The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-11

The legislature adjourned sine die Feb
 ruary 10 1s97 The signal defeat of so
 distinguished democratic leader as Gov
 e.nor Oates by General Pettus for sen
 ator in Congress. with other events of
 the session, was received with disappoint- ment and protest by that estimable band of citizens. who, calling themselves sound money democrats. had withdrawn from the national democratic organization, and
 held aloof from the state organization, to the limit that the supremacy of the local race problem in politics permitted. Governor Johnston was positive force. If the "sound money democrats were orthodox the silver looms" must be only
 ropulists. Certainly personal politics never ruled in Alabama more desperately than
 now
 The governor sought to stop the leaks.
 As he nut it. stop the cracks where the
 nubbins fall out He found a telephone ordered the instrument removed. He let 1 it out that he was Investigating the use that Secretary of State R. P. McDavid could have for a secretary at public ex- pense. His sound money predecessor had the ca pitol This silver loon tenant of the capital This silver loon tenant of the executive office ordered the old fre- places, with their coal grates. restored. Beginning with the most obnoxious of all administrations. that of Governor David Lewis, scalawag, in 1872, 1t had been the
 custom of the governor to dispatch g
 messenger to New York to arrange fiscal | t., cost of several hundred dollars, the semi | annual interest on tho state bonds held
 in that metropolis was sent forward. Gov
 ernor Johnston arranged to drop this item
 of expense from the budget by requiring
 tax collectors to make returns in New York exchange and by using tho hints to
 tive were rigid in their simplicity. The l charges.
 l The personal habits of the chief execu- signal failure of the bi-metal1ic com l uncertain state of the health of Mrs. Johnston seemed to compel her to remain I in the more hracing mountain air of Br- | n.lngham and in the comforts of her 1 beautiful home there. The governor with | the chief justice of the state rented a suitable house opposite the capitol He had breakfast about sunrise and then walked across to his office, which he never left before sunset. He employed no stem ographer, but answered with his own hand all letters that would under any circum- stances be answered. Saturday afternoon he went home to re main until Monday. Sunday with unyarying certainty, he at tended St. Marys Episcopal church. The state examiners of public accounts made frequent reports to the governor which were promptly given to the press The state back tax commissioner and his corps of county assistants added millions to the assessa ble values.
 In the first year of Governor Johnston in office. yellow fever ragged in Mobile The application of strict quarantine at Montgomery shut the capital off from the entire state except by mail. The office of the convict bureau was removed for the emergency to prison No. l near Wetump- ka State Auditor White moved his office to his home in the valley of the Tennes- see; the governor moved his office to Bir- mingham. These removals continued in effect until the autumn season restored public confidence.
 The Chicago national democratic plat form of 1S96 lost, in its national defeat to the republican party, nothing in Ala bama.
 Marcus Alonzo Hanna@a manufactur- CT and speculator of Ohio, grown a mill lionaire from modest circumstances, and
 never before known in politics, not only
 secured the republican party nomination of Congressman William Mckinley for President, but obtained the chairman ship of the republican convention. He procured by subscriptions from great business corporations the most enor- | nous campaign fund, said to have | amounted to s14,000,000 ever known in | the United States. The chairman was exceedingly liberal in the expenditure of this great corruption fund. A part I of his scheme was to have the demo- crats nominate MT. Bryan and then to have the populists in their close fol- l lowing national convention nominate MT. Bryan for President. He carried that plan into execution and in various
 ways paid ready cash to accomplish his l purpose
 Nevertheless the vote actually cast
 for the Chicago ticket in Ohio. Indiana