The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-08

l gave my assent to the settlement condi- tional upon the approval of the other two commissioners. On that same day 1 re- quested the attorney general to mail copies of the agreement to Messrs. Sei- heimer and Weakley and to request them to advise me whether they had any objec- tons to the terms of the settlement. In accordance with my request on the 21st of February, 1914, the attorney general ad- dressed letter to Hon. H. c. Selheimer at Birmingham in which he inclosed copies of the agreement and in which he used the following language: Kindly ex- anime the same and have Judge WeakleY also do so and let me hear from you with reference thereto If Messrs. Selheimer or Weakley had any suggestions or crit icisms to make. they were not communi cated to me. I most unhesitatingly ap- proved the settlement.
 Yet the legislative Investigating committee insists in most violent lan- suage that notwithstanding there was but the bare possibility of reversal by the state of the decision of Judge Jones, that this litigation should have been continued for the benefit of un- known parties and unknown interests holding coupons, although the railroads were ready and willing to surrender every vital question of policy and prin- c1ple In the case; to acknowledge the supremacy of the state, the justice of the passenger rates it established, and | the right of the railroad commission, without interference from the federal | courts, to fix reasonable freight rates. l The legislative Investigating commit | tee insists that all these important | concessions which were won by the l settlement should have been rejected | and left to the bare chances of liti- | Sation and the rights of the state | Jeopardized in order to possibly bene- | fit a few spectators ,in coupons. Be- fore reaching their final verdict of con- | demnation of the action of myself and | Governor Henderson and the attorney | general in approving this settlement | l would have supposed that a sense of | ordinary fairness would have suggest | ed to the committee, who undertook to | sit in Judgment on our official action, l the propriety of summoning and inter
 rogating the three men who represent
 ca the state and who were fully con | versant with this transaction-Gover-
 nor Henderson. Attorney General | Briclxell and myself.
 Attacks Committee
 "The committee in their report failed to tell how many idle rumors which | they had dignified with notice they had investigated and had found to be | baseless and unworthy of considera ton. They failed to tell that their in | vestigation was confined to my ad | ministration; that they summoned only l those witnesses who had a grievance, | who were supposed to be unfriendly, and that when, after private eXamna .
 tions these witnesses disclosed facts l which were favorable they were
 promptly excused. If they honestly
 sought to expose wrongdoing from whatever source it came, why did their
 investigation stop with my administra- 1 tion? The railroad rate litigation set | n ba
 last campaign. Changing of the con
 vict laws by which the president of | the convict bureau was enabled to re-
 tain in his possession the funds of
 the state for three months without ac- | countability or bond, the purpose of
 the enactment of this law who was
 benefited thereby was a burning issue
 in that campaign; yet that issue they
 carefully ignored. The unsavory odor
 from this unwise and unnecessary
 change of the convict laws had sat
 urated the political atmosphere of the
 state; charges and counter charges had
 been made; the very air was rife with
 rumors and the public had the right
 to expect a thorough and impartial in-
 vestig igation. That it was not made but
 lends support to the general convic-
 ton that the former administration
 was to be immune from investigation No. I was to be the victim: I must be
 destroyed, and the committee was not
 very choice in the methods they adopt l ed. Idle hearsay, ex parte examination
 star chamber proceedings. the use oi spies and informers, convicted. if pos
 slble in my absence, denied the right
 Of being confronted with the evidence
 against me, in fact by the use of meth
 ods, which deserve only public execra- . tion.
 | That they failed was not due to any | lack of diligence on their part, to any want of partisan hatred or to an ab- sence of consuming zeal to defamt ! my character.
 ! "They failed because with truth and justice as my shield. the poisoned darts of envy malice and hate fell harmless al my feet
 Now that they failed. that all theii
 well laid schemes and plans have come
 to naught, they did not have the mag lnanimity fairness to confess de
 feat but only seek to conceal their
 bitter disappointment by captious crit
 ioisms and harsh and insulting epi.
 thets EMMETT O'NEAL." l
 !