The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-23

ble. With that settled, I should be gov erned by endorsement.
 I believe that United States senators should be elected by the people, This cannot be done under the constitution of the United States. The next best thing is for political parties to nominate their candidates in primary to be voted for by members of the legislature. If it be a good thing to nominate candidates to be elected by the legislature to the United States senate, Is 1t not also a good thing to nominate a candidate to be appointed by the governor to the United States Senate7 In my opinion, both are good things. Therefore if the executive committee of my party were to order primary to nominate a candi- date to be appointed by the governor to the United States Senate, in the event such an appointment became necessary, I would appoint the nominee Of my party. If no such primary were ordered, I would appoint one of my friends who is in line with public sentiment of the state, and who, In my judgment. would be acceptable to the people, and who would be their choice, as expressed by their endorsement.
 This board consists of the governor, auditor and attorney general. A great many things arise that come before this board. In my Judgment the Jurisdiction of that board is confined to the adjust ment of claims, etc., under the law, and that the board has no authority or power to suspend or modify the law Enter taining this view, l refused to compro- mise the mortgage tax on large mort gage given on a railroad basing the compromise upon the mileage of the road In this state. 1 also refused to compro- mise with the foreign corporations in the payment of the franchise tax, as pro- vided by law, because of the probable unconstitutionality of the law. 1 also refused to compromise with the custo- dians of public money who put their money in a bank which subsequently failed, the law not authorizing the de- posit of public moneys in banks. In the case of the railroad mortgage tax and the bank failure there was certain equity, but to have compromised would not have adjusted claim or difference. but simply have suspended the law This Is a very important work of the executive department of the government and in my judgment should be contin- ued. These examinations should be sys- tematic and in regular order. and should be done without favor or prejudice. When a state examiner was asked by the court of county commissioners to examine the books of county officers Tn matters relating to the county required the county to pay the expense. When this examination was made in compli- ance with the request of the statutory number of citizens the state paid the expense. Many thousand dollars have been recovered to the state by these ex- aminations. and many errors and mis- takes entirely innocent of moral deiin- quency are through those examinations corrected.
 When a member of the senate I sup ported the bill known as the pack tax law" This is very important depart ment in the state government. and in my Judgment should be continued. The pol lev adopted by me was to leave the ap- pointment of the county tax commits sioners wholely to the state tax conlmis- sioner as provided by law, and in approv- ing his appointment I was governed en- tirely by the efficiency of the appointee where he had been in office before. The strictest economy should be prac-