The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-04
GOV. JELKS VET0tS
 THE PENSION BILL
(continued from First Paee)

(Contlnued from First Paae) | -~--->------~>------~~--~~ put the governor into the United States senate in 1906," he declared, in angered 1 tones. He regretted this action on the part of the governor because he was the | first one to serve the state under the new regime He did not believe that Houston, Cobb, O'Neal, Seay, Jones, Oates or John ston would have vetoed the bill. He made an earnest plea that the bill pass over the veto, and that they would not hold up the hands of the governor. He arraigned the governor for approving bills inereas- ing his own salary by two thousand dol lars and that of his private secretary nine hundred dollars and then, as he said turning his back upon the old soldiers who had helped to put him in office. It was noticeable that MT. Walden was not single time applauded in his bitter per- sonal tirade on the governor.
 MT. Kelly Differs.
 MT. Kelly of Choctaw said he did not want to criticise the governor, but he had the constitutional right to differ with him. Had the governor shaved down all the appropriation bills. he said he would not have opened his mouth. but in so much as the governors salary bill and other appropriation bill had been ap-
 
 l bill should stand.
 | MT Blackburn raised the point of or der that under the provision of the. con stitution empowering the governor to veto a bill and offer amendments to same. |. that the question before the house upon receipt oftsuch message would be the adoption of the amendment.
 The chair ruled, MT. Bankhead presid- ing. that the point was well taken.
 Mir. Arnold of Calhoun said he felt inn pelled to reply to the incorporate re- marks of the venerable member from Nor gan. 1t was unjust to criticise the chief executive in such a manner. after the governor had returned the bill, saying that s10o,000 additional appropriation would. in his opinion, prove too great a strain upon the treasury. He said that nothing appealed to the members more than the cause of the confederate vete- rams, but this did not furnish a cause for the members to be swept off their feet by such appeals as that made by the gentle man from Morgan. If the house had for merly been too liberal in the matter of appropriations that action did not war rant them In further extreme iberality. The proposition before the house was purely business one and 1t was the 1 duty of the house to stand with the gov ernor.
 MT. Walden Replies.
 As MT. Arnold concluded MT. Walden was quick on his feet to charge that this was not the first time that the clarion voice of the brilliant young member from Calhoun had been raised against an ap- propriation for the old soldiers. MT. Wal den was charging MT. Arnold with a similar speech two years ago, when the latter interrupted him with a correction.
 You voted against the bill" retorted MT. Walden. q did not" came the firm reply.
 Then the records are wrong" Mir. Wal den insisted.
 T did not vote against the bill" was MT. Arnold's quiet reply
 At this juncture MT. Starr of Dallas, an ex-Confederate soldier, and one of the real house orators gained the floor. In a speech free from passion, but eloquent and full of love for the old soldiers MT. Starr defended the action of the gover- nor. He first sketched his record in the army, and then said that he believed Ala bama had done all 1t could in the past l and was doing all 1t could at present for her disabled old soldiers. He also recog- nized the patriotism of the sons of vet erans in Alabama, and he believed these sons are just as ready to defend the state today as were their fathers in the past. The appropriation, he said, was now sS00,-
 
 able 1t would be increased to $500,000 or s1. GOO, ,OOO He believed that the same spirit of patriotism inspired the governor as inspired the members of the house, and he hoped the members would stand by the chief executive. He had no patience, he said. with the little things that had been said about the governor. and he did not think 1t right to try to belittle the gov ernor at the expense of the dignity Of the state He would take pleasure in vot- ing to sustain the governor, and as Confederate soldier he was satisfied with the governors actions. "I look with al- most a feeling of contempt upon any att tempt to do anything else" MT. Starr concluded. Appeals for Veterans. Mir Killen of Lauderdale, another old soldier member, made an impassioned abed comrades. He said he had the right to differ and did differ with the governor, and he hoped the members would stand up to the old soldiers. The next member to gain the floor was Mir. Benners, than whom there is no clearer or more forcible talker on the floor. There is one thing of which am certain" he began. ''and that is that there is no issue between the old men and the young men members of this house" The young men of Alabama, he said. were proud of the achievements of their ancestors, and that they were just as ready to respond to duty call today as were their fathers. Mir Benners be- Titled the suggestion that Governor Jelks had been moved to veto the bill for political reasons. To oppose the old soldiers and run for office on such record would be the most absurd piece of politics any candidate had ever played.