The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-05
Governors Statement

.sIt had been thought in some quar- ters that those whom I would appoln as commissioners of Birmingham under tie provisions of tho recent act had beer agreed upon by me with the Jefferson county delegation. That such is a mis- taken construction of anything passing between me and the gentlemen repre- senting that county in the legislature is shown by the following letter:
 Montgomery, Ala, March 4, 1911. 'To Hon. Emmet O'Neal, Governor of
 Alabama:
 "Sir--Whereas 1t has been published In the newspapers of this state and has bsen a rlatter of public discussion that an agreement had been entered into between yourself and the senator and representa- lives from Jefferson county whereby you bound yourself to appoint Judge A. o. Lane and MT. Harry Jones city commis- sioners of the city of Birmingham, now in order that the people of this state and of the city of Birmingham may know the real facts, we, the undersigned mem mers of the legislature from Jefferson county desire to state that no sucli agreement was made. It is true, how ever, that the senator and members of the lower house from Jefferson county met and agreed in caucus and did conl- mend to your excellency for appointment to the aforesaid commissionshps Judge IA. o. Lane and MT. Harry Jones, With the express and full understanding at the time that you were not bound by the recommendations but in your discretion you were to appoint both of these gen tlemen or either of them neither of them. This is our understanding of the agreement that was entered into and of your attitude with respect to the agree ment. And we make this statement in justice to you and to ourselves.
 Respectfully (signed), w. H. Barn. ard, c. A. O'Neill, J. A. Eastis."
 Notwithstanding the absence of any positive agreement I should feel much inclined to follow the recommendations of the Jefferson county delegation, but the following considerations exercise a compelling influence on my actions In the matter:
 Gives His Reasons
 '.The declaration of the people of Bir- mingham for the commission form of government as expressed at the polls by decided majority must be accepted as their emphatic and deliberate protest against existing conditions. This protest necessarily involved the condemnation not so much of the present form of gov ernment, as of the extravaganza and lnsmanagement manifested in it's admin istration by the officials in control. It is never the mere machinery of govern ment, but those who are in charge of 1t upon whom must primarily rest the responsibility for civic ills.
 If this be true and I think it can not be successfully disputed, then 1t is evident that the relief which the peo- pie have thus demanded will not be given them, in fact or in their own opinion, if the personnel of the present administration dominates, the new by constituting a majority of the governing body. To use the appointing power to this end would be to annul the legitimate result of the election. to change the form and retain the substance, to appar- ently repudiate methods and policies weighed and found wanting, but in real fly to perpetuate them by retaining in office those officials whose methods and policies they are
 'So strongly am I impressed with the conviction that the people of Birmingham called for a complete change in municipal affairs that were it not for the provisions of the bill retaining the present mayor as president of the board of commissioners should feel that the will of the people constrained me to so constitute the board of commissioners as to completely disas- sociate the new board from the personnel of the present administrations. The charges which have been made against the mebers of the City Council may be wholly unfounded i'll fact. but, however base less they may be, they evidence state of the public mind that must be accorded due regard. Indeed, assuming them to be no more than that unjust associations of officials in power with the causes of un- satisfactory civic conditions which some times prevails among the people where such conditions exist, 1t but strengthens the conclusion that the desire for new form of government carried wisl it dis sent from all pertaining to the old. That the public discontent is justified is clear