The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-21
MOBILE REGISTER REPLIES ID O'NEAL Thompson Charges Gov ernor With FalsehOOd DEMANDS THE PROOF Says He Is Willing to Meet Squarely the Issue of Veracity
 Raised by Governor
 O'Neal
DEMANDS THE PROOF

l Mobile February 20.-(Special )-Fred-
 erick l, Thompson. president of the Reg
 ister Publishing company, has the fol lowing signed statement in The Reg
 ister in reply to the attack of Governor ONeal on The Register and it's editor, in which MT. Thompson denounces the governors statements as false. MT. Thompson says:
 'Those who are familiar with the con- duct of The Register under it's present control will probably agree that personal publicity of any of it's directing heads has been contrary to its established pol icy. At times, however, in the publica- tion of asnewspapersconduct along the independent lines ofMThe Register, it is necessary that personal statements be made. I ask, therefore, the indulgence of the readers of The Register in mak- ing personal reply to the lengthy article of Governor Emmet ONeal, published at his request in The Register this morn- ing.
 T am leaving it to the editorial writers ot The Register to answer the state ment of the governor as to his official conduct; leaving to them also an analysis of the astounding statements he makes. But I am concerned in the direct issue of veracity raised by the governor, and with due deference to the exalted posi- ton he holds, l wish to meet it defi nitely-to meet 1t In such manner that the public can establish conclusively In their minds just where lies the lapse between truth and falsity.
 Governor ONeal makes specific charge that the directing head of The Register has inspired criticism of his public acts because he refused to surrender to the editor of The Register the appointing power vested in the governor; he further charges that The Register attempted to dictate the appointment of the excise commission for Mobile county; further, tsat The Registers criticism of his official acts are based upon the attempt of the directing head of The Register to secure official appointments
 ''rhe charge by the governor is specific. might go into an extended denial, but will directly meet the issue Governor ONeal has raised. The statement of the governor is absolutely untrue.
 "I refused on a number of occasions to indorse the applications of personal friends as excise commissioners. l have at no time, before or since Governor O'Neai was inducted into office, com municated with him in behalf of the ap- pointment of any man for any office. di rectly or indirectly by petition, written word, telegraph message or otherwise, or by the personal message of any friend, I have never met Governor O'Neal but upon one occasion and that was upon that visit by him to see me in company with MT. Rttenhouse Moore. at which time the question of politics was not Hroached. l have never. seem or com municated with him from that day to this except that I did send Governor O'Neal word that the appointment of MT. Joel Godsby as chairman of the excise com mission of Mobile county would be dis- tasteful to me and to The Register. MT. Goldsby has appeared before Governor O Neal and In a speech had offered The Regipter a gratuitous affront. The Reg isters fairness and independence ana it's absence from partisan bias is em- phasized by this incident for The Registers $ commendation of MT. Goldsby's work as chairman of the excise commission is well known.
 .Therefore, Governor O'Neal, If he ex- pects the public to take his statement as a truthful statement must produce evil dence where I have communicated with him in behalf of the appointment of any man either by petition written or tele- graphic word; must recite some conversa- ton that had with him asking for the appointment of any man; must produce witnesses who will state that I have asked at his hands any office for myself or any friend, or that l have directly or indirect- lv either by written word or by word of mouth asked him for the appointment of any man to any office within his gift.
 "FREDERICK I. THOMPSON