People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-09-25

the Duncan case and the efforts OF
his opponents to make political capt.
tai out of it.
The lie ter is in reply to an inquiry
from Chairman Roddenbsry, of
Thomas county; and in view of what
has been said and published about
this case, this reply is an important
addition to the literature of the cam.
paign.
Here it is in full:
LETTER TO RODDENBERY.
"Hon. S. A. Roddenbery, Chairman
Executive Committee Thomas Coun-
ty, Townsville, Ga.,-Dear Sir: I
am in receipt of your communication,
stating that l am being censured on
account of a circular containing a
statement that 7 had pardoned Adol
Plus Duncan, negro who had been
twice convicted of rape on a white
woman, and asking VIII sther or mot |
had authorized its publication as
issued.
"lf You had but reflected for 3
moment, you would have known that
to attend to the duties of governor
aud do the amount of stump speak
ing that is done by me, was all that
is Is possible for one man to do. 1t
is not possible for me to superintend
or know OF the work done by sup
porters of the democratic ticket In
distributing campaign literature, and
1t does me g eat injustice to he Id
ME responsible for what others do
without my knowledge or consent
There would be just as much reason
and Justice in presuming that Bryan
ano cKnley knev of and were re
sponsible for everything doue or said
by their party suppor ers and news
paper advoo ates / did not author
re the publication Of this obi ction-
Able statement about which you
write, and did MT know OF it until [
saw a critlci-m on it 10 newspaper
l then got copy, cad in it the sta 9
ment above quoted, and saw that he
bare, naked, unexplained statement
was calculated to demoralize those
'gnorant of facts in the case, ami
at once, without a mo ment's delay,
requested Chat nan Clay to use his
. If rts to prevent the further distri.
button of the circular. Mr.. Clay
himself did not read the circular or
know OF its contents until I called
his attention to same. All OF his
time Ia required to look after engage
ments for public speakers, aud to
answer correspondence; It is, there
fore, equally impossible for hum to
know The coHients of all the litera.
ture distributed by supporters Of the
Democratic icket.
81 will remark, however, from in
formation received at Dsmocra l.
head quarters, | learn that the same
circular is being dis buted at points
where it vas not sent by any sup
porters OF the D 4mocratic tick t,and
hat I am satisfied that the Populists
have eproduced the circular in a
distorted form and are distributing
it among the voIers and attacking
me for what l never did, and for
what they tn mselves are now doing
and pretending tnat it is the work OF
Democrats. AS corroborstive of this
| refer to the garbled extracts OF
same in this weeks Populist paper,
purporting to be trua copy of the
CIRCULAR. This 10 upon level with
other low, dirty and disreputable
campaign methods of the Populists.
SATISFIED OF DUNcAN's INNuCEh CL.
"The parties who com piled the
mat err in the circular in questi IN
dub LESS thought that SO much had
been eaid in the newspapers about
the Duncan case ever, one was Just
as familiar with he reasons for grant
ing the pardon as they were them
selves, and that the bare suggestion
of the case would recall the reasons
upon which the pardon of Duncan
was based.
"The case 10 short was this:
"Duncan was convicted of ra % and
sentenc d to be hanged.
"The supreme court and other
officers expressed to me doubt as to
IA l.