The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-15
No Chance for O'Nea| to Profit By Action of
 Both Houses
FAvORs NEW MANSION
 BUT NOT SALARY BILL
Governor Announces That He Will Make Short Speech on the Occa- sion of Colonel O'Neaps
 Inauguration
BY HUGH w. ROBERTS

f1Oun w. ttO0Gkk4S
 Montgomery, January 14.-(Special.)- When the bill providing for an increase of s25oo in the salary of the governor oi Alabama reached the office of B. B. Co mer, governor, 1t was received with ths utmost respect-and placed on file.
 On file it will remain until Tuesday morning.
 At that time Col Emmet ONeal. having been inaugurated as governor. will prob. ably remove 1t from the hook. consider il for moment as one of those sad propo. sitions (which might have been." and then sign it.
 All of which means that the bfll increas- ing the salary of the chief executive oi the state will not be effective during the administration of Colonel O'Neal, but that the man who sits in the governors chair as the successor of the governor-elect will draw yearly stipend of $750o.
 Conner Was Obdurate
 Great pressure was brought to bear on Governor Conner. but even in its palmiest days the rock of Gibraltar was no more impregnable than his determination. The governor had fmade up his mind that it would be improper for him to sign the bill and nothing could shake his res- olution. Numerous friends of Colonel O'Neal took a hand in the argument. Kinsmen of Colonel O'Neal made long trips for the purpose of interviewing the governor. But the truth remains that at the present time the little document bear ing the signatures of Hugh Morrow. pres ident pro tenn of the senate. and E. B. Almon, speaker of the house. reposes in the safe of the chief executive. There 1t will remain-unless O'Neal rescues it-for the playground of mice. and for the main foundation of spider web.
 Much has been said throughout Ala bama concerning the impossibilty of swerving Governor Conner from a path on which he had entered after previous Fsternaination that the course was right and good. But not too much has been said. He is rock.
 The Position of Conner
 Your paper,'' said the governor, "and all other papers, have charged me with promiscuousy dispensing the funds of the state. Furthermore, during the cam paign against the prohibition amend ment many members of the present leg islature went throughout the state cry ing from every stump concerning the ex- travagance' of the Conner administration. And now these same men come to me insisting that I continue the extrava- 9ant' course which they formerly decried. and in addition, insisting that I violate the constitution, not only the spirit of the constitution, but the actual decrees of the constitution.
 1F- kIA hcial shall reap the benefit of an increase in salary during the term of office to which he was elected. Now, here comes the new legislature, the legislature elect cd on the platform of the man who would reap the benefit of salary increase, urg- ing me to act out of accord with the con- stitution, as interpret the constitution.
 Favors Governors Mansion
 ''While have the very kindest regard for MT. O'Neal. have never had any intention of signing a bill to increase his salary. There is no surprise that I have declined to sign the bill. I told the friends of the governor-elect immediately after the recent gubernatorial campaign in which took part-that I would not attach my signature to such document. have told every person who questioned me in that regard that would not
 Now, I have stated publicly that l am in favor of a bill providing for the purchasing of suitable ground on which to erect a mansion to be known as ths governors mansion.' providing for the construction of such a mansion, and pro- viding for the annual appropriation of a fund sufficient to operate and maintain that mansion. Had such a bill been pre- scented to me would have signed it read fly. Alabama needs such mansion, and I am glad that such mansion will eventually be constructed.
 No. sir, will not sign the governors salary bill. It will remain on file until the accession of Colonel ONeal."
 Another Little Message
 Governor Conner will have little mes- sage for the people of Alabama Monday. He will deliver 1t prior to his introduce tion of Colonel O'Neal on the occasion of the inauguration of the latter.
 'It will not be very long, stated the governor, land presume that can con- clude my remarks in the course of 1o minutes. I would say the message will be about one column in length-resort- ing to the language of you newspaper re- porters.
 II do not consider 1t exactly proper that I should simply get upon my feet, say ing: Fellow citizen, or ladies and gentle ment. this Is Emmet O'Neal, the next governor, who VIII now address you. No, sir. feel that 1t Is incumbent on me to say just few words. and will take advantage of the opportunity to deliver my final remarks as governor of the state at the moment of introducing my successor"
 The governor declined to state in cd vance what he intended to say, or to de note those matters to which he will allude. But 1t Is true that when the mes- sage of the governor was delivered and published last week those who concluded that they had heard the last words direct from the chief executive were mistaken
 Had Battling Good Time
 Governor Conner states that as gover- nor he has had a 'rattling good time.' but from the enthusiasm he displayed ir speaking of his plans for the next few months, one judges that he does net re gret that he has finished his term. After a rest he might return to the center oi the stage. anxious again for the big noise of politics. But now he does not care.
 T will run down to Barbour county stated the governor, 'immediately follow Ing the inauguration of Colonel O'Neal and will immediately lay plans for get. ting my affairs in shape to the end thai
 
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