The log cabin Democrat., 1908-02-13

by George w. Donaghey, who is C Democratic nomination for governo
 After brief, but spirited colo quy, during which MT. Griffin de nied that he had used his office in any way to further Donaghey $ candidacy, MT. Kirby withdrew the charge.
 The accusation made by MT. Kirby in his Lonoke speech had about the same effect as a bomb shell cast among the leaders of the Farmers Union. After a hurried conference of members of the Ex- ecutive Committee of the organiza- ton 1t was decided that Secretary Griffin should meet MT. Kirby at Brinkley yesterday and demand that he retract the charge which he had made.
 Accompanied by the members of the Executive Committee, Secretary Griffin went to Brinkley where the candidates for governor were scheduled to engage in joint de- bate.
 Kirby Did Not Repeat the Charge.
 According to a report of the meeting furnished by the Gazette S correspondent at Brinkley, MT. Kirby did not refer to MT. Griffin in his speech there. At the close of his speech, MT. Griffin, who was in the audience, rose and stated that he desired to ask the speaker question. He read the report of MT. Kirby's Lonoke speech pub lished in the Gazette, in which, MT. Kirby was quoted as declaring that Donaghey had bought the Secretary of the Farmers Union. MT. Kirby did not deny this, but replied by stating that he desired to ask MT. Griffin a question. He produced a newspaper clipping, purporting it to be an interview with MT. Griffin, in which the latter was quoted as saying that Donaghey was the logical candi- date for governor, and that the 7S, 900 members of .the Farmers Union would vote for him. MT. Kirby said that this alleged inter view was his authority for his statement. MT. Griffin declared that the statement in the clipping was untrue. MT. Kirby then said that he would withdraw the charge he had made against Griffin.
 Griffin Issues Written Statement.
 MT. Griffin returned to Little Rock last night He declined to give out an interview regarding the meeting at Brinkley and.insist- ed on preparing a written state ment for publication. The state ment follows:
 To the Editor of the Gazette:
 In your issue of the 4th inst. there is an article which alleges that Attorney General w. F. Kir- by said in his speech at Lonoke that Ben L. Griffin, state secretary of the Farmers Union, had sold the union vote to George w. Don aghey. 1 ask space in your paper to give the facts in justification for my official as well as individual reputation, and also the integrity of the Farmers Union. In doing so I wish to say that l am not go ing to deal in anything but the facts and let the public judge who is misrepresented in that article.
 Since my connection with the Farmers Union, as the state secre- tary, l have ever been watChtul oi its interests and have defended 1t the best I could, against the en- croachments ot politicians as well as its other enemies, and 1t IS a fact well known by the member ship of the union, that l have never in any way whatever intiu- enced or tried to influence them ? in a political way, and it has been . difficult task indeed to thwart the intent and purpose of many , politicians who wanted to use the 5 organization for their personal ben f eft. 1 have in the past 5 month: positively declined a position of , tered me on a state ticket for a DO