The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-17
Reply to Governor Cone
 Letter. DECLARES AlnPATHY OF
 YEARS HAS ExE1ED
Tells of Several Insiances n WEck
 He Clashed Win Raiksa1s.
Judse Jones Exhibit. Letter Frsin Ra,lrsad rArsaseainx Hin ii He rersistea in His Caa- disaey for Gever.er--
 Apeiesetss Tor sec-
 end Psbne.as..

with an apology for ia second 3ues trusion Into the public eye in tho light of controversaiist, Judge Thomas Q. Jones yesterday submitted . lengthy reply to the allegations of Governor Conner as to his integrity as judge.
 No one feels more keenly than Lw he begins. how unseemly Is confro~ versy between Governor and . Judgo in regard to official acts. or how re- pulstve to the citizen.. s
 Judge Jones hints that he would liko the opportunity of replying with mora freedom than Is allowed him at pree- ent because of the dignity of tho nos sitfon which he holds.
 This antipathy antedates the ratx litigation" he said. There was an angry correspondence to ne from D. H Conner. then private citizen. when appointed J. W. Lapsiey Judge of tic City Court of Anniston. He said thea that 1t was due to the dictation of the railroads.
 T was then private citizen. and so was Governor Conner. then. and re piled in an open letter with warmth and freedom of feeling that Is now de- barred me-"
 Judge Jones' reply deals. almost en- tireiy. with q direct denial of the charges of lifelong subservience to tHG A~tA0ns 0&AH V RA1Joot[9 Att tffF7t4 behalf, which Governor Conner laid m his letter. He declares that he re- fuses to be drawn into a discussion of the reasonableness of the rates now uu< der litigation
 Governor Conner had determined in advance of the litigation. according to Judge Jones. that the judge should ee cIares that he has it from his friends that Governor Conner had declared. n advance. that he santended to get am other judge.s
 -And with ferocity which weaid have reflected on sayaFe. ne saaQs the state, denounclng me as q deBtrox- ef of the rights of my people .s
 yHe little recI<ong that be ike kh4 judge, was bound by his oath 70 supp port the Constftution The States own laws he branded as unworthy of exe- eufson by its own Of1cefs.
 sWho was the worfhfer son of tha State--the Judge who stood by the Jaws, or the Governor who fnveishtd against the institutions of the coun- tryf
 Judge Jones denied any political r<~ lations with the railroads He exhib~ its letter. which shows that he WAS threatened with dismissal from tho railroad attorneyship.gFithou hope of future restoration. ik he announced his candidacy for Governor. He showed several instances where he clashcd with raiiorad interests. when he was Gpx~s ernor and when he was a private cite izen.
 The Judge declared that none of fAa railroad interests ever endorsed hfin as Governor or for Judge. lie deeinrNd that his opponent in the gubernatofial race had perhaps more of the corpora- tlon support than he.
 Milton H smith is a great man. he continues. ..and has done more for the development of the State than many of us who have been Governor. but he never endorsed me as Judge"
 He refers to the instance. when he was Governor, to which Governor Ce- mer refers. when he refused to endorse measures inimical to the railroads sbusled with efforts to maintain the States credit.r if was in 1885 he says. fin the days of a great panic.
 He also says that Governor Corners enfnity grew out of clash between Jones and Conner, when the former was a member of Child Labor cofo- mitteo of the Legislature. advocating & measure that was inimieai to the inter- ests of Mir. Conner.
 Juare Jones deYieI the charge of hee- torinE and declared that he dealt gent- iv with Solicitor Steagail. who was cited for contempt. He denies. alaos the charge of the Governor that thera was rnisconduct on the part of the United States Marshal affecting clash between State and Federal authorities.
 The reply of Judge Jones. in full is as follows:
 Justlned in Maintaining Controversy
 No one feels more keeniy than how unseemly. if 1t can be avoided with honor, is a controversy bet or.a a TaKAUA ahRt1E pfi gsl acts, and how repulsive fe Is 10 the ordinary man. whatever may be his view of the men or questions involved. How reluctant I wass4 for these reasons. to take any part in such a controversy. Is emphasized by my refusal for many months to take any public notice of venomous attack which Governor Conner made upon me in his speech at samson. Alabama on July 4th.s 1908. Forgetting tnat the occasion intended to celebrate the in- dependence and honor of his country and not his own achievements he treated the assemblage as an audience specially provided for his own glori- flcation and the denunciatfon of any whostood in his way. Referring to me he siad: "When a high judge de- scends to coercing the people, the ermine of his court Is being dragged In the aust No cOuIt S9h utatneoAA& a higher position than to hold the re- spect, trust love and confidence of all the people. and when it places It. self in the position of an advocate or intimidator. then there comes re- collections of swain, Busteed and a Jeffreys." Every Alabamaian knows what a reference to "Busteed or Jeff freys" was intended to convey re- garding me. It was vicious insult. which but for the high office hold. and the high office he holds. could never have been the subject of an answer in the public prints After an interval of a year. misconstrnlne my silence, he again went on the stump 60 vent his personal and of ficial malice. If there be need f0t justification or. excuse for publicly re- senting such attacks. or continuaneA of the discussion on my part. all right thinking men will and 1t in the Cover