Newport weekly independent., 1903-10-16
OZARK EDITOR
 REAFFIRMS STATEMENT
Says Davis Was Correctly Quoted Affidavits of Prominent Citizens of Bentonville That Governor Repeated Charges in Sub
 stance There.


 ments credited to him by the Ozark Democrat as to the infdelity of men to their wives and other slanderous charges. The editor of the Democrat says he quoted Davis correctly in his paper, and in commenting on Davis' denial says:
 i've are not surprised at the, con- tents.
 "We have long been convinced that Gov. Davis has as little regard for the truth as any man we have ever heard of. The above letter makes us stronger in tbat opinion. He says our statement 'is lie cut out of the whole clotb.' In other words that our statement has no foundation--was all entire fabrication. If he had said that we did not quote his exact words, there might have been at least sem blance of sincerity and truthfulness in that, but true to his natural instincts and well established mendacity, he declares our report is wholly false, in so many words.
 stWe have reflected much upon the statement we made and have failed to find single reason for modifying it. Of course we know that there is a possibility that we did not give every word as he spoke it, but we know that it is probable that we did. For this reason: When Gov. Davis spoke at Denning about the first part of Sep tember he made the first part of the declaration, to- wit: I am not good enough to belong to any church and no man is, etc., and that when he be- gan to speak of his expulsion from the Baptist church at Ozark, etc., the editor having heard him at Denning, he paid the strictest attention to his every word. He charged his memory with Davis' words and printed them as he remembered them.
 ''But as to the import of his lan- guage we have no doubt whatever. No other construction is possible other than the one we gave.
 'tMany heard him and nearly every one admits that we gave at least the substance of his foul and slan5erous declaration.
 eff any man or set of men of req sonable intelligence, fair character and approved integrity will come to Franklin and investigate this matter properly and if they do not substan tially approve the statement we made of his declaration we will withdraw it and apolgize for making it. And they need not ask us word about it,"
 Unfortunately for the governor he spoke the day following his speech at Ozark at Bentonville, and there he made substantially the same admis- sions and charges alleged by MT. Col burn. In proof that he did the fol- lowing affidavit is made by prominent citizens of Benton county:
 State of Arkansas, County of Benton:
 We, the undersigned citizens of Benton county, Ark, state on oath that we heard the candidates for gov ernor speak at Bentonville on the 21st day of September, 1903, and that Governor Davis, in his speech refer ing to his having been turned out of the church, among other things, used practically the following language: "l acknowledge that am not good enough to belong to the church, and none'of you men are. Nobody but the good women are good enough to be- long to the church. You may take the best man in your town, the one who goes to church the most and prays the loudest, if his wife knew where he was and what he was doing last night she would bring suit for di vorce i'll the morning."
 (Signed) A. B. Herd, justice of the peace, Herd, Ark; J. w. Williams, merchant, Lowell, Ark; P. Carnahan, minister, Bentonville, Ark; 0. H. Caegile, doctor, Bentonville, Ark. w. N. Waldrip, pastor, M. E. c. s. Bentonville, Ark; w. H. Cloe, ex sheriff, Bentonville, Ark.
 Sworn to and subscribed before me this Sd day of October, 1903.
 (Signed) E. l.. TAYLOR,
 County Judge.
 hereby certify that the above par ties are wholly reliable and as good citizens as can be found in Arkansas, and I further certify that I heard Governor Davis make the above statement.
 (Signed) B. L. TAYLOR.
 County Judge Benton County, Ark
 MRS. ELIZABETH HITE.