The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-16
AN ABoRTIVE ATTEMPT
To Uphold a Badly Conducted Nd
minitration.

1
| the Convict Bureau, in some respects the
most remarkable and misleading that
| nave ever seen. His statement is made
| in the face, and contrary to the records
| IN his own office. the Auditor and Treas
urer. He gives Governor Jekss adm n
istration credit for the net income of the
last two months of Governor Johnston )
administration. The present administra-
ION did not begin until December l,
| 1900 therefore Johnston should have the
credit for the net income for October
| and November, 1900. The books in the
Auditors ONCE show to the credit of the
convict fund, October !, 1890. siss3}.32,
and on December !. 1890. s91, I'LL, show
ing the net income for the last two
months of Johnstons admins traton to
be $42, 1919, which should be deducted
from the net income claimed by Judge
Carmichael t$92545.50) for Jelks's admin
istration, which gives for the first ten
months of Jelkss administration a net
| income of $502J7.71. On December /. 1900,
there was due the Convict Bureau for
convict hire S1l, $685. cloth, s. 5l6.33. and
cloth In the cotton mill unsold valued at
sl5,ooooo, aggregating altogether $SsSol: 50.
with which Johnston's administration
should be credited, and taken from the
net income of the first ten months of
Jelks's administration, would leave as
the net income of the first ten months of
Jelkss admin stration SCI 400. o.. The last
two months of Johns tons administration
was twice as much as the entire ten
| months of Jelks's administration. There
ing the last two months of Johnston
administration Sol .527 26. which Judge Car
michael has given the Jelks's administra-
ton credit for. Judge Carmichael is not
an, ignorant man; ne is lawyer and
been a Circuit Judge and knows as well
as any one when a Governor enters upon
his duties. and he knows that the records
in his own office, the Auditor and Treas
urer. show the receipts and disburse-
ments for each month, and could have
gotten the facts if he had wanted to make
a fair statement. His statement is but
sample of the Misrepresentation of Gov
ernor Johnston's administration by the
jerks speakers and the rress. They may
muddy the waters and figures as mucrl as
they please. but they cannot figure Gov
ernor Johnston out of the credit that he
found the convict system and the State
government almost bankrupt, and when
he went out Of office he left them upon
sound financial basis. and the policies
that he inaugurated are being followed
by a hostile administration. This is
complete answer to his critics AMI every
ia minded man will SO regard it:
On the first day of December. 1896 the
day that Governor Johnston entered upon
his duties as Governor there was but
50, 1856 81 to the credit of the convict fund
and large amounts due for machinery for
the cotton mill and for supplies During
the four years. and after paying for
nearl yall of the cotton mill and a large
amount for supplies due and unpaid
when he entered upon his duties there
was turned into the State treasury under
an act of the Legislature, $685. go, ana
on Decebmer I, 1900, there was to the
credit of the convict fund a cash balance
in the State treasury of $9l.11.1l, aggre-
eating $l5s,693.n as the net income in
$3.35637 to the credit of the convict fund
on December L. 1896.
Notwithstanding what the records of
the Convict Bureau, Auditor and Treas
urer show. Judge Carmichael in his
statement says the net income paid into
the State Treasury for the four years of
Governor Johnstons administration was
by about $54000.00. Why did he make
such miestatement of the facts If 1t was
not for the purpose of misleading the PEG
pie and hoping to induce the INTO vote
for Jelks on the 18th of August rather
than Johnston. He could have gotten the
facts from the records in his own office,
Auditor and Treasurer, but he proceeded
upon the assumption that any statement
that he would make would not be chal-
lenged and would be accepted by the
people as reason for supporting jerks.
Judge Carmichael makes mention OF
some contracts that Governor johnston
made short time before he went out of
office, the conditions of which l will Elk
plain.
1t has been the policy of the State to
hire some of the ConVicts to farmers. and
the price is based largely upon the ability
of the agricultural industry to pay. If
the agricultural industry Is required to
pay as much for convicts as the other IN
dustries, then every convict would nave
to be taken from the farmers, and that
industry could not hire any. and the pol
lev OF the State changed.
Every one who is acquainted with the
agricultural condition of this country and
the cost of maintenance of ConNlcts
knows that 81 per month for one-thrd
women and two-thirds men is as much as
any farmer is justified in paying.
He SAYS that these two contracts oval
TCr6t Moo 6Nn TpfD m
ed, that is they were held up after the
crops were planted and made to pay two
dollars per month more. or have the con-
victs taken from them and he financially
ruined 1t was the spirit Of the robher
who meets the traveller on the highway
and demands his money or his life The
other contract that he speaks of was
with the Hand Lumber Company and the
condition of this contract was that they
should take white men, the deadheads at
the walls and Spigner's. This company
was likewise held up. as Walter Brothers
and McCurdy had been.
Why don't the present administration
annul the contracts with the Tennessee
Company and Sloss Company and hold
them up and make them pay 10 per cent
more. First. second and third class con-
victs in the mines are worth so per cent
more today than when the contracts were
made. and there is as much authority and
ground for holding up those companies
as there were for holding up Walter
Brothers McCurdy and the Hand Lumber
Company We have reached that point in
our history that a contract made by the
State with its own citizens is not regard |
ed as sacred and binding on the part of
the State and the present administra- |
tiOn revels and boasts Of its disregard of
the sacredness of contracts.
Judge Carmichael and those he repre- |
sents are welcome to all the glory they |
can get out Of this proposition. and may |
rest assured that Governor Johnston and |
none of his friends have any desire ii |
share with them any glory from such |
Transactions
When Governor Johnston enters upO:
his duties of Governor next January he |
will observe and carry out in good faith |
the contracts made by the State, as this |
policy is the only assurance that can |
give stability to the contracts of the |
State. If one administration can and |
will break the contracts of former, who |
is safe in making contracts with the |
State? An administration that will do it |
is unfit to administer the State govern |
ment, and should not be entrusted with |
the honor of the State A State that will |
not comply with its contracts lowers its |
and affects ,hc credit of its |
citizens.
We need. above everything else, an adj |
of the State government |
that has regard for truth. integrity and |
honor and ability to conduct the affairs |
of the State in such manner as will pro-
tect its honor and deal fairly and hon
estly with all who may transact business
with it, w. III. Lawson.
Mathews, Ala.