The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-29


 invested them. and laying 1t upon the all tar. to restore fair elections, and guard the welfare and protect the honor and fair name of the State.
 What constitutes a State?
 Not high-raised battlements or labored
 Not cities sI proud. with spires and turrets crowned. {.
 But men-high-minded men; Men who their duties know, but know their rights,
 And, knowing, dare maintainw Fellow citizens. I do. not believe that there is any sentiment in this State, or that there is any white man. whether | Democrat, Populist or Republican, who l by the impulses of the demagogue or the 1 selfish aspirations of the officer seeker, | who would countenance for a. moment, | any proposition to disturb the splendid | work accomplished in the adoption of the new Constitution, which forever elimin- | ates the Ignorant and vicious negro voter as a political factor In this State. ! Keep Out the Niggers."
 An old gentleman in my county. who | has been a supporter of Governor John. 1 ston, and, who. I believe, was deceived | into voting against ratification by the misleading statements of our opponents, 1 was approached recently by the opposi- | tion. and asked to accept ap important lu oiu lu NVllN | tinued opposition to this reform. 'No,' he said, "the white men of the l State have all been registered. and the niggers have been disfranchisd. and l don't propose to take any chances on letting them git in agtn." And very much mistake the sentiment
 of the people of Alabama is this homeiy
 expression of this venerable old man does
 not voice the general verdict
 A passenger train over in our neighbor- ing State of Georgia was boarded recent ly by Il countryman and his young bride or swetheart-I am not sure which. He had never travelled a great deal. if ever before, but was evidently very much enamored and completely absorbed in the | girl. More than this, he was very af- | fectionate. and, with his arm around her | waist. and her head reclining on his | shoulder. he kissed her at intervals mark | ed by the space of each telegraph pole. l A finicky and somewhat oificious passen- | ger, allowing himself to become annoyed | by this continued exhibition of affection, | complained to the conductor. and insist | ed that the performance should be stop | ped. The conductor, with some hesita- l tion, approached the couple. and modestly suggested that some of the passengers
 were 9ejestins to the stsssten.d tney ,y and agreed at once to acquiesce, but the country-man, placing her head back | gently upon his shoulder, said, Mary
 Ann. have paid my fare on this here | stay where you damned are!
 believe, fellow citizens, that 1t is the Let Them Remain.
 | sentiment of the white people of Alaba-
 ma, so far as the right to vote and the | right to exercise the controlling influence | in the government Is concerned, that the ignorant and vicious negroes in this State | should, Stay where they damned ore!" Governor Jelks for many years has been a consistent and an able advocate or suf- Ax IN-A A nxxf Constitution. He and his administration stand for the new order of things, and will see to it that no backward step Is taken in the great reform which has been accomplished.
 It Is impossible for me to believe that 1 the white people of Alabama, who have labored so long and at such cost to ac- complish this reform, will countenance, for a moment, the thought of taking the work of administering and enforcing the Constitution out of the hands of Its
 friends, and place it in the hands of
 those who. in advance, have proclaimed an intention to undermine and defeat It. In the light of his past betrayal Of the cause and of his continued opposition to | the reform accomplished there Is danger that the friends of the new Constitudon, so far as Governor Johnstons promises of enforcing the provisions of the new Constitution, should be placed in power, are concerned, might be placed in the same situation as a merchant up In Col lirsville in this State was left last fall by one of his customers. The customer wishing to invest in pair of shoes, and | although the merchants knew that the customer had on previous occasions | proven unreliable. the customer was a | good tallker, and succeeded in securing the approaching, the pair he selected was | furnished with very thick soles. and was
 what is known as the double decker. | Like the good tradesmen he was, the mer- ahav. fp8a in l transaction. and, after the customer Was
 nicely fitted, the merchant dismissed him
 with the remark Now John, you will
 be in a good position to sing that good old hymn, How firm a Foundation, !"
 Yes" the customer remarked as he
 passed out of the door in full possession
 of the new shoes, and you will be in d
 good position to sing that other good old hymn "A Charge to Keep l Have" Johnston the Financier.
 Every one who has listened to Governor
 Jonrston since he left the Executive chair. has not failed to hear the doxology which he consistently sings in praise of his management of the State finances
 sat by me during his opening speech at
 Montgomery noted the fact that he used the personal pronoun "I' si&ty-seven
 times in the first seven minutes of his
 address, and maintained the ratio throughout
 I would not, fellow citizens, detract one
 iota from any credit to which Governor
 Johnston is entitled, by reason of his management of the State finances, al-
 though there cannot be any doubt but
 that he recommendss himself very highly.
 He claims that when he entered the office
 he found the State Treasury al a low ebb.
 and left its coffers full. He omits to
 mention the fact. however, that during
 his term of office the rate of taxation
 was increased to the constitutional limit,
 and to the highest point which our peo-
 pie have ever been compelled to bear. He does not mention, either, that the new Constitution decreases the limit of taxation from sevenIy-flve to sixty-five
 cents on the hundred. and that this was
 one of the grounds of his opposition to the ratification of the instrument. He
 does not mention, too. that the finances
 of the State during Jelkss administra-
 tion are in a more satisfactory condition
 than they have been for many years. If
 the receipts for this year shall be as
 large as last year'-and 1t is estimated that they will be larger-the State ought to have on hand on the It of December. 1902 about $30O,000 more than was
 in the treasury when Governor Sanford, inaugurated two years ago, and this financial condition was brought about
 without the raising of the tax rate as much as one mill against any person
 The Convict Department.
 He lays great stress upon the amount of money received by the State from the Convict Department during his adminis-
 traitor. I have nothing to say against
 Mr. Traps managem ent of the Convict Department. I believe him to have been
 capable and efficient, notwithstanding the
 criticisms to which he has been subject
 ed But Governor Johnston omits to
 mention the fact that this same depart