The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-30
Authorized Interview Full
 of Interest. FINANCIAL COMPARISONS Steady Growth in Treasury Receipts in Past Two Years Accuses Ex-Governor of Falling to
 Speak of Management of Con-
 vict Department and Ridi- cules Method of His Nomination.

The Governors interview Is full of in- terest to every citizen of the State. He shows, for example, that if it had not been for the expenses of the Constitu- tiorai Convention and if the appropria- tions for old soldiers and for the public schools had been held down to sums equal to those disbursed in the last year of the Johnston administration, there would have been nearly $l.OOO0OO moro in the treasury on December 1st, last year, than when ex-Governor Johnston went out of office.
 The statement is also made that in a year and a half of the Jelks administra- ton, more than one and a half times as much money has been paid into the State Treasury than was paid in during the four years of the Johnston administra- ton.
 Governor Jelks makes a remarkable ex- position of the management of the Con" vict Department and criticises ex-Gov- ernor Johnston for not referring to this important subject in his Montgomery speech.
 The interview of Govervor Jelks fol- lows:
 "l have had the pleasure of perusing the report of Governor Johnstons late speech at McDonalds Theatre in this city and desire to offer some observations upon certain portions of 1t.
 Opposed Fair Elections.
 'He says T stand here expressing the free right of every man to aspire to any office and have a fair election and fair count Governor Johnston stood all over the State for several months in an att tempt to deny the white people of Alaba- ma the right to have fair election and fair count. We sought to rid ourselves of white supremacy by fraud and estab' fish white supremacy by law. There was no occasion for the contest over the Con- stitutton. People who supported the Con- stitution did so with the avowed purpose of introducing into this State fair cleo tions and fair counts. Gov. Johnston has done more than any other man to post pone the day for a fair election and a fair count. He postponed the ratification of the new Constitution two years and would have postponed it indefinitely if his plans had carried. It is most absurd to have him set himself up as leader oi fair elections and fair counts. There is not reading person in this State who 1 does not know that he has been con- sistent enemy to such a consummatlor for at least three years.
 He tells us, too, in that speech that he was standing at the request or great body of honest mechanics. do not know how many honC st mechanics are be- hind him, but I am quite certain that 6 great number of honest mechanics, mer' chants and farmers supported the new Constitution and stood for honest cleo tions and fair counts in this State when Governor Johnston was quite on the other side.
 Governor Johnston says he is not a candidate because he desires the honor of the ojce. Governor Johnston has been heard to say that he was in politics this year because he had some political debts to pay. There Is suspicion abroad that his interest in this campaign is not only for the office of Governor or Senator which ever 1t may be, but that 1t Is to destroy the people who recently made honest elections and fair primaries pos sible in Alabama. He is aiming at the men who made the Constitution.
 He tells us, in his address, that if he is elected there will be no combinations no Senatorial predestinated selections, no people who are to occupy any office by any promise that he has made His in situation is that another is running for the office of Governor who has predesti- mated Senatorial selections and who has promised out places in the gift of the Governor. There is only one other can didate to whom he could allude and that candidate has made no promise, inn piled or otherwise, as to any office in his gift or likely to be in his gift. That candidate desires to make this statement as emphatic as possible.
 Comparison of Finances.
 '"The ex-Governor calls attention to the fact that the State government paid out last year something like $700,000 more than was paid out the year before, which was the last year of his administration. That Is true. Over $400,0O0 of this was for schools, a sum that much in excess of any previous appropriation.
 The Auditors report will show that the one-half mill tax for old soldiers, amounting to $135,O 900, was that much in excess of any amount disbursed in any one year before for the same purpose. By examination of the same authority, T q AL,A AL. SN,.Ns (Ns Ase.va cost the State about S90,Oe0; that the State paid out something like 5000 licenses refunded, collected under a law passed dur 1g Governor Johnston's ad- ministratiou and declared unconStitution- al; that 1t paid back to the Sloss-Sheifield Company $56,OO0 which had been paid in on a land deal, which was rescinded. These several sums added up amount to more than the excess in disbursements of last year over the previous year. There were other sums that always follow the session of the Legislature, including the cost of the Legislature Itself, not set down here. All of these disbursements were from plain legislative enactment. Not a dollar was handled improperly.
 Governor Johnston complains of the present administration on account of its disbursements. He surely would not now be put in the attitude of objecting to in- creased appropriations for public schools although he did oppose the bill calling for the setting apart of one mill for public schools, going so far as to send for the Finance Committee of the Senate and begging them to kill the bill. He cannot object to the increased appro- priation for the old soldiers. He cannot object to the refunding of license money improperly collected under an aot approv- ed by him. He ought not to complain of the cost of a Constitution that gives us fair elections and honest counts. He says he stands for fair elections and honest counts and complains because the. dis bursements for a Constitution which gives us white supremacy by Iaw-not fraud-cost the State $9O,0OO
 '"The ex-Governor did not go furthet and inform the public that these increas- ed disbursements were made on exactly inc same tax rate which was levied dur ine his tune. He did not think to say to his hearers that not one of them had heen taxed a mill more on the hundred dollars than they had been taxed before. =. Deficit is Not Apparent.
 "This administration paid out last year, if is true, over ,000 more than his ad- ministration dtd in 1900 But it did so on the same tax rate. Notwithstanding these increased appropriations there was this year in the treasury on the first day of this month S100, poo more than there was on July l, 1900, before he went out of office.
 Tn this connection it is well enough to say for the benefit of those persons who might be misled that on July l, 1900, there was $S55.0OO in the treasury. On July l, 1901, there was S9O3,OoO in the treas-