The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-09-04
Nashville. Aug. %, 1908.
Mr.. carmack's Letter.

Elder E. A. Elan, Lebanon, Tenn.
My Dear Brother Elam:-On my re-
turn frem the West l find your letter
regarding the slanderous charges be-
ing circulated against me and l hast
en- to reply.
| gladly comply with your sugges-
ton that l write you a statement
which you are at liberty to make pub
lie in any way you see fit.
The systematic circulation of these
ISLANDERS began when I was confined
to my rooms at the Tulane Hotel and
under treatment of physician for
severe Inflammation of the eye, and
was continued throughout the whole
time in which / was engaged in the
debates with my opponent. Wherever
went l was met with detailed and
circumstantial stories OF my having
been in a state of beastly intoxication
at a previous appointment. l treated
all of these calumnies with patient
contempt, believing that they would
at least die with the campaign; but
they have been kept up without a
moments pause and, if possible, with
increased energy and vindictiveness.
Men who have lately achieved power
and influence in state politics have
lent themselves to what | must regard
as deliberate and systematic cam
paign of personal defamation; and
their calumnies have been repeated
with such detail and circumstance
that it is impossible they should not |
gain measure of credence unless |
authoritatively denied Thus the
story has been insistently repeated in
every part of Tennessee that / was
intoxicated on the day Of or the night !
after, the primary election on June
81. l spent the day of the election
afternoon when l went through in an
to Nashville in company
with Mr.. Will Howard, Mr.. Crockett
owen and Mr.. John Carpenter, all Of
Columbia. From the time / reached
Nashville was in the Tulane Hotel,
In my headquarters or In the lobby,
or at the Office of The Nashville Ten
nessean until / retired for the night.
At half past one o'clock Elder Boax
Of Columbia, and myself went together
70 the editorial rooms of the Nashville
rennessean and returned to the hotel
.ogether and shortly afterward l re-
ired. l was seen by and talked with
hundreds of people that night and 1t
s impossible that anybody could have
believed the truth of this charge, for
very man who saw me or talked with
ne must have known that it was abb
olutely false.
Like stories were set afloat while 6
he gubernatorial convention was in
ession and were scattered broadcast
II over the state.
Each and all of these stories are ut
erly, absolutely and unqualifiedly
alse and without the slightest foun-
alton in truth. During the whole
me that they have been circulated l
ave not even touched a drop of in q
,xicants whatever, either before the :.
lection, on the day OF the election, :,
a the night of or the day after the !,
ection, or at any time since up to \,
lie present moment. !.
| now propose that IL any one Of ~
ose who have been busy circulating !,
ese calumnies by word of mouth T.
Ill make this charge publicly over -,
s own name in some respectable -
,wspaper, giving time and place, :,
III undertake to brand him before -
g people, not by epithet alone, but
evidence as a willful slanderer.
ost sincerely and affectionately IL
urs, q, w. CARMACK.
Tenn, Aug. 1, 1908.