The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1895-10-17

under the circumstances that he ought
to give up all thought of Offering as a
candidate for reelection. / told him
not to do so was to invite
exposure of this correspondence
and criticisms that would moi
only be very embarrassing and
humiliating to him, but also to
also assured him that | believed if he
would pursue this course, it would be
better for him both now and hereaf-
ter, and that if he would promise not
to be n candidate, thought / could
get Watts to agree not to expose him.
"Now," added, "this brings me to
another point. have been actuated
in this whole matter by spirit OF
friendship toward you, and desire to
save you from criticism and mortifi-
cation, as far as | could without sacri-
flee to the public interest; but l want
to say to you, that as the publisher of
a newspaper, owe responsibility
to the people / cannot ignore, and if
you pursue your candidacy, much as
would regret it on account of our per-
sonal friendship and other relations,
much as | would desire to save you
and your relatives aud friends the
modification of exposure, | would
feel impelled by a sense of duty to the
public to waive all these considera-
tons and publish the facts"
He replied that he realized my po-
sition and the exceedingly embarrass
ing position he was in himself, and fl
nally said if would go and see Watts
and Watts would promise to suppress
the letters and quit talking about it,
he would withdraw and give up all
idea of becoming q candidate.
left Supt. Smith in my Office and
went down at once to hunt DIR. Watts
up and found him in his dental Office.
| stated to him my business and what
Smith had agreed to do. At first he
was not disposed to consent and want
ed 1T stipulated that Supt. Smiths
father was also to be included and
agree not to become candidate for
reelection as County Treasurer. |
replied that this was entirely unreas-
enable and unfair; that Treasurer Al
len Smith was not responsible for the
acts of his son and that Ed. was not
responsible for the acts of his father,
and that every tub ought to be left to
stand on it's own bottom. He finally
accepted the agreement as l had at
first proposed, saying that Ed. was
not the main fellow he was after any
way, and | returned to my office,
where Supt. Smith still awaited me,
and told him the result
He said that he had told several
friends that he expected to be can
didate for reelection, and the ques-
ton arose as to how was the best way
to correct this impression. 1t was at
length solved by his requesting me to
say in the next issue of THE LEADER
that he had decided not to run again,
which did in a paragraph that will
be found in THE LEADER of May 18th.
thought this ended the matter,
but soon found DR.. Watts was still
talking it around, and he rarely ever
failed when an opportunity presented
itself,.to say something about it to
me. At one time it was about Smiths
refusal to issue his daughter a pay
warrant for teaching; at another time
it was favOrs shown by Smith to GER
tain negro teachers, and once he was
beset by grand jurymen who wanted
possession of the letters and facts,
but which he said he told them he
could not give. also gathered from
what he said to me that lie had been
having interviews on the subject with
Supt. Smith, and that some sort of
negotiations were going on between
them. On one occasion he told me
. that Supt. Smith was nearly dying to
be candidate; that he believed if he
was sure l would keep quiet he would
: run, and that he had said if he could
. keep the original copies of the letters
! ont of the way. he would deny every
thing. l was at length so impressed
: by DR.. Watts conversation, that
, thought would get possession of the
letters. He consented to let me have
, them, and told me l might keep them
> until he called for them and that
, might take copy of them. l took
, them aud locked them in my office
desk. Just before this, at my insis-
lance, DR.. Watts had procured from
Mr.. Benson IL copy of his letter in re-
ply to Supt. Smiths first letter, the
substance of which, us remember its
contents, is given above.
While these letters were in my pos
session DR.. Watts said to me on tie
street one evening as he saw Supt.
, Smith passing, Smith is still nearly
dying to be candidate and he will
be up to see you in few days to see
if he can't keep you from publishing
those letters. Sure enough, in few
, days, Supt. Smith came up to my Of
/ fee and stated that he had called to
have another talk with me about the
, Watts matter. He asked me if had
, the letters aud told him l had, but
that they were subject to DR.. Watts
order and might be called for at any
| time. He then went on to say this
| whole thing on Watts part was a
j scheme he was trying to work to his
own advantage; that he was trying to
II use me to create a breach between me
r and my friends and the Smith infiu-
ence, that he might profit politically
by such division, and that further
, Watts had made all sorts of offers to
compromise with him and his father
, for their influence in the coming cleo.
ton. He then went on to say that he
had been very strongly solicited and
urged to run for Superintendent again
since | had made the announcement
in THE LEADER that he wouldn't be a
candidate, and that he thought he