The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-08-01
CARMICHAEL TALKS
 ON WILLIAMS CASE Censure of Governor and Par don Board Unjustifed BAD PRECEDENT IS SET w. H. Seymour is Appointed to Aid in Investigation of Charge That
 Southern Cotton Official Has
 Been specuIating.
BAD PRECEDENT IS SET

Montgomery, July a.-(SpeciaD.-It hay ing come to the attention of Judge J. M. Carmichael, state auditor and member of the pardon board. that the governor had been criticised for not committing the sen tence of John Williams, he expressed sur prise. The judge was the only member of the board who voted to commute the sentence. and he made a fight for 1t, but when it was refused he was through holding that as the last act in behalf of the man had been taken 1t was the duty of all concerned, the attorneys as well as others. to refrain from further in- terference with the law He thinks that the movement to delay the execution sim ply subterfuge, and does not think it will do anybody any good and may do harm To the Age-Herald correspond ent he said today:
 Yes, have understood that the mat ter of John Williams has been consider ably discussed since his application for a writ of habeas corpus but I did not learn until yesterday that there were number of caustic criticisms of the con duct of the board of pardons and the governor in relation to this matter, and for that reason, l have heretofore said nothing, but now I feel al liberty to in dulge myself in a few reflections, which otherwise I should have considered an intermeddling with a matter which did not properly concern myself
 q did not agree in this matter with a majority of the board, but l cannot con sent to allow criticisms of the majority off the board and the conduct of the governor predicated upon their report, to go unchallenged. l acted according to my conscientious convictions, and l can not question but that they did the same thing. and being upright, faithful citizens and officials, it should be conceded that their action, from their standpoint, was according to their sense of duty, and hav- ing been had and done in pursuance of their duties officials they have not merited criticism.
 Plea of Insanity.
 "In relation to the man. John Will Hams. it does not appear from any fact, or circumstance, connected with his life, that he Is an insane man. If he was insane it must have been known or sus- pected pending the time lapsng between alnrmance of his cause in the supreme court and the time when he applied to the governor and the board of pardons for communication of his sentence. If such had been a fact. and 1t had been made known to the governor and the board of pardons. the question would have been in- quired into by the highest authority in this state, upon such questions, and if 1t had been ascertaned that he was not mentally sound. there would have been immediate respite and he would have been placed in the insane asylum at Tus- caloosa to await developments. It was not done. No suggestions of unsound- ness of mind was made or hinted at but after the matter had been determined hy the board of pardons and the govern or, and on the very last day, a writ of habeas corpus was invoked, to bring Will Hams before a court. to determine what might have been. and should have been, and would have been, determined by the governor and the board of pardons.
 "The investigation of the soundness of the defendants mind having been post poned until the last day, leads a large number of conservative people to the con clusion that the proceedings before Judge Weaver Is mere subterfuge. in the hope that something might turn up, fa- vorable to the defendant, If it shall de- velop that such was the case, 1t will be far from advantageous to the attorneys of the defendaot
 Dangerous Move
 ''rhe writ of habeas corpus was ere ated in England on account of the wrong full imprisonment of an obscure citizen. avery lawyer favors it because of it's power, with the aid of the courts to protect the liberties of any man. and yet as much as it is prized by the liberty loving people 1t has often been imposed rpon and wrongfully invoked. If such should be the case in the matter under consideration a large number of persons will regret the step that has lead to the feeling and uncertainty in a matter of so much importance.
 NO question is made by the present writer as to the power of Judge Weaver to grant the writ. but it may be safely said that the tendencies of such proceed ings. if merely a subterfuge, is to bring the law and its administration into dsre- pute, a thing which would be greatly re- gretted by the good people of the state of ---abama."
 Seamour to Investigate.
 w. H. Seymour, president of the Ala bama division of the Southern Cotton as- sociation, has been appointed on the court of inquiry for the purpose of investigat- ing the charges of the Southern Cotton association with respect to their connec- ton with bucket shops in Atlanta.
 President Seymour leaves tonight for Atlanta, where all the charges will be investigated to the fullest extent.
 The necessity for investigation is the direct result of the successful passage in the house of representatives of Geor- gia, of bill looking forward to the eradi- cation of all speculation in cotton, in the passage of which members of the South ern Cotton association took d prominent part. The measure, being passed by a large majority. is at present under dis cussion in the senate, and has not yet been voted on.
 In the course of the debate, certain of the representatives inferred that officers of the Cotton association had connections with bucket shops. and asSl method of finding out the true status ot, affairs, this court of inquiry, consisting of President M L. Johnson, of the Georgia division of the Southern Cotton association, Pres ident w. H. Seymour and Col. w. L. Peak of Georgia, were appointed. The first session of this committee will and no report will be handed in until all the charges have been thoroughly ferreted out, and the witnesses dismissed. As regards the question of immigration. MT Seymour said this morning that quite recently he has been writing to the farm CTS of Alabama in order to fond out from them their opinion of the advisabiity of encouraging 1t. More than 25O replies have been received all of which will be put into printed form at a later date and distributed among the people The vast