The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-08-30

will wait upon him (me) to secure his
INV consent. Now, who went to Ma
con? Mr.. Willingham alone. Who
was the committee that waited on me
to secure my consent? Mr.. Willing
ham alone. Was not Mr.. Willingham
acting for the Journal, too?
"He saw in Atlanta no representa-
tive of the Journal, and it does not
appear, and is not pretended, that he
gave out what occurred, either in At
lanta or Macon. until he informed the
Journal of the result on the second
day after he left Atlanta, and until he
had been twice urged by representa-
tives of the Journal to go and see me.
Nothing was known of the matter at
Macon until the evening journal ar
rived. as | had not mentioned it my
self.
"Now, who told the Journal about
this interview? This conference So
called. Mr.. Peoples certainly did not.
According to his statement, he did not
know that | was the unanimous choice.
He evidently had not heard all that
was said, so Mr.. Smith is all that is
left us as the Journals probable in
formant. That he stuffed the Journal
with the statement it published [ have
no idea. That he told the Journal the
result of that interview, in whole or in
part, as Willingham delivered it to
me, ! have no doubt.
"The present explanation of the
Journal that its representative was
simply seeking news in asking Mr..
Willingham to go to Macon to see me,
ETC., is wholly unsatisfactory.
"If it is good newspaper ethics to
urge a man to run for the high Office
of governor simply in order to manu-
facture news item | ask by what au-
thority did the Journal call upOn Mr..
Willingham to quit his business and
leave his home and go to Macon to
perform that function.
He was not its repOl ter, or other
wise connected with it.
"When the Journal called upon him
twice to go. and when he finally went,
it is clear that he went, as he said he
did, with the full knowledge and APP
proval of Mr., Smith and the Journal,
and for the purpose stated.
IF the Journal wishes to press this
the name of its representative who did
the telephoning to Mr.. Willingham, so
that the world may Judge whether it
was in the line OF his duty to manufac-
ture and gather news or not.
But let us read again the first para
graph of the Journals special from
Macon. The gentlemen who met in
Atlanta Thursday to bring out can
didate for governor, called on Hon.
Dupont Query today, and one of them
stated positively that he had consented
to make the race Who was this one
of them but Mr. Willingham, who com
municated with the Journal from For
svth after his return and not other
wise? If some one sent this message
from Macon, who was he and from
whom did he get his information?
"In speaking of Mr.. Terrell, who
was assumed to be a candidate,
though not formally announced Mr..
Smith said that he was the tool OF the
corporations and liquor people and
their candidate. | am sure he said
corporations, which term in our con-
versation was used Interchangeable
with railroads, but [ am not sure he
included the liquor people, and it may
be that they were referred to in another
connection only, as will soon appear.
He also said L do wish Terrell
would meet you on the stump Tor in
debate, not certain which,. i would
like to see you haste him, but he will
never do it, he will never do it, He
said this, think, at least two or three
times with much enthusiasm and
laughing heartily.
''In this conversation Mr.. Smith
made neither promise nor reference to
promise, conditional or otherwise. but
all that he did say was directly con-
firmatOry of what Mr.. Willingham
had told me, and if Mr.. Willingham
had told me nothing | would have
inferred that Mr.. Brown not running,
he intended to support me, though [
| would have had no promise to that
effect.
"Mr. Smith says that he does not
believe that he replied to my letter,
but he did, and though briefly, his
letter very clearly sustains the view |
have just presented concerning my
own. Here it is with no date:
Atlanta, Ga.
My Dear Mr.. Guerry:
While your recent does not suggest
an answer, still | write to acknowl-
edge its receipt, and to say that |
think you understand my feeling on
the subject. I hope / shall have the
pleasure of seeing you before a great
while. Sincerely, HOKE SMITH.
''Mr. Smith said in his Warrenton
speech that ] asked him in this letter
for his support. His answer shows