The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-23
A, I. London Asks Whether State Has Sunk to This
 Degraded Condition
BELIEVES PEOPLE WILL
 ASSERT THEIR RIGHTS
IT inks hlabamans Will Resent the Presence of Paid Lobbyists of Sheriffs' and Clerks Asso-
 citation at Capitol.
To the Editor Of Tae Age-Herald.

To the Editor of Tne Age-H Herald:
 Please accept my thanks for your eai-
 torial in Sundays issue, for yeu have laid the situation bare. and presented a redl, living and vital issue to the people
 You entite your editorial Right But
 lmpraeticable,' and then proceed, to uem-
 onstrate that the confessed evils of tie
 fee system, with all of it's attendant wrongs and injustice, are so fastened upon the state that no relief is to be had; that, in fact, reform "is as much out of reach as is flight to Mars"
 You say, But MT. London's proposition has no practieabllity in It." and dismiss 1t as futile in the following paragraph.
 ''The pointed proposition presented bg Mir. London may as we'll, therefore, be dis-
 missed We must build iails to suit tie operations of the collectors of fees. There Is no help for it--no other way out of the trouble. MT. Londons points are cor rect, but they are not feasible and prac- ticable. They cannot be fitted to Jeffer- son county because they would not it Winston or Washington counties"
 It Is true that al present the state can-
 not get the relief, and the reason is patent, but it is not true that a law can not be prepared to meet the difficulties you suggest and If 1t shall develop that amendments 10 the constitution are es- sential, then they must be made. It is un- deniable that the constitution of 1901 al- ready needs amendment and revision in several respects, and some day the alter ations will be made either by a legislature or convention which cannot be dominat- cd or threatened by a combination of of ficehoders, as was done when the constl- tuition of 1901 was adopted
 Conceding It's soundness, your editorial is most lamentable confession of how low the people of Alabama have sunk, for you demonstrate that our boasted demo-. racy is sham and delusion; that the white people, the voters of the state, are either unfit or incapable of self-goVern- ment; that as a matter of fact the state is dominated by an oligarchy of office
 holders, who, chosen as their servants, have now become masters of the people, and their will alone not only dictates the
 laws, but will do SC always. The illus tration you give of the recent exhibition
 of power by the county school superin
 tendents 10 defeat needed legislation is d very apt one
 The facts you state. I am compelled to admit, are In large measure true, but I do not admit your conclusions, because do not believe that the people of Ala bama have become so lost to sense Of their just rights to submit indefinitely to this domination.
 Democracy, as l understand it, means in it's essence the right of the people to rule, and if he could know of this traVesty on popular government which prevails ia Alabama in the name of democracy. it's great father, Mir. Jefferson, would, l am sure, turn in his grave.
 You do not seem to realize what an aw
 full arraignment of our present condition your editorial is. Five years ago. through your columns, l called attention to the eX istence of this officeholders' trust and how
 it's slimy trail was imbedded into the con- stitution of 190l like fossils in the coal measures. l then showed how the sherffs
 and other officials had practically held up the constitutional convention and
 forced their iniquitous demands to be
 written into the organic law. Today tho same organization. the Clerks and Shei- frs association, fed and nurtured at the public crib, through it's combinations em- bracing practically all the county of hcials of the state, maintains It's lobby at Montgomery, and woe betide the member or Une lcSlSIdtuTe or OulCldl Wiit udlcs op- pose or defy it.
 How does the trust stand on an antl- lobby bill? The lobby member of the of fceholders' trust in Montgomery can tell you where his clients stand. l do not wish to be understood as being an advo- cate of the present bill, for l do not re- call it's provisions. 1 see no objections to anyone being allowed to go to the , legislature to express his views on any for I think it not only DrOnef but right of the citizen to go, and it cer- tainly should be the pleasure of the mem- bers to hear from their constituents But I do object to gentlemen being employed to go and remain in Montgomery during the sessions of the legislature to repre- sent particular interests, unless publicity is given to their employment and the pur- pose of their presence. But this Is apart from the thoughts I desire to express, and is only referred to as an illustration CT the extent of the domination Of the onlce- holders trust.
 Are the people of Alabama in the pititul, helpless condition in which your reason- ing carried to it's logical eoneiusloh' would put them?
 Is if true that we have lost our man. | hood and been tied hand and foot by l combination and trust of greedy hungry | officeholders so securely that we must | submit in silence and without hope? l Is there no Moses to be found who will l teach us the way and lead us out or thls | valley of Humiliation to the hills ot hsht
 and righteousness?
 have an abiding faith in the ultimate | common sense of our people and their | ability and desire to do the right thing when once they see it, and so l think 1t 1 clear that each of these questions must | be answered in the negative.
 l Edmund Burke once wisely said, Ihe people never give up their liberties but 1 under some delusion,' sand our present 1 condition is but practical demonstration of the truth of the remark.
 | We are merely paying the penalty of | our Ignorance, and in our blindness we are 1 attempting to run popular government on | n false and falacious basis.
 | All experience teaches that popular gov | ernment cannot be successfully conducted, | nor can the rights and liberties of the | pcople be maintained. except where there | Is free discussion, and on this is based the
 guarantee of freedom of speech and free | press. And this free press and popular | discussion are the principal sources of cd 1 ucation for the people.
 | All or practically all, the voters being | massed in one party, and the voice of | criticism silenced inefficient and dishon- | est government is as sure to follow us | night follows day. The long continued | control of the republican party in national
 affairs produced corruption. as we all | know, and have been so often told by the | press and our public speakers. How can | opu other pa rty expect to escaDe like re-