The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-16
BLACK REJECTS
 TATE PROPOSITION
 IN WHOLE OR PART
In Caustic Reply Solicitor Black Turns Down Ad- vances Made by Circuit
 Solicitor J. R. Tate

That he does not intend to surrender in whole or in part the office to which he was elected, and that his proposition is ridiculous and absurd is embodied in the reply of Solicitor Hugo l.. Black to the letter sent to him by Circuit Solicitor Joseph R. Tate. In his letter MT. Tate makes the proposition that he and Mir Black discharge their assistants and try all cases in the criminal court and if assistance is needed to supply the need from some other circuit in the state.
 This proposition Solicitor Black rejects in toto and in caustic letter reminds MT. Tate that he is his assistant and de- mands that he report daily at the county solicitors office to aid in the work of prosecuting the criminals of the state.
 YATES PROPOSITION
 The following letter was received by Solicitor Black yesterday:
 Hon. Hugo L. Black, Solicitor of lief
 ferson County, Birmingham, Ala:
 Sir-I hereby make the proposition that you, as solicitor of Jefferson county, and l. as circuit solicitor of the Tenth judicial circuit personally try all cases in the two divisions of the court, where in criminal cases are tried. One of us to work two weeks in the first division, with full authority therein, thereby saw ing one week with each judge with full authority therein, and. then alternate division, thereby giving one week with each judge in that division.
 That for any assistance needed that We jointly call upon the chief justice to sup ply solicitor from some other circuit of the state. Respectfully submitted, l am yours truly, JOSEPH R. TATE, Circuit Solicitor of the Tenth Judicial
 Circuit
 BLACKS REPLY
 To this letter Solicitor Black replied in part as follows:
 MT. Joseph R. Tate, Assistant Solicitor,
 City:
 Dear Sir--In reply to your letter given the newspaper today, 1 am glad to note that you agree with the honest grand jury that your deputy solicitors are use less and unnecessary officers, and that their salaries constitute pensions given to able bodied men," Since you admit certainly discharge them and thus save the state and county sl6, 800 which other wise would be given to these useless and unnecessary officers"
 If you think you and could perform the duties of the solicitors office. you must have known it at the time you appointed these officers that the salaries they would receive would be in the nature of gift,
 I wish to refer you to my letter to you of March S1, 1917, in which I made the following statement.
 .I wish to request that in order that our work may be effective that you make ls,, wa SIlp fad by me when l first became solicitor. We cannot accomplish anything toward the enforcement of law, unless this is done' and you are in harmony with the poli- cies and principles which l am seeking to carry out You understand, of course. that the law makes you assistant and am responsible for both your actions and mine, and consequently it can be but right to me for you to consult this of flee and acquaint yourself with the facts which we have before taking any import ant actions"
 IGNORANT OF WORK
 You did not comply with my request, but maintained offices with other law yers outside of the courthouse. and you are therefore ignorant of the work that devolves upon this office and do not know the multitudinous duties that are performed by 1t.
 IHSSc COlultlOfS, dOOul W iiCH yOu hoW know must lead you to the knowledge that your proposition is both ridiculous and absurd and would bring about an in- effective, inefficient, expensive and de- layed administration of justice. A char itable interpretation of your proposition, therefore leads me to attribute 1t to ig- norance of conditions rather than to a sensational play made for the purpose of dlverting the public mind from the knowledge that your assistants are use less and unnecessary officers.
 AUTHORITY WAS GIVEN
 You ask for full authority" to act in the courts This authority was not given to the circuit solicitor when his office was created in 1888. nor has he had it since. If you desire full authori ty'' you should have sought the posi- tion of solicitor of Jefferson county and let the people know that you would be charged with the responsibility of full authority for the enforcement of laws in this county. l again inform you. as I have done frequently in the past, that I do not intend to surrender the office which the people entrusted in my care to you and your assistants. either in whole or in part I again demand that you re- port daily for duty at my office in order to aid me and my assistants who are performing their duties in the work that devolves upon officials paid salary by authority of law.
 Failing to obtain full authority by proceedings instituted against me in the courts, and failing to wrest from me the responsibility to which the people elected me, and which have been neither in- creased nor diminished since was elect ed, you should understand by now that I consider public office public trust and one which should not be surrendered to a person or persons not selected for such by the people.
 . My office is at 41O courthouse. Your services are needed, and I demand that you give them to the county in return for the salary you receive. Very truly vourx HI1GO L. BLACK