The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-02
Governor Urged Not to Sign
 Birmingham Measure
NEWSPAPERS TAKE II UP
Montgomery Evening Journal Attacks Bill In Very Ugly Manner and Insists on Governor Re-
 fusins to Sign It.

Montgomery October 1.-(Special.)- Smarting under defeat some of the leg islators have now taken it upon them selves to attempt to persuade Governor Jelks to veto the Birmingham consolidat- ed court bill. This measure passed both houses by large majority votes, but 1t had its enemies, who have carried the war on 1t into the executive office.
 The objectionable feature of the bill Is that 1t provides that s240O of the salary of each of the seven judges shall be paid out of the state treasury. This is s12OO more than Is now paid to the county. The Jefferson delegation, as a matter of course stood as a unit for the bill, and houses passed it. The members of the delegation understood that the governor was not opposed to the provision, but when the bill reached him he did not ap- pear in that frame of mind. It was ru- mored that he might veto the measure, and the Jefferson delegation began to be- stir themselves to prevent such action. They waited upon the governor this morn ing to urge the signing of the bill, but it is understood that no definite answer was given them.
 Montgomery Press Takes It Up.
 The fight against the measure has now gone beyond the few state senators who fought 1t so bitterly, the local press hay ing taken up the fight The Evening Journal today attacks the bill in very ugly manner, and calls upon the gover- nor to veto it. There Is rumor that this editorial has its origin from certain Jeff ferson county sources. where some jeal- ousy about the matter is said to exist. The following is a full text of the edi- torial:
 It's Up to the Governor.
 Legislation that is without excuse. and almost reckless, Is not, as one of the distinguished senators, MT. Spragins of Madison, we believe, called 1t revolution ary, was that under the pretext of con- solidating the judgships of Jefferson county and creating additional judges. placing burden of paying a salary of $2400 to each of the judges of the state.
 That the bill passed with this provision, and that 1t passed after 1t had been thoroughly discussed by the two houses, is all the more surprising.
 No other city in the state Is accorded such high privilege. No other city in the state has it's Judiciary paid by the state. Montgomery, Mobile, Selma, Huntsville, n al fu hof courts, criminal and civil. or other court has to pay the salaries of the judges and solicitors and assistant solicitors out of the county treasury. Birmingham alone has been given special privileges. Not only that, but the fines and costs of the courts of Jefferson, unlike the fines and costs in other courts where the state pays the solicitors. go Into the county treasury.
 Why this special privilege to Jeffer- son county?
 We have the argument of the friends of the measure that 1t is because Jeffer- son county pays more taxes into the state treasury than any other county in the state. and has more crime and more crim- inals.
 That Is all the argument that was ad- vanced, or that could be advanced.
 It Is the first time in the history of the 6 vanced, that because one taxpayer pays more taxes than another, that he or 1t Is entitled to special privileges It Is the first time in the history of the state that an argument of that kind could have in- fiuenced any number of legislators to do that which was unprecedented in legisla- tion In this state, that Is wrong in prin- ciple and dangerous in precedent
 If that principle of government Is car ried out to the logical end. the man who paid the greatest amount of taxes would be entitled to the greatest privileges and the man who paid the least amount Of taxes would be entitled to fewest rights and privileges.
 This would no longer be a government of the people. by the people and for the people. It would be a government for the classes and not for the masses. It Is contrary to the spirit of our institutions, and yet when the suggestion was made that Montgomery. Mobile and other cities were as much entitled to have the state pay the salaries of their local judi ciary as Jefferson, the doctrine was bold ly proclaimed upon the floor of the sen- ate that If those cities should make such a gratifying showing of an increase of its revenues as Jefferson, or should pay as much taxes into the state treasury as Jefferson, then if they should come before the legislature and ask for the state to bear the burden of their judi ciary, they would certainly be entitled to the same consideration.
 Certainly Montgomery pays into the state treasury as large revenue as any county in the state in proportion to it's population and wealth, and if special privileges are to be conferred on one county because it is a large taxpayer. why not another and if another, where will 1t end?
 Can the governor afford under all the circumstances, and in face of the large appropriations and large drafts already made on the state treasury, to approve the bill?
 It is up to the governor