The age-herald., 1902-03-03
Attorney Alex I, London De- flyers Strong Address Be-
 fore B'ni B'fth Society
THIEVERY IN OFFICE;
 BALLOT BOX STUFF|NG
Declares It An Open Secret That the Wealthy Gan Commit Any Crlme In Alabama With
 lmpunlty.

MT Alex T. London lectureo at Iempie Emanuel before the members of the B'nai Birth Society and their friends on the Citizenship" last night in which he made a number of very sensational statements with respect to the administering of jus tice in Alabama and the distribution of public revenue.
 The lecture was delivered in the best style of the speaker and was listened to by number of other prominent citizens of the city besides members of the Jew ish society. MT. London declared 1t was practically a matter of impossibility for punishment to be meted out to any man, if that man was white and had plenty of money and influence, no matter what crime he might commit.
 He made a forceful plea 70 the people at large to take greater interest in the matter Of government. He begged that the professional politicians. the leeohes of the money-artery, and the protectors of those who could control few votes or furnish little money, be not elected to responsible offices. But instead he pleaded that men-honest and true with promises and strength of purpose to keep promises-be given the ballots; and that these ballots be counted
 After the lecture informal talks were made by pr. Samuel Ullman, MT. T. G. Bush, Mr. Leo Oberdorfer, MT. M. NJ Ullman and MT. A. o. Lane, in which the sentiments expressed by MT. London were heartily indorsed and other ex- amples Of misgovernment given.
 Modern Brand of ustloe.
 Tn part the speech of MT. London was as follows
 ''1t seems strange in this day and. time that 1t should be deemed fitting or proper by any man of ordinary intelligence in this land of liberty to plead for justice, not as a prosecutor who demands the law. but as living witness who appeals for that larger justice which does not mean judgment, except as 1t concerns ourselves. The many forms in which in- justice is daily practiced under our eyes much under the color of law-it seems to me should give us cause to reflect, in our own selfish interest, how long we can stand the strain and drain on our characters and whether we do not owe it to ourselves and families, not only as citizens and members of society. but as fathers and protectors, to do something to correct it.
 Mir London then defined clearly the meaning of the word justice in its broad est sense, explaining why it Is essential to all men to see that justice Is awarded in all cases, to take interest Tn govern mental affairs, and to impr owe agencies by which justice is administered. He said also that we had carried our own interest too far-that is, the interest or the white people. He said:
 "So that on such altrulstic actions as are implied, firstly in being just, secondly in seeing justice done between others, and thirdly !n upholding and improving the agencies by which justice Is admin istered, depend in a large measure the egcistic satisfaction Of eacn.' This ex- pression from Spencer is in his Princi- ples of Ethios.'
 Negro as Justification.
 "we are living exemplars of this truth. No wrong, no injustice was too gross, if only we had the cry of negro in It to excuse or justify our wrongs. We have gone through twenty-five years of pre- tense and today, though taxes have been increased though every effort which ingenuity could contrive has been ex- hausted to increase the burdens, the white children do not have the means to be educated-the unsuitable manufac- turers are able to defeat any measure to prot ect white cSild labor-there are no orphans homes for white children. and why9 The cormorants in office and out of office in the counties the horse leeches, have been fastened to the veins and arteries of the public until they have sucked the life blood from white and black alike, and we. the masters, are the slaves of our servants.
 Let us consider the subject further. Take the affairs of your county and the public schools. Out of the general county taxation for the fiscal year of 1901. amounting in all to $253, ,096 S5, the public schools received $15,947H It cost, of pub lie money, to run the county jail includ- ing the feeding of prisoners for the benefit of the sheriff, $32.599.81, or more than twice what the public schools received.
 Tt is currently reported and generally believed that four of the county officers of Jefferson County receive as compen- sation in the aggregate annually sum In excess of $5o,000, or more than three times what the public schools received from general taxation.
 ''Is 1t surprising your children have to pay tuition in the public schools? Is 1t surprising that teachers in the public schools are paid 'niggarly salaries? Is 1t surprising that the public schools are not kept open for the full school year?
 Lives Unsafe on Streets.
 '"The lives of yourselves and your fam flies are unsafe on the public streets of the town. Men shoot at will, and no pun ishment Is meted out. no correction had. It Is only some poor and helpless creature so insignificant that even his name Is unknown to us, that is made the victim of the law against carrying concealed weapons.
 "The cause for all these things, and the reason why they exist Is that you plume yourselves on your wisdom In your own business, and shut your eyes to the fact that the security of yourselves, your families and your rests upon the fact that you take the proper interest In public af- ,nA L.. l...