The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-05
JUDGE JONES IN
 DETAIL REPLIES ID
 COMER'S CHARGES Addresses Open Letter to Graduating Class of the
 Southern University
POINTS INVOLVED
 IN RATE DECISIONS
Also Brings Out Some Facts Hitherto Unpublished Regarding the Mas ters Who Took Testimony in
 the Rate Cases

Montgomery, September 4-(Special.) Judge Thomas G. Jones today issued an open letter to the graduating class and students of the Southern university of the session 1911-12. His letter is a re- ply to the address delivered before the class by former Gov. B. B. Conner in which he made severe attacks on Judge Jones.
 The federal judge goes into detailed answer to the former governors as sertions and incidentally brings out some facts hitherto unpublished re- garding the special masters appointed in the rate cases.
 Judge Jones' interview relative to his address. together with his communica- tion to the students of the Southern university, are as follows:
 "The letter to the students of the Southern university relates only to the issues raised by the baccalaureate. Dis cussion of outside issues would not be appropriate in a reply addressed to them. I am very busy with important cases which require all my time and have not opportunity now to take up and expose now, as I will do later, all Corners misrepresentations In an open letter to ex-President Roosevelt and his malicious attacks upon me in his Greenville speech. While I know the people are tired of any further con- troversy between the ex-governor and myself. yet I think all honorable and fair men in view of the nature of the
 eI, .ad me in the past five years, will concede my perfect right, within legal bounds, hereafter to assume the offensive, and I shal adopt that course in a communica- tion to be given out in the near future. "To the Graduating Class and Stu
 dents of the Southern University of
 the Session 1911-12:
 "Gentlemen=The seal of the South ern university contains this motto; Pro Christo ct Republica.' It was incorpor- ated, to use the language of its char ter to establish an institution of high general character for the promotion Of literature, science, religion and nor ality.' For more than half century, under the impulse of it's teachings pu- pills have gone out from its walls to become bishops and priests governors and judges, legislators and lawyers, physicians, journalists and business men. eminent and useful in their day, Illustrating in their lives all that Is noblest in our civilization. As success sive classes have left it to take up the tasks of life, eminent men have been selected to counsel them, and their words of advice and warning had always been promotive of religion and morality
 Flout Religion and Morality"
 At your last commencement former governor of the state in delirium of Pharisaical frenzy. trampled under foot your fine old traditions by the delivery of what he described as a church bacca- laureate It contained no word concern ing science and literature. It's central thought was the inauguration under the ruise of a sermon to the young and praise of God, of political campaign to further his personal ambitions. His rabid haHs and boundless ambitions fused, in the hot caudron of his passion, in an effor. to assassinate the character of a judge hv false assertion and unruly inuendo. Tn the hope that thereby he might raise a tide of popular passion on which to float into the seats of power again. If I had attended your exercises and he had sho. me in the back as l sat among the audi ence, his conduct could not have been more censurable. One would have been a physical assassination, the other was t moral assassination. False assertion, or
  personal hate, little appeals to ignorance and unworthy prejudice, and cunning statements to arouse passion and discon tent against the justice of a decision or a court of his country, and the honor and good faith of his fellow men who participated in the decision, were the con , tributons of the church baccalaureate to the cause of religion and morality. The conduct of it's author was like that of Bolingbroke, in similar matter, whicr Boswell, in his Life of Johnson, justly characterized as 'dischargins a blunder 5 buss at religion and morality
 q did not have the good fortune to attend, or to be invited to attend, your commencement exercises. Had I been present and demanded that you hear me then, the memory of the fathers whose blood runs in your veins and your manhood and love of fair play would have cried out in indignant pro- test against the denial of opportunity for reply; but I was absent, and had I been present my request for you and the university would have pre- vented my asking to be heard then. A fitting reply on the spot to the teach ings of such a baccalaureate would only have added another uncanny in- cident to lower the dignity of the uni gversity and mar the decorum of your closing exercises.
 Reply Properly Addressed to Those