The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-27
ROUNTREE'S ATTITUDE
More of the State Papers Comment Very Severe.
 ly Upon His Course.

Roundtree admits making money out of the Alabama Press Association trip, and
 asks 1T he was not justified in so doing The best answer that can be given, and
 one that shows the feeling of the 'boys" on the subject is. he is not likely to ever make another dollar that way.-Brewton Standard Gauge.
 Secretary Rountree of the Press Asso- ciation admitted he made money off press excursions-that he paid out $500 or more
 10 the railroads and cleared over s3,0Oo MT. Rountree establishes the fact of great shrewdhess on two points, one in making up excursions over lines which pay. another in keeping his business quiet until blowed on by some one else. or in the latter instance he might have encoun. tered other candidates for his renumera. tive place from ranks of hungry local newspapers, and lost his job.-Ashville Aegis
 Another chapter has been added to the Press" scandal. and the Alabama Press Association is covered with glory Q. Mr.
 Rountree admits just what the public ex- pected, and what was practically proved
 some monthe since. He was working for
 money. he made 1t. and he makes no se- cret of 1t. What is the use of a Press Association excursion if only small
 minority of it's members take part? This matter has been a disgrace to Alabama editors and the reading public, from the
 return of the excursion party to the pres
 ent time. and 1t should come to a speedy
 end Cut it out. t."-The Whistler.
 The Investigating committee appointed
 by President Yerby of the Alabama Press Association. examined many witnesses in
 the case and heard Secretay Rountree's
 defense. which was virtual admission
 that the so-called Press Association trip
 was a money making investment for MT.
 Rountree; though he declined to say how
 much. or itemize particulars. The final
 decision of the case will. of course, not
 he made until the meeting of the Asso-
 ciation; but MT. Rountree's position is not
 an enviable one. It is source of painful
 regret to self-respecting members of the
 Association that their State press orsani-
 zatiOp should have been placed in such
 humiliating attitude before the public,
 and that the courteises of the railroads
 and other entertainers should have bleI
 90 grossly imposed on and abused.-Cul-
 man Tribune.
 Perhaps the Rpuntree idea wasn't so
 bad after all He needed merchants
 along on his editorial excursion to gi
 the trip its true business appearance. and
 te had q; he carried q coupe of real eS-
 tate men 10 report on the proJect ot an-
 ncXinS Canada; contractor to hsu.e the
 cost, d capitalist tu fuinulSn tne tunua;
 some lawye Io see to the prope4 torm..
 and zG teachers to disseminate light in
 land of darkness. Then two InInite:s
 were to Keep up the detotional end of the
 outing, and d physician to administer to
 those who feil by the Way s.de. Who bet
 ter than two milline:S could describe the
 lovely creations m hats, CT who could
 paint with printers ink picture of the landscape su perfectly as tine artist? And
 surely q use was found 10. the Stenogra
 phers. insurance men. druggists, den .Ists.
 ct al, who sacrificed their Duslne.s to go
 along and help out the crowd. Really,
 the press excursion Was very comp.e.e aHalr.-Roanoke Leader
 The findings of the committee nave not
 been given out. but the truth of the in- Vtstigation has been published. which places Rountree worse III the hole than was really expected. J. Asa aCknoWl- edges that he has been robbing those who from year to year have been going on the press excursions, but pleads that he had right to do so.
 The average editor has not been finAn- 1 cially able to go on press outing from Alabama in years. The whole manage ment of these excursions has been tuln- ed over to Secretary Rountree, and It now comes to light that he has been put ting the incidental expenses to be paid by each individual who went on the out ing over double what the real eXpens es
 amounted to and pocketing the balance. We are surprised that the intelligent
 members of the Alabama Press Assoc.a- ton have allowed themselves to be dupod so long by such d man as ROIntree. It is not now surprising that Asa could give up the management of small weekly paper and go to Birmingham and
 live in ease when it is known that he has been making annually out of the press outings from g, GOO to $4 600.
 We do not know what report the com mittee will make to the next meeting of
 the Association. which meets in BeSse- mer but We think We are safe in saving | that on their report depends the life of the sociation.-Besscmer Journal.
 The Rountren investigation by the
 Press Committee brings out several things
 that are peculiarly humillatirg TO the pres of the State to say nothrg of the
 guilt or innocence of Mr. Rountree, which
 will be passed upon by the Ass ociation. It was admitted by MT. Rountree that
 this trip was composed of 179 pc Dple. Of this number there were 114 Indies and 65 gentlemen. Fiftc"n of these were editors, and only fifteen. and there were twelve ladies, who undr the rules of the Asso- citation were entitled to go
 This Is startling, as are the admissions that money was made out of tNe trip, and that it was not exclusively an editorial excursion. The last statement is appar- ent. although it was entitled The Ala
 hama Press" and the transport tion is sued exclusively for, and in honor of.
 the press of the State.
 There Is one more admission that should not rest where it is. It was that MT.
 Rnunt"oe was eager not to have anything biNuS.ll out that NVtlu ISliSCi OH l.lc members of tEc State Press Association Now the investigation has di closed that
 there were scores and scores of editors who sold or gave away their transporta- ton, and these editors were in go q standing In the Assoc ocia ton. even though they violated Its Constitution"
 Who are the editors who sold or gave 1way personal transportation? Tn g is d charge hat no honest man can wear. and
 nl z; ":' one should cscape. Why should MT. RpUntrCc hesitate to disclose the
 names of parties violating tho constitd-
 tion? It is hDth unjust to tho Ass"cia-
 SO that hc should keep silent. Inl Nm
 tell the truth fo. that is just what t"e Associlticn wishes and ought to know. | On the whole this Press Association
 Association should purge itself of 1t, and l All Cnnnentnd with it. or CnAse To q S.