The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-05

knew OF men VINO went 10 montgomery
some from his county Of Mobile. opposed
to the repeal Of the bill. who. when they
once came under the malign influence OF
the Governor. changed their minds and
were induced or forced to vote for repeal.
In this connection he said that he had
, arrived at the conclusion that it was a
most fortunate thing for the State of Ala
bama that he (Clarke) was defeated ir
1896 and Johnston elected. He believed
that he would have made as good a
Governor; he knew he would have been
as honest as Johnston. and. without
egotism, thought he could have handled
the finances as well; in fact. he really be-
lieved he would have fulfilled all the
duties required by law of the Governor
just about as well as Governor Johnston
But In one way johnston had rendered
incalculable service In the State. He
had shown to the people the evils that
followed the use Of that high office for
the building up of a personal following.
OF personal machine so plainly that
hereafter 1t would be impossible for any
man to use the 6ffice in that way. Yes.
he had so thoroughly Disguised the. peo-
pie by his perversion of the power OF the
Office in this way that it was written in
the new constitution that the Governor
should not succeed himself nor be eligi-
BILE to any office for one year after the ex-
piration of his term.
Referring to the ex-Governor's sudden
change Of mind In regard to the act cali
ing the convention. the speaker asked II
1t was possible that the personnel OF the
delegates who had been selected to go to
that convention could have moved him.
Did he not recognise in that the tem.-er
and feeling of the people towards him
and his future; like the king of old did
he not see the handwriting on the wall
and attempt thus not to serve the peo-
pies interests, but TO preserve his poll
tical power.
Referring to the ex-Governor's speech
at noon. the spearer said that he had
gone to him personally in the morning
and asked division of time and 1t had
been refused and yet all during the
speech the Ex-Governor. knowing that
he was in the audience would make
statements and then call upon any Jelks
man or any man opposed to him to an
swer or deny them or forever after hold
his peace and not wait until he was a
hundred miles away and then shoot paper
wads into his back; that the Ex-Governor
knew that no one would rise in the audi
ence and enter into a controversy with
the speaker. know that he was present
and had been willing and anxious to dis
ton certain Of his claims and refute GER
tain Of his arguments. and had refused
to give him the opportunity. Such
dealing as that. such appeals as those
were not just and fair to the people. A
speaker should deal fairly with his audi
ence and Mr.. Clarke said he submitted
with all candor that the conduct of the
Governor In asking questions when he had
indicated that he was unwilling to give
time to answer them and hts attempts
to make capital out of the failure OF
any one to answer. was unjust and UNI
fair
Mr.. Clarke said that ne would not call
upon the Johnston men IN audience to
answer, but he would ask them to ask
their consciences II 1t was right and just
to the people for the Governor to read the
statement from Mr.. Boyd when he had
been informed. as he himself admitted.
that Mr.. Boyd had said that there was
a mistake in the date of the statement.
He would not be too severe on the gen.
tleman, but when he read that state
ment he knew that there wasla mistake,
in the date and that the mistake made
great deal of difference as to the figures
and yet he read 1t with emphasis and
stated that the time made no difference.
Continuing the speaker gave figures from
the treasurer's books which contradicted
and completely answered the statements
made by the Ex-Governor in reference TO
the condition of the treasury at the time
he entered office.
Mr. Clarke said that the gentlemen In
speaking of the telephones which he had
taken from the capitol. and which since
Ex-Governor Oates's letter had dwindled
from four or five to two, had said that
he found them used only by the young
L.. tall 20 a Oirla dawn town
that he had no objection to this as he
had been talking to the girls ever since
he was twelve years old and expected to
keep 1t up, but that he never wanted the
length of a telephone wire between him
self and a pretty girl when he was talk
ing to her This was no doubt correct
statement of Johnston's side of 1t. but
that II he were the pretty girl he would
not only want a telephone but long dis
lance one between himself and the ex-
Governor when talking to him.
Mr. Clarke said that he noticed that
although he talked Of many things the
Ex-Governor did not once mention the
Convict Department. In view of certain
charges that had been made in regard
to State property having been used for
the personal advantage of certain officials
of that department during the ex-Gover-
nor's administration, he was not sur
prised at this. Johnston was very anx-
ious to know what Governor Jelks had
done since he had been discharging the
duties of Governor. and he would refer
him to his administration of the affairs
of this important branch of the State gov
ernrnent for one Illustration. Under Gov
ernor Johnstons administration the State
cotton mill had been allowed to fall in
to bad repair and it had been recon-
mended that IL be sold Under Governor
Jelks II has been running steadily and
is bringing to the State an earning of
81 200 per month. The speaker here gave
from the records certain figures con-
trasting the income from this department
under the present administration and the |
former one showing that in the past |
twenty-five months IT has earned almost |
twice as much as it did in the four years |
of the Johnston Administration.
Referring to the ex-Governor's state |
ment that II he did have sore toe he |
had not stumped 1t over a Democratic |
platform or nominee, Mr Clarke said he |
supposed IL was a hit at the Palmer |
and Buckner men and a thrust at their |
Democracy He said 1t was a little |
strange to hear this from Captain John |
ston, as 1t was well known over the |
State that he had attempted in every |
way possible to persuade General George
P. Harrison of Opelika, Palmer and
Buckner man, to run for Governor, prom
Using him his support II he did so. And
still further in view of the fact. that
even now, General Harrison is on the
stump making speeches in favor of the