The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-07
coy. comrR.s sILENCn.

One week ago yesterday Mr. Glass. of The Advertiser. was assaulted on the street by two sons of Governor Conner. A news story of the occur renee. and an editorial comment upon It, appsared in this paper last Sunday.
 During the past week there has been a great deal of comment upon the mat ter by newspapers and individuals. in the State and out of it. Tn general terms this comment has been most unfavorabie. Not one has found any ground upon which to defend the dov- ernor,s sons, and most of the. papers have condemned their course In very strong language.
 For some days many good citizens looked confidently for some utterance upon the subject by Governor Conner. The Advertiser has waited patiently for the full week, hoping that the ex- pectation of some of his friends might materialize. He was out of Montgom- cry the first part of the week. but he has been here the latter part. He has had abundant opportunity te make a statement. had he chosen to. do so. It is entirely fair. therefore. at this time for The Advertiser to comment upon Governor comer's silence. It also appears to be . duty to express an opinion on the Governors attitude toward so bold an undertaking as the unmistakable effort to awe The Adver- tiser into silence.
 It Is plain that Governor Conner does not think It his duty to him | self. or to the public to ex- press any sort of disapproval of his sons acts. expressions or attitude. It is clear that he wishes the public to understand that he has no criticism whatever to make of them. Under the conditions his silence must be con- strued as consent, as approval.
 It will be recalled that the Cover nor's sons did not merely undertake to punish Mir. Glass for what this pa- per had done in the past. but that they tried to exact promise as to the future, and that they made threats as to the consequences hereafter. if their wish was not compiled with, It was not merely an assault upon an tn- dividual newspaper man. but a con fessed effort to muzzle leading news paper. .
 The public has. interpreted the affair to mean that since the Governor had failed in a libel suit to awe The Ad- vertiser into fear of him. his sons have resorted to physical punishment and threats as another means to the end. Governor Conner himself. by his appar- ently deliberate failure to make any sort of criticism of the occurrence, is sure to be considered as approving his sons acts ana their purpose. The Advertiser has always realized that he was an arbitrary. domineering. pas sionate man. and that he has tried to master everything and everybody In the affalfs of the state, bpt 1t has al- ways considered him as { man of un- usual political craft. It is surprising. therefore. to conclude that .he thinks his sons have. done wise thing.
 fsze It wfif also be great source pf rs- gret by all the good people of the State to ma that Governor Conner. who has fought So strenuousiy for more laws and stricter laws. and who is constantly contending for the en. forcement of laws, has so signally failed to indicate his diaapproyal of his own sons in taking the law into their own hands and in trying to un- dermine the liberty of the press.