The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-20
GOVERNOR ANSWERS : MOBILE REGISTER Paper Has Been Making
 Editorial Attacks GOES INTO DETAILS Intimates Papers Action Is Result of O'Neal's Refusal to Allow Its
 Editor to Name the Mobile
 Excise Commission
GOES INTO DETAILS

1 Montgomery, February 19.7-eSpeclaLJ Governor ONeal, before leaving Tor Baltimore, made a statement In refer
 ence to numerous editorials which have appeared in the Mobile Register, in which official actions of the chief exec utive were subjected to criticism. In his introduction the governor says: "I recognize that no public oniclai can expect to escape criticism, now ever commendible may be the motives which inspired official action. But even
 public official is entitled to demand that criticism, or condemnation of of-
 ficial action shall be based on facts
 and not on idle rumor, islander or mis-
 representation"
 In his conclusion the governor
 strongly intimates that the basis of the editorial criticism of the Register Is in the alleged and futile efforts or that paper to dictate the appointment of the Mobile excise commission. He says: "I was notified by the representa- tive of the editor of the Mobile Reg 1 ister, prior to my appointment of the Mobile excise commission, that the ed | itor of that journal would regard the appointment of the present commis- | sion as a personal affront and casus belli." In a sarcastic vein the gover-
 nor continues Il was duly notified that unless I allowed the editor to dictate that appointment that I might expect
 the unrelenting opposition of that pow
 erful journal" Concerning the result of
 the appointment of that commission the governor after referring to the alleged i subsequent animosity of the Register,
 says: T am gratihed to know, how
 ever that the force of public senti-
 ment has compelled it (the Register)
 to speak in complimentary terms of an
 excise commission which I appointed
 over its protest and the official conduct
 of which has fully justified my most sangulne expectations"
 In detail the governor in his state ment goes into the several editorials
 which have criticized his actions in re- ference to the case of the Goshen eX
 else commission, the pardoning of vio-
 lators of the prohibition laws in Bar
 bour county, the granting of parole
 to certain MT. Howle of cadsden and
 the appointment to office of certain
 men of Jefferson county.
 Concerning the latter the governor
 says;
 The Register is also bitter In its de-
 nunciations of certain appointments
 Wnlcn 1 made to OHlceS III JeHerSoH county. Two of the officials to whom
 reference Is made are not now in of-
 flee, and no protests have come to me
 from the people of Jefferson county within reference to the appointment of a third. Jefferspn fouptN should know
 better than tic editor Of the Mobile Register about matters in which that
 county is alone concerned So fas as the appointments referred to are con- ca Wftb closed in- cidents. and I decline to discuss them, even for the qualification of the editor
 of the Register. I think, however. it
 was somewhat illogical for the editor
 of the Register to object to one of my former appointees on the ground that he conducted a sensational newspaper. If editors who conduct that class of journals are debarred from public of- fee, then I am inclined to think that
 the present editor of the Mobile Reg
 ister would be perpetually disfran- chised"