The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-20
rHr nrnMrNeHAM corvrrTroN

year after the expiration thereof
what - asstermg' It is measure
certain Of time. four. years. as applied
to the individual who has been elected
Governor. 1t has been intimated for
purposes OF the present contest for Gov
ernor Of Alabama that the individual
for whom the highest vote Ia cast for
that ONCE at the polls in November is. not
elected until he qualities, and that II he
declines to qualify. he 10 quit of ineiIsi-
bility to the Senate. either by appoint
ment or by the choosing of the Legisla-
ture.
But the Constitution forbids any such
trickery. The man who is elected Gov
ernor in November will be, declared Gov
ernor BY the Speaker in joint convention
Of the two Houses, regardless of his own
volition. The returns are sealed and de-
livered to the Speaker. He opens them
and publishes them, just as they are, 'inj
the presence OF both Houses.s And s'the.
Speakers duty and the duty, Of the Joint
convention shall be purely ministefiai,'
tsection lis, Ala. Constitution. 4
These citations of law become interest
ing to show that the Birminshans Con-
vention Of July 18th inst. overreached,
itself in handling the political fortunes Of
Governor Johnston. We have no record
of the motives that controlled the body
except in the published address Of Gov
ernor Johnston. No platform OF princi-
pies was set forth. no object In Its de-
liberations was vouchsafted to the pub
lie by the body itself Johnston selected
every member, wrote to him fixing time
and place of meeting and when the select
persons came together at his bidding, he
read to them one of the most cunningfy
conceived jesuitical manifestos. every line
relating to himself and his personal for
tunes. that has ever appeared in the politi-
cal literatures Of the State. Foremost
among the propositions announced by
this manifesto and enthusiastically ac-
cepted by the convention was this: II
have few friends In Alabama who do not
know that 1 have had no desire to be
Governor again." etc.
The Convention would not have come
so far in such enthusiasm to despoil john
ston of his right to be let alone. II Is not
hard to see that IL Johnston could not
enter the primary Of 1902 on the same
lines that carried him into all the nu-
merous primaries in which he had par
ticipated for twelve successive years as
a candidate. he must have some very
phenomenal kind OF help to get him in at
all. What kind of help did he need to
get into the orthodox primary of Au-
gust 25th prox? He ana his friends were
rear the place OF deliberations Of the Elk
ecutive Committee on July 10th. Did
they come to qualify or disqualify them
selves7 They took care to approach with
in hailing distance of the Committee, and
they remained there during the days in
which the Committee sat Did the sus-
p,cion cross the mind of a single man In
Alabama that Johnston and his cabal
were here at that time to assist the Com
mfttee to a catholic determination OF It's
duty? Did Johnston and his cabal do
anything IN their consultations here on
Juiv 10th and 18th to qualify them
bona fide to enter the State primary then
ordered7 Never. No outsider knew or
could anticipate Johnston's mind when he
left here.
The Birmingham Convention was In
fact itself a. nominating convention for
the office of Governor of Alabama. 1t
was convened to stand for such conven-
ton. The only avowal of intent set
forth by it Ia Johnston's declarations
published under the sanction of the Con-
vention. The Convention, speaking of
Johnston, for Johnston. by Johnston, de-
clares a purpose to have Its nominee go
through the test Of the Democratic, State
primary, not bona fide, but Of necessitate
rel, 1t set up no shadow of claim to
good faith but that necessity in its situa-
ton. fb
A state nominating Convention has
given Alabara every Democratic Gov
ernor she has had from very early
time in her history. Governor Johnston
boasts that he, in this year of grace
1902, has abolished the ancient expedient
Of producing Governors for Alabama.
He, as he now claims, forced the State
urinary nomination in heu of the time
honored Convention nomination. Is the
claim substantial? Has not Governor
Johnston played a trick? Did he not
bring his followers here on July 10 under
cover of party deliberations TO arrange
his plans for the Johnston nominating
convention, representing every part OF
the State, called privately by him and
every member selected by him to hear
tis manifesto and shout aloud his as
sent?
The proof Is not to be gainsati. that
Johnston is a convention nominee for
Governor; that his nomination in con-
vention is to be submitted to the Party
urinary under false pretense.
The matter at the bottom of the whole
procedure Is the glaring fact Of revolu-
tion. Whether this Democrat or that
prs walls is not the question. The Party
IL dehed, the Constitution Of the State Is
besmirched by the absurd manifesto Of
Johnston, speaking for a convention Of
$50 men from all parts Of the State, de-
handing that a state government shall
he set up hostile to the organic law in
order to put that law in operation! II
the people desire law and order. the
Johnston method of government will not
give the blessing. II they deserve noble
,.-. A. -..oxytt rafhar than a base