The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-12
fTOMLINSON
 WON'T SPEAK Declines Request for
 Joint Debate. i8 Arr WRITES LETTER TO SMITH Toe Busy With Alabama Bryan
 Club. Moreover His Executive Committee ts Opposed to It-But seIma's Bryan
 "' Men Want to

Birmingham, May 11-(Special.) )-Re- plying to letter requesting that John w. Tomlinson and Asa Rountree, as of flcers, of the Alabama Bryan Club should meet friends of Governor John- son in a series of joint debates, MT i. Tomitnson today sent the following letter: ].
 Hon. A. G. Smith. Chairman Johnson
 Campaign Committee. City.
 Dear. Sir:
 Your letter received and in reply l desire to say that in the speeches which have been making over the State I have followed the policy being pursued all over this country. to har- monize all factions in order that we may win in November
 Many who voted for Palmer and Buckner in 1896 are members of Bryan clubs in Alabama today. We now have a united party. I believe that a joint discussion would tend to drive Denc- crats apart rather than unite them. Furthermore. 1t was the sense of the Executive Committee of the Bryan State Convention. which assembled in this city on Friday last. that there should be no joint debates for the res son then expressed that the State Is absolutely safe for MT. Bryan and Bryan delegates and there is no neces- sitv for further action on the part of the Bryan Democrats other than the circulation, of the address to the Demo- crats of Alabama. which was issuad by the committee
 Furthermore do not feel authorized to take the responsibility of the entira Bryan campaign on my shoulders. You are mistaken when you say that Mir. Bryan has chosen me or any one else to especially represent him. was elected by the Democrats of Alabama to .ths position of President of the Bryan State Democratic Club. and do not feel that represent Mir. Bryan or am any more loyal to him than thous- ands of other loyal Democrats who have been lighting through a number of years for the cause for which Mir. Bryan stands.
 "Furthermore, I was compelled to foreRo. having practically the solid en- dorsement of tine preeK of Alabama, any further canvass for myself as delegate from the tate-at-IArKe, In order to be at headquarters to attend to my duties as President of the Club during the closing day of the cam paign. which requires all my time and attention.
 .rhe address of the Johnson eoru- mittee and the Bryan cornmittee sauarely prssents the JEsne to the Peaaoctsts of Alsbama- Wo have no 1eAF AStIO tue FSSult. NIL EsTfNt. HeSUt no boosting A 'whiriwind finish ts hof reeded Tn his behalf. <. " , We do not care to. argue further, The Johnson people. can do as they like.4 but we rest'our ease.
 ! For the reasons stated herein, T therefore decline your offer for & se- ries of joint donates
 : T might add that when such papers as The Brooklyn Eagle, The New York Herald and The cpurier-JourHal. which have been fighting Mr. Brvan's nomin- ation. now concede 1t. that when Tho New York Herald is authority for the statement that the New York delega- tion Is solidly for Mir. Bryan--it seems to me that 1t is useless to fight his nomination further and that in doing so 1t will only weaken his election. especially when the class of literature which is being distributed in this State and all over the United States against him by the Chicago Johnson Committee. is exactly the kind of mat