The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-03-11
1.-THE GOSPEL OF GRAFT"
Mr.. A. NJ. Summers Excepts to the
Editorial in the Leader of
February 10th.

Copied from The Lincoln County
Times.
Referring to the article in The
Leader of February 26th. headed,
The Tempter And The Tempted,
Or The Gospel Of Graft, feel
it my duty to take notice of part
thereof in justice to my boy who
has been attacked, especially, and
also in common with all other ex-
county treasurers and sheriffs, all
of whom have transacted business
through the Commercial Bank.
1t is charged that the political
managers of that institution have
by one shift or another managed
to get every Lincoln County treas
nrer" to keep his funds therein; :;
and further the article says, refer
ring to the charge that an attempt
was made to influence Linton, that
it is but the Towering of the sys-
tenn of political graft that has been
going on in Lincoln county for so
long" And still further, the
article says, "at the pace things
are going the time will soon come,
if it has not already arrived, that
sheriff, county or municipal
treasurer cannot place an account
with that institution, or a man as
a candidate be known to have the
support of its political bureau,
without subjecting himself to the
suspicion of being tainted by some
form of graft" interviewer in
the article is a supposed account
Of the true reasons for Mr.. Lin.
toms candidacy as an independent
four years ago against my son,
the nominee of the white primary,
in which an attempt was made to
discredit him along with the Com
merciaI Bank, carrying out the
suggestion intended in order to
charge him with being tainted
by some form of graft" because
the individuals, or some of them,
in the Commercial Bank support
ed him, and because he kept his
deposit in that institution. 1t is
a we'll known fact that the "politi-
cal bureau" of the Bank of
Brookhaven, now the Brookhaven
Bank & Trust Co., did not sup
port him, but on the contrary
worked for Mr.. Linton who was
running independent. Whether
they acted from purely patriotic
motives, must be left to the pub
lie to Judge when the facts are
known.
In 1903 after the first primary,
when the result showed that Kee-
nan and Summers would have to
run off the race, Mr. Keenan, sent
for me. He stated that he was
going, to quit the race; that he was
sick, his family was sick aud be
didn't have the money to continue,
having spent all he had; that he
felt like he could not win against
Wade. | insisted On his going
on and told him no money was
needed, but he was firm in his de-
termination to quit and suggested
that inasmuch as his retirement
would settle the matter his ex-
penses incurred might be paid.
He appealed to my sympathy and
| agreed to reimburse him for
part of bis expenses, and did.
My son had nothing to do with
it and knew nothing of i5 until l
told him afterwards, and the Com
mercial Bank, nor its supposed
political bureau" knew anything
of it until afterwards. | did not
try to induce him not to run. He
had decided to quit before he saw
me because, as he stated, he was
poor, sick, his family was sick and
be had spent all his money and
was not physically able to contin-
ue the race. The Leader says cit
was the popular understanding
when the result of the first
primary was announced that it
made no difference whether Kee-
nan or Summers won out IN the
second primary, the Commercial
Bank had cinch on the county
treasurer's account" The Com
merciaI Bank could therefore have
no interest in a friendly contest
between two of its friends. Who
else could have had an interest!
After the unsuccessful attempt
to have Turnbough's name placed
upon the ticket in the second
primary, or possibly while the
matter was being agitated, but
after the withdrawal of keenan,.
man came to me from a Brook
haven Banker (but not represent
ing the Commercial Bank and
told me be had been sent to pro-
pose to me that if Wade would
deposit half of the county funds
in that Bank the banker who sent
him would give Wade 5000 per
year. | refused the proposition.
This same banker made a PROPOSE
tion to Wade himself offering him
$500 for half of the deposit, if |
recall the exact amount correctly,
/ which Wodo rafusnd Or, tba daU
it was finally decided by the Ex-
ecutive Committee that Wade was
the nominee, a man came to me
from the SAME bank referred to
and we had conversation at the
south door of the Cassidy build
ing. This man | knew to be in
terested in the bank in question
and learned afterwards he was a