The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-21
MORE JOHNSTON MISSTATE.
MENTS


Ex-Governor Johnston made a speech at
Columbiana Tuesday which was charac-
teristically full of misstatements. lie is
reported to have said that:
The Jelks administration was one in
which not single thing was done or was
attempted to be done for all the people,
except an abortive effort to require the
people to have wide tired wagons.
The Ex-Governor knew when he made
this statement that there was no foun-
dalton for it. Governor Jelks never saw
or voted for such a bill and never had
anything whatever to do with such a bill.
The Ex-Governor, it is said. emphasized
the statement that:
Not one single act passed during his
term of Office has been amended, or an
attempt made to amend it.
The Ex-Governor certainly knew when
he made this statement that the General
Assembly rebuked him by replacing upon
the statute books an act calling a Con-
stitutional Convention, under which act
we now have a new Constitut. = through
the operation of which the negro has
has been taken out of politics in Alabama
and the State Government i,armanently
secured to the white people. Had Gov
ernor Johnston succeeded in defeating the
ratification of the new constitution, the
negro would to day be a powerful factor
in the politics of this State.
The Ex-Governor claimed that while he
tryipu IN no peOroes
Governor Jelks was urging in his paper
that Democratic negroes should vote in
Democratic primaries The Ex-Governor
knows that Governor Jelks never favored
negro control; and every one who knows
the two men knows that Governor Jelks
has been far more consistent and sincere
in his opposition to negro domination
than has his opponent.
After the fullest consideration the ex-
Governor deliberately recommended to
the General Assembly in his first message
December l, 1895, that "a provision requir-
ing substantial poll tax to be paid by
all who vote would probably give all the
security needed" against the evils which
then afflicted us. Now he tells the
people flat the requirement of the pay
ment of poll tax of 81. so by all persons
under 45 years of age amounts to dis
reimbursement, when he, as Governor
of the State, recommended the enactment
of a provision of law requiring the pay
ment of ''substantiaP' poll tax by all
who vote" regardless of age.
h. FaY-
the condition in which Alabama would
be had the recommendation of Governor
Johnston been followed and the consti-
tuition amended in the only particular
recommended by him. With nothing to
prevent negro domination, but the prepay
ment of poll tax in our constitution, the
negro would to day be regnant in the
State and the white man in Alabama
would have no rights that negro was
bound to respect.
The Ex-Governor said in this speech
that every voter entitled to should par
ticipate in the primary and should cheer
fully abide the results" He repeatedly
said that If he got one single vote more
than his opponent no power could keep
him from being Governor" Why this
unseemly bravado? There has not been
SO far as The Advertiser has seen or
heard. an intimation of fraud by any one
who has the conduct of the Primary cleo
ton. Besides, the primary election Is
to be held for the purpose of the nomi-
nation of Democratic candidate for
Governor and not for the election OF a
Governor. Is this the foreshadowing OF
a bolt" in the event of his defeat in the
primary election on the trumpet charge
nf fraud9