The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-08
VICIOUS MOTIVES
CHARGED To PROBE
COMMITTEE BY THE
FORMER GOVERNOR
O'Neal in Vigorous State
ment Answers Charges
Made in Committee Re-
port to the Legislature
By L. >. BETTY

l oy Ss
Montgomery, August 7.-(special.
Emmett oNeal. former governor of Ala
bama. today issued statement in which
he answers all charges of the reces.
committee on investigation relative to the
conduct of the executive office during
the preceding administration.
Former Governor ONears statement
deals at length with the investigations
of the recess committee He explains
| in detail the charges with reference to
the governors mansion fund, the rail-
road rate litigation, the disposition of the
governors contingent fund, and all other
matters investigated by the recess COM
tive department.
| Governor O'Neal asserts that the inves-
| legations of the committee relative to his
office were inspired by vicious and ma
licious motives: that the committee failed
In its efforts to bring his administration
| into disrepute. and that, inasmuch as
1t failed, 1t did not have the magnamin-
| ity to confess defeat.
| The former governors statement, writ
ten with all the brilliancy which has ever
characterized his public papers, IS de-
clared to be one of the most interesting
articles he has yet written for the pub
| lie press.
| The statement in part follows:
while l have no disposition to renew
any controversy with the legislative in
vestigating committee, justice to my
self. to my administration and regard
for the truth of history alike demand that
the misleading and unwarranted criti
clsms and statements which they mako
! In their written report to the Iegisla-
ture should not go unanswered.
Il am criticised because l declined to
| file with the committe an itemized state
ment of the expenditures of the fund
for the maintenance of the governor S
mansion. When | was examined as n
witness. I called the attention of the
committee to the fact that the statute
provided that this fund could be expended
for the general maintenance of said
residence and grounds in such sums and
in such manner as to the governor may
appear proper or necessary
The attorney general and other dis
tinguished lawyers with whom / con-
ferred all concurred in the opinion that
the law neither contemplated or required
me to make to any authority an itemized
statement of the expenditures.
Governors Mansion
In their criticisms of the purchase of
the governors s mansion the committee
were manifestly unfair. In my testi-
mony. | frankly informed them that
personally | opposed the purchase, hnt
that the remainder of the committee had
reached the honest conclusion that the
best interest of the state would be sub
served by the purchase. Before making
the purchase I called before the COM
mittee Mr.. Frank Lockwood, the archi-
tect for the state capitol. who had also
been the architect for the Sables resi-
H. -
originally cost about 500, ,000 and that
both labor and material were much
cheaper at the time of it's construction.
asked him the direct question how
much it would cost the state to dupli-
cate at that time the Sables residence
and he unhesitatingly replied $30 000 He
further stated that the lot which the
Sables residence was located was worth
at the market price from $1S,00o to $4,000,
and that if the state undertook to build,
the purchase of the lot and the construc-
ton OF residence equal to the Sables
home would cost $4,000, leaving no money
for the purchase of furniture and fur
nishings.. The committee lays stress
upon the fact that the lot upon which
the governors mansion is located cost
about nine years ago $4,000. What the lot
cost nine years ago is immateral. The
committee must have known or If they
were ignorant of the facts they could
have readily ascertained them by inter-
views with the real estate men of Mont
gomery. that within the last nine or ten
years there has been In that city an ad-
vance of at least 100 per cent in the
values of real estate. Before making the
purchase the committee patiently exam
ined every lot and house which had been
offered, dozens in number as recall, and
after a conference with the architect that
built the house. and persons familiar
with real estate values. they reached the
conclusion that Notwithstanding the
original cost, the fair market value of
the Sables house and grounds was the
amount which they contracted to pay
The committee state that the woodwork
about the building is cheap. The first
story of the building Is finished in hard
wood and the two drawing rooms are
paneled in mahogany The building
might have appeared cheap to gentlemen
with the luxuriant tastes of the commit
tee but | do insist that to the ordinary
citizen 1T would appear to be a home
elegantly equipped. good enough for a
governor, or even member of the leg
islature.
Public Printing
In the discussion of public printing the |
committee says We have had evidence
which convinces us that rebates have been |
received in consideration of some of the |
printing contracts being let Under the |
law the secretary of state advertises for |
proposals of contracts for public printing |
and these contracts must be approved by |
the governor, the state auditor and the |
state treasurer The committee failed to |
state by whom rebates have been received |
and this failure on their part is an indi- |
rect charge against each member of the |
board. ] therefore demand, that the COM |
nittoe at once name the official or per- |
son whom they claim has received re- |
bates.
Railroad Commission
II am criticized for my approval of the |
settlement made by the state with the |
The committee Is unusually Sc |
we're in It's condemnation. and denounces |
the settlement as fragrant and nexcus-
able surrender of the states rights Tha |
lurid adjectives with which they embellish
their discussion of the subject have a |
strangely familiar sound / am inclined |
to believe that they are guilty of plagiar-
izing some Of the Incorporate denuncia-
tions of this settlement found in the paid |
Gil culars and advertisements with which |
former Governor Conner filed the daily |
and weekly press OF the state during his |
campaign for nomination as |
governor. Such sweeping condemnation OF |
the settlement by the committee would |
seem to preclude all further discussion.
yet even at the risk of giving offense |
/ am compelled to take issue with their
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