The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-30
GOVERNOR JEbKS REPLIES TO
 EX-GOY. JOHNSTON'S SPEECH
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 had been taxed before This administra- ton paid out last year, 1t is true, over S700, 900 more than his administration did in 1900. But it did so on the same tax rate. Notwithstanding these increased appro- priations there was this year in the treas ury on the first day of this month, SlOO- 900 more than was on July 1, 1900, before he went out of office.
 Tn this connection, 1t is well enough to say for the benefit of those persons who might be misled that on July 1, 1900, there was sS55, 900 in the treasury. On July 1, 1901, there was s903,000 in the treasury. On July 1, 1902 there was $962,- 900 in the treasury. The governor costa tically remarks that another deficit be- gins to make It's hideous appearance in Alabama. This Is not true. The ex- governors fancies run away from the figures. No deficit is Tn sight and no de- felt is probable or possible. l hope the ex-governor will not complain of this administration because 1t paid out some thing like 40 per cent more for scnools and benevolences than was ever paid out before in any one year. l hope he VIII not continue to complain that this ad- ministration, in one year, paid out $35,- 900 more to old soldiers than was paid out before It is not a proper subject of complaint against the administration, particularly If it has been done with the treasury balances swellin gall the while.
 q think it right that the public should know that the state is not 'hastening' to any deficit at all. It is right for the people who pay the taxes to understand that the announcement of the ex-gov- ernor is absolutely untrue, and that his calculations fly in the face of the treas ury's daily balances. If the cost of the constitutional convention had been elim- mated from the figures, and the appro- priations for schools and old soldiers had been held down to a sum equal to the sum disbursed in 190O-Johnston's last year-there would have been in the treasury of the state nearly one million more dollars on December 1 than were in 1t when Johnston went out of office.
 Convict Income Increased.
 "The speaker, in his calculations. per haps overlooked the management of the convict department and the increased income to the state from that part of the government service. Several times it has been said in the prints that Gov ernor Johnston made something like S9O,OOO in four years on the convicts and several times that has been answered by the statement that since Governor Sanford came in office. up to July l, 1902 that department had paid into the state treasury something like $140000 over and above all expenditures. In a year and a half 1t had paid into the state treasury more than one and one half times as much as Governor John ston's boasted administration did in four years. The convict department did not engage in any new business either. It has been leasing convicts to turpentine people, to farmers, and to mill people, to coal operators and keeping the feebler | classes on its own farms. It did the same thing during Governor Johnston's administration. The speaker did not | discuss the convict department. He should not have forgotten about the convict department. There is enough in the convict department to suggest to the governor several unhappy defenses.
 He tells about the men who urged him to become a candidate for governor. They came out of the mines and from the farms and from the blow handles and from the lawyers desk and from the doctors shop,
 to use his language, they came there with one accord urging him to take up their cause and the cause of the peo- pie against the politicians Did any per- son ever hear just such an absurd thing as this? Every man who went to that conference perhaps, went there with an
 invitation from this man in his pocket, went there for the purpose of bringing that already determined individual Into the field. If there were doctors and farm CTS and merchants and lawyers in that conference they were invited as the gov ernor's friends. None of my friends were invited to the conference, none of the friends of the present administration were invited to the conference. None of the friends perhaps of Senator Morgan