The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-09
He Was Not Hoodwinked.

Where to place this trouble was the question Secretary Rountree affirms that eN eryone had the proper credentials, but | we can hardly believe that one so well versed in the personriel of the Alabama Press could have bee hoodwinked into passing scores and sccTes of people whom | do with a paper.
 | Now comes another phase into the ques ! ton. We doubt not tf at many newspaper men who were not financially able or | who for other reasons were kept from going on these trips were importuned by l friends or desired to secure for them all the courtesieS that other newspaper men obtained for their friends and it being an open secret that no attention was paid to this rule they had no hesitancy in ask ing nor any trouble in obtaining passes That this was wrong all admit. but who was to blame? Proba bly, the Newspaper man who made requisition was wrong really s;an he ., was so, but could he refuse granted that privilege? Was it not best stop the trouble? We think so
 on the last trip it reached the climax. and The Advertiser very rightly takes up the cudgel to put an end to the matter.
 They argue that it is an imposition on the people who spend thousands of dollars in entertaining what they consider the Press Association, and also on the rail roads that furnish free transportation. This argument cannot be successfully re- futed. for 1t Is true. But The Advertiser makes further and more serious charges ssond $ nnSa X,.Rc which he that he personally made something over 5000 out of this trip. MT. Rountree has asked for committes, to investigate this appoint one at once. and have the matter sifted to the bottom.
 We hope sincerely that the charge is not true but until 1t isS wiped, out forever a cloud will hang over the organization that nothing will dissi pate.
 His Own Actions Against Him. Decatur News
 We do not attempt to pass upon the guilt or innocence of Mir. Rountree. be- cause of having only an ex parte version of the affair, but we do say that the sit- own actions in the pEatter have given color to suspicion. His whole course, since the accusations were first lodged ders. Instead of making wholesale de- nial and offering to establish his inno- cence. he refused to de' it. The burden of should have made haste to vindicate him. self. Also, he was called on to furnish the figures of the trip. This he likewise refused to do, and again sought cover. An honest man is never afraid of the most powerful searchlight that can be turned on him, and he who proposes to contracts for and in the name of a body or set of men. should always be ready and willing to furnish a statement of his FTrt6ermore % MS Rorentres es'eG inew emGer tSat the finger of suspicic was pointed at him and he should have had the good sense to discern that it was to his in tions. When asked by The Age-Herald if had anything to sayl he simply replied sfS tbs This tsns6% ston y Ssved to ntsH friends and sympathizers were under and 10 to confirm % the suspicion in the mind of
 These, however. are only negative in- dices of his apparent guilt. His own writ. ten statements are even more condemna- tory. For instance, his proposition to the abuse of his courtesies, by saying that those newspapers which had accept ed passes or procured them from others, extent of their value. was unaufhorized by the parties conces ned. was cringeful disgusting and contcmptible. His other expression. chat he. Uras not the whole thing" was not only a self-confession or guilt but an implication of others in the graft" And this we more than half suspect. that others besides MT. Rountree have "a finger in the pie"
 We deplore the wh ole matter and are sorry that it has go6 en into public print but MT. Rountree hls no one to blame but himself In the matter of tho abuse of the railroads courtesies. Mir. Roun- tree is the chief off ender. The record shows that he has transcended the bounds
 
 matter has come up gradually, Starting with small beginnf 1g and working ur in It's intquitous propo rtions to its present magnitude. The mutt erings of the mem bers of the Association and the railroad officials for the past few years have been ominous warnings of what was to follow and should have been needed.
 MT. Rountree has called for an investi- gation, which should be had Immediately and not at some future time when the matter shall have be- come cold and qui- escent. And let there be no whtewash- ing done. The Alabama Press Association Is already dsgraced-sp is Mir. Rountree-l and no additional dis eoveries can hurt either. If he can esta blish his innocence of wrong-doing and ntent-and for the sake of personal friei idship we trust he may be able to do --he should leave no stone untusned to do it.
 As to the future of the Alabama Press Association, we fall In with the sugges- ton of The Advertiser to reorganize and rehabilitate the whole thing; to start out crookedness and misdc ings on the part of creekednesh and misdcdngs on the part of any of his members aiAd officials.