The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-21
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JUDGE JONES DEFENDED.
It is Argued That There Was Deli berate Scheme to Misrepres-
 ent Him.
Editor The Advertiser:

Editor The Advertiser:
 i In your admirable editorial Sunday morning. you very properly said that The Advertiser had not been unobservant Of the signs of the deliberate effort to break down Judge Jones in the trial of these peonage cases, and to prevent his doing his duty when the contested cases came up. The confessions of the three princi- pal defendants had terrified the others. The Court was too powerful and free from local influence to practice the tactics fully, for so many years. in Coosa and Tallapoosa counties. So -here was pre- concerted scheme to destroy Judge Jones s character and enrage a large portion Of the people against him.
 His charge to the grand jury was clear and certain. The only law declared un- of 1901. His opinion was explicit that the statute punishing the obtaining of ad- vances with fraudulent intent was uncon- stitutional; so, also. where man con- made in open court. There was not a word in this opinion that the working out of sentences to hard labor according to law, was unconstitutional The word was "saunt," however that he had de- cided directly the reverse to what he did. in order to array all the farmers in the country against him. He was charged bad notions into the heads of the negroes. for no other reason than that he declared the law of the land-that 1t was an of- ienSe to kIQnap a ldW-dDi0lng negro anu sell him. The farmers had done without the law of 1901 in worse times than these Every lawyer of reputation pronounced the statute unconstitutional, and the best sentiment of he people was always against 1t.
 Next, when in the midst of one of the trials, evidently to affect juries, and to furnish the text for speakers. specials were sent out from this city that the peo- pie here were discussing Judge Jones's promotion on account of his action in the peonage cases. It was not stated expressly that Judge Jones or any of his friends had caused any of this. The plain infer ence, however was that such a thought was in some way in the mind of the Judge, or his close friends. No friend of this kind at this time. However friendly may have been the intentions of tho writer of the specials, he was duped into it by designing men. Then attacks began to be made upon the Judge in a few country papers, on the idea that he was doing his duty.
 These people never stopped to think tn at he was acting as he had acted all his life on such questions. when it was unpopul IT to them to do so. as it is sought to he made here. Instances of this kind are numerous. He fought the labor law, which was declared unconstitutional, In a canvass in this county before the people twenty years ago. He acted the same way when Governor, and the same way when in the Constitutional Convention.
 Turner's case was set for some time Tn August when the Luverne speech wIs made. but MT Hefiins material having been artfully spread in the peoples minds, he sprang 1t on an occasion at a place and on an ocasion when many Jur DTS were likely to be affected by it. The transparency of the whole scheme is IS clear as its shame. E. L. M.