The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-31

'1tN or for the uses of #; tat the State re- that electorate and extinguished 1t. at great risk to it's own autonomy, at the earliest possible time, in the adop- tion of the Constitution of 1901.
 In the period. s4 years. 1Sea-ieol. an election" in Alabama vas righteous in the sight of God. anc rair to all man. kind. when it offered opportunity to fill the offices with the best men aeaIIabia. the majority of the pie-Aald host foisted upon the situation as electors. to be rec ognized by future ge-eratons only as instrumentalities of a vulgar revenge, to the contrary notwithstanding.
 In the Office
 Governor Jones filled the two terms in office sanctioned by his party. when the state had risen to the c.cst of the wave of foreign influences. snd was prepar- ing for the trial of reform He met his peculiarly difficult duEes with a candor and measure of efficiency, all his own.
 We may indicate only three of his more conspicuous demonstrations of method. Representative Willis Brewer gave his high talents. and the weight of his repu- tation to leadership. in the movement to reduce the tax rate. lt was a very pop nlar movement and had been suggested by retiring Governor Seay. Governor Jones found employment for all his per snasive powers In resistance. The Legis- iteHAt pdSStu nlif 10 1lNluc the NorFfil school Fund.- federal donation. among several schools. A condition of the feder- al donation was. that the fund should be controlled by the A. and M college. and not by the legislaturc The governor sent in his veto. The school at Athens would have received a portion of this tund, under the terms of the vetoed bill cltizens of that town. in their disappcint- ment, hung the governor In effigy When the news reached Montgomery, some me chanics prepared n miniature town Aon Court Square and named it Athens" and prepared to light the houses and burn the whole town" The Governors pro test was necessary to put stop to the sympathetic outbreak The governor made a personal inspection of the pen,- tentiary. resulting in great reform He planned to break ID the lease system. "" this end. the president of the Co~- vict Bureau. Mir. R. H. Dawson, the Associate Inspector Mir. W. D. Lee and Col. sam Will John from the Legisla- ture, visited several states to study their penitentiary system. Ths result was the purchase of several thousand acres ofe farm lands, in the cultivation of which this reform could be expected. A new ad- ministration succeeded to the office and the lease system was approved and con tinued.
 Coal Strike and Salary
 6overnor Jones management of the terrible coal miners strike in the Bir- minshan district In 1894. is too large part of his experience in office to be related here. It was sufficient man agement and averted great disaster. He went to the scene and took command in person.
 passing political att.clS included tbe allegation. that the Governors salary. szoo per month. was sxtravagant The trnVarnnr paftff ffx.I pie some of the inside history of tha office. Very frequently petitioners for executive clemency for .onvicts cana to the executive offices with their wives and children and very often they cama rom long distance. They had to he fed " 'o
 The Governors purse was exhausted HIS friend, Dave Fleming, kept A first class restaurant. He heard of the Cow ernor's dilemma, went to see him and the arrangement made gave Dave many patrons without pay, fed on viands iron, his table free. .'S''
 Governor Jones met President Harri son m birmingham, to extend the right hand of the State. The President was not an invited guest. Birmingham wa as then In swaddlng clothes When tba 1oVernor round no feast had been nre- pared In honor of the eminent visitor be ordered dinner on his own account The cost was one months salary Gen eral Fucker. and one or two other uen tlement hearing the facts, sent for tba bills. io' '"'
 Ex-Governor Jones was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1aO1 Whe' formally invited to become a can didate he replied that he would accent an erection, but would not seek one. Ills labors in this body were of prime i'm. portance. They are seen under tbe had of Executive.
 A Bolting Election
 President Clevelend, bv extra sas.to,, or lss3, succeeded in splitting the democ racy on the silver coinage question The Montgomery Advertiser led A bolt of inc SIeVeiand disciples against the National Democratic ticket, led by Bryan in 1898 ma, lhcton held State Convention over which Ex-Governor Jones nre.,d.a at the capitol in August. and sent n oeiegation to Indianapolis. led by Ex- 1oVernor Jones, where the Palmer and buckner ticket was put outA The boIt maue no impression on the State. Tho lnaianapolis ticket carried no county and only one beat, 1t was said.
 Appointment to Federal Bench
 Hardly had Ex-Governor Jones com p,eted ms labors In the Constitutional solicited honor of appointment by presi- dent Roosevelt to the office of Judge of tae District Court of the United St.te. TOT the Northern and Middle Districts of Alabama. He did not know his name was being considered. He received the fol- lowing letter from Senator Pettus:
 Selma, October 6, 1901 's
 Dear Governor--@ The fact Is s, my opinion this Is the best Appointment of judicial officer made in the South by the President since the war. did not believe such an appointment could he made by Republican. The State has good cause to rejoice and be glad at such change of policy don't want you to suppose that had. or claim to have had any share in procuring the an- ppintmert"
 October [ 1910 Ex-Governor Jones xss appointed District Judge Tn the day or two following the governor of the sfatt the entire bar of Montgomery. the ma vor :. public officials and leading business me,p overwhelmed the President with tele- grams of congratulations This demon stration of appreciation was joined in from Selma. Demopolis, BiruinRham. Athens, Opelika, Tuskegee. Decatur An riston. Tuscaloosa. Marion, Troy, Mo- pile. Huntsville. Greensboro. ClantoH, Eu- fauia' Evergreen and Atlanta. Ga. Tho oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Thomas N. Mcclellan of the Ala bama Supreme Court. The appointee re- quested the presence of the Governor. the judges of the various courts in Montgpm- cry and number of friends to see him take the oath in the chambers of the District Judge at o'clock D. m spn Octo- Der 10. 1901. He stated that he wished by the presence of the company, to imply the close relationship that the law estab- lished between the state and federal