The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-17
Attacks Justify Him In Defend
ing Himself "In Only
Manner He Can
SAYS Conner KNOWS HIS
STATEMENTS ARE FALSE"
Hopes There May Be No Further oc-
cason For Discussion of Issues
Which Are So Distasteful
to the Public.

Montpornery October 16-tSpeclal1-
Judge Thomas G.. Jones of the united
States court in an interview for the
press, answering a recent attack on him
by Gov. B. B. Conner, in which the names
of aforetime judges-Busteed and Jeff
erys-are mentioned. says: Every Ala
bantam knows what a reference to Bus
teed or Jefferys was intended to convey
regarding me. 1t was a 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 pub
Ito prints" The interview was made
public this evening.
The Judge also recalls a speech made
by the governor at Samson July A. 1908,
and designates the reference to him as
'venomous attack" which he did not
take notice of. These attacks the judge
considers now justify him in defending
himself in the only manner he can, all
the time feeling that mo one feels more
keenly than | how unseemly, If 1t can be
avoided with honor. is a controversy be-
tween a governor and judge about off,
cial acts
The Judge also answers the intimation
that in the rate litigation in his courts
he informed the railroads beforehand
what would be done, with the statement:
1.-THE governor knows full we'll that the
statement that the litigants were APP
prised of what would be done is utterly
false, and that counsel for the commits
sion admitted that the preliminary injunc-
ton on those bills was properly and I'M
ayoldably issued
Past Relations.
After refusing to discuss the rates
either way the Judge goes into his rela-
lions in the past with Governor Conner,
and concludes that his Ill humor must
have dated back TO the time the execu-
tive minated that there5swas railroad
interference in the appointment OF Judge
I.apsley to the city court of Admission, IA
years ago, to which the judge says he
replied vigorously, and as a result of
which the governor disavowed any inten-
ton of imputing wrong. Feeling might
also have been aroused, the judge thinks.
by the fact that he at one time served
on a committee seeking child labor legis-
lation, which committee Governor Conner
stigmatized as Improperly meddling with
private affairs.
The Judge goes on to deny that the
Injunction against the rate laws were
issued EEK parte,'' and accused the gov
ernor of not knowing the meaning Of the
governor declared to confidential friends
his intention to ''get another Judge to try
the cases. He was willing, the judge
thinks, to destroy the Judge in order to
aggrandize himself.
Judge Jones then goes into discussion
of the attitude of the governor while
the rate laws were pending in the courts,
asserting that to all intents and purposes
he was urging the officers of the state
to violate the orders of a constitutional
court and bring on a condition of strife
and possible bloodshed He charges that
the legislature intended to destroy the
constitutional rights of the people. He
dares the executive to deny that he gave
out interviews In which. among other
things he said: II know of no reason
why every one Of them should not be en-
forced" the reference being to state laws
enioined by the court.
He denies that he "hectored those
roads which settled with the state but
does say that their action was such as
TO give the impression that the court
could not protect those who sought Its
protection. mo man who speaks the
English tongue and reveres Justice" the
judge says, "but would despise a court
which remained silent when sutton
comes into court, stating that he was
compelled to abandon its protection and
had settled because he would be done
to death by his antagonist If he did not
get out of the court"
SteagaII Incident.
Solicitor Henry B. steagalI, cited on
contempt proceedings, whose case was
brought up by the governor, and of
which incident the governor says he