The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-01-22
A SINGING ANSWER
To Gov. Wilson's Recent
Insinuations.
ATTORNEYR ,y.THOMAS' LETTER
sin Which He Scores the Gov
ernor in Behalf of the
Equity Society.

The Todd County Times and nearly
every paper in that district, is print
Commonwealth Attorney RY. Thorn
as, Jr, of the Seventh Judicial district,
TO Gov A e. Wilson, replying to
the Governors message regarding the
statement of Mr.. Thomas that he
would not prosecute the tobacco men.
MIR. Thomas letter is as follows:
Editor Todd County Times:
Augustus f.. Wilson, Governor Of
Kentucky in his alleged message to
the Legislature, takes occasion to Ii
bel me for no other reason than that
Wilson was attorney for the Ameri-
can Tobacco Trust and l am a Demo-
cratic official. He said:
Gin December, 1905, in Todd county,
in the Circuit Court room, packed by
excited men, a lawyer declared that If
they did violate the law they ought
not to be punished and would not be
punished while he was Common
wealth's Attorney"
That language of Wilson refers to
myself, because l now am and was
at that time Commemorative Attor-
nav of the Seventh Judicial district, OF
(which Todd now is and was then
part.
The statement of Wilson is untrue,
and his informant is perhaps some
emissary of the American Tobacco
Trust, who, doubtless, impaired this
alleged information to the Governor
(?) while consulting him as attorney
of the Tobacco Trust
AT the time Wilson refers to, there
was in the courtroom in Elkton bus
mess meeting of the Dark Tobacco
4 Protective Association. l went into
the courthouse to get some papers,not
knowing OF the time that any meeting
WAS in progress. There was not an
excited person present. 1t was insist
ed that make talk, and l did make
a short talk l said, in substance
that the farmers had right to organ
ize for their own protection against
the Tobacco Trust; that it was not IL
legal to do so; that as long as they
went on as they were doing they
Ought not to be prosecuted and would
not be by me. By that statement
stand today though 1t harrows the soul
of Wilson and his client, the Ameri-
can Tobacco Trust. They have right
TO organize under legislative enact
ment. No one, at that time, had vio-
lated IL. law. The meetings being
held were all, so far as / had knowl-
edge. peaceful and orderly, and did
not feel called ON to prosecute men
who were not violating any law
have no apologies to make to Au-
stmstus T.. Wilson or the American
Tobacco Trust for that speech.
Some Of the emissaries of this trust,
Immediately after that speech was
made, attempted to construe 1t Just
as Wilson has done, 50 it is apparent
where he got his information; but, at
this time. | denounce such construc-
ton as untrue. The dynamiting OF tie
factory at Nlkton and the barn burn
inc at Trenton, If l mistake not, oc-
curred some months afterward, but, |
however that may be, 1t Is not known
who violated the law in either in
stance, although Wilson lays 1t to
the Tobacco Association. All was done
that could be done TO find out who
committed these crimes and we were,
at least as successful as Wilson has
been at Hopkinsville. with soldiers and
Calling guns. That speech had about
as much TO do with the Elkton and
Trenton affairs as it had to do with
the Hopkinsville raid or the violations
\ of law in the hurley district.
havs never failed to prosecute
violations of the law and am willing
for the people of the Seventh Judicial
District 10 say whether or not I have
been relniss. The convictions in the
district have doubled and my record
speaks for itself.
This man Wilson assumes, in his
message that no Circuit Judge,Com-
monwealth's Attorney or other Off
eial in the tobacco districts, will do
mis- duty and proceeds to'lecture them
FALL.
This novice evidently does not know
that grand juries must indict before
criminals can be prosecuted. He. APP
parentIy, does not know that grand
iuries must have evidence before they