled only the panic of 1857; that Oates's two years were entirely under the shadow of that panic; that the last two years of Johnston's administration had the advantage of the boom in prices and values following the prosecution of the Spanish-American War.
 In ten years of growth. ten years after Jones had assessed values in the State. which would have left surplus to him of $l,040.9S5 at the tax rate Johnston &C., tually applied, Johnston claims he did leave a surplus of. say, $1,2Oo.OOO. Jones' s | figures arc of record and beyond cavil: Johnston's are his own. Johnston used the back tax machinery, of his own de- vising, supplementary to all the machinery of assessing and collecting taxes that Jones had employed. Johnston asked the General Assembly for three State Exam. iners and got them; Jones and Oates used, the one only that they found pro- vided.
 Next in order come the items of out-gc from the Treasury in the respective ad. ministrations of the three Governors:- Jones paid out in four years. .S7, ,527, ,19C Oates paid out in two years...... 4,0O9, ,s7S Johnston paid out In four years... S,677, ,24s
 Johnston expended Imore than Jones ir the same length of time by $l.15O.O5S.
 Johnston spent about as much in excess of Jones as he now claims to have saved to the State.
 The records overthrow absolutely and without recourse. Governor Johnston's l specific claim as Business Governor. '' His claim for a third term amounts to treason to his Party. There is nothing of substance in his present contest for place and honors.
 The penltentlary responds more prompt ly to the touch of the Governor than any other State institution. T he Governor there is the whole thing. Johnston aban- doned the Alabama Cotton Mil; the mill now pays net to the State Sl,25O per
 month. Johnston abandoned some land and recommended the sale of all, but the lands are now profitable to the State Our wisest statesmen have labored since Houston to build up benehcent penology
 Johnston recommended abandonment oi
 the effort and advised the State to mount the auction block at every jail door ana
 cry out convIcts to let to the highest
 bidder.