The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-13

No man relishes attacks upon him but l have long since discovered that so long as l remain an official my enemies will continue to attack me know their source and appraise them at their true worth. Mir. Henry, I be lieve to be a good man, but many good men are influenced when they do not Know it. Whether his is good or bad, however. he Is alike subject to the laws of the land made for the common protection of all This applies with full force to Mir. Henry as well as all other officials.
 ASSISTANT SOLICITORS REPLY
 The May report of the grand jury of Jefferson county, which was assisted in it's work by County Solicitor Hugo L. Black, recommends the dischar se by the circuit solicitor of the under signed deputy solicitors of Jefferson county; demands that the undersigned return to the state and county the salaries paid; and, if that procedure IS not carried out. calls on the next grand Jury to take action This rec ommendation of the grand jury and the recitals of fact in. support of it's recommendation demand prompt and emphatic answer, as they could have been based only on false and mislead- iit' 1SStiiiiOIy <AS WllDeSStS DeLOTe IHS grand jury are, presumably, sworn the next grand jury might well look into the conduct of those parties W ho are responsible for misleading the re- gently adjourned body. We stand ready to assist and cooperate with the cir cult and county solicitors and the courts of this county in every way in our power in enforcing the criminal laws and are forced to this public statement with great reluctance. Tie administration of the laws should be Tree from petty personal controversies between officials and the condition that exists in this county is not of our choosing nor are we responsible for its continuation. The facts, which were easily within the reach of the grand jury, are a s follows:
 d JUDICIAL SYSTEM
 The legislature of 1915 enated stat utes which consolidated the judicial system of the state. All trial courts. including chancery and crimin ai courts. were absorbed and merged into the circuit courts. By a general stat ute Of unquestioned validity the cir cult solicitor of Jefferson county was authorized to appoint three deputy so- licitors at salaries aggregating SS400 per annum. Of this total the sum of S6O00 is payable out of the state treas ury and is not tax on the county. The balance of $2400 is payable out of the county treasury The salary o4 the circuit solicitor is paid entirely out of the state treasury except $500. which is paid by the county. Tn short, the total salary tax against the coun- ty Tor the circuit solicitor and hi; three deputies is $29OO
 It cost Jefferson county about 3D. 900 last year to pay the expenses and salaries of MT. Black and his assist ants and their incidental expenses. Mt Tate and his deputies. if the latter were not hindered in the performance of their duties by Mir. Black, would cost the county s29Oo and the state and county a total of $10,S00. It is. accordingly. apparent that in calling on the deputy solicitors, who are state officers, to resign, the grand jury was not actuated by motives of economy as the resignation of MT. Black and his deputies would save $19,000
 FACTS NOT STATED
 It should be known that wc
 have stood ready to perform all
 Of the duties of deputy solicitors
 and any duty which might be deI-
 egated by the circuit or county so-
 licitOr; and anyone, grand jury or
 cit1zen, who suggests that we have
 made default in any respect is
 not stating the facts. Hence. nei-
 ther economy nor fidelity to the
 public interest can have actuated
 the grand jury in demanding that
 the deputy solicitors retire fin fa-
 vOr of Mir. Blacks employees
 brief review of the facts may
 throw further light on the situ-
 ation.
 By the general statutes of 1915. above referred to, the circuit solicitor in each clrCult, a position to which MT Tate was elected by the people in 1914, at the same election at which MT. Black was elected county solicitor, was constituted the general law officer of the circuit. All local laws establishing the office of coun- ty solicitor were expressly abolished, but an eleventh hour amendment was tackled on the bill in the judiciary committee by MT. Welch, who had been employed and IS now employed by MT. Black, at 5000 before the amendment and $363O after the amendment, saving the office of the coun- ty solicitor of Jefferson county
 The new circuit system became effective In January, 1917. MT. Tate, the circuit solicitor, appointed the undersigned as his deputies and we have duly quali- fed We have been declared by the su- prcme court to be state officers, author ized and entitled to appear and represent the state in all cases. There was no oc- caslon for any controversy or any clash between officials. We have been ready, daily, to perform our duties The circuit solicitor has been a capable and faithful public officer, without ostentation or per- sonal exploitation; but the county solici- tor, MT. Black. has been enfuriated at the suggestion that he must cooperate with any official other than his own em- ployes and has. we regret to state, made 1t difficult for the deputy solicitors to perform their duties
 SELECTED FOR SLAUGHTER
 The grand jury. which was as-
 sisted in It's general investiga-
 tfons by Mir. Black, suggests that
 three of the deputies resign and
 selects us, whose title is clear, for
 slaughter. The difficulty with that
 entirely impartial and uninspired
 suggestion Is that grave doubt ex-
 fsts as to the right of MT. Black
 to expend more than $3OO0 of the
 cOunty's money for assistants.
 He has already exceeded that limit. He contends that local act has authorized him to make unlimited drafts on the r. Itx.-s% s%oJ