The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-09-02

watson Comes Back at Smith and
Tells of the 1906 Contract" and
Why and How Pope Brown Was
Put Out of the Race.
Mr.. Watson, in lengthy reply to
Governor Smiths reply, talks of 1.-The
1906 contract" and makes some in
teresing statements in regard to the
campaign of that year. He saws:
In 1906 I acted with the organ
lied democracy of this state for the
hrst time since the peoples party
was established, and did so because
of the disfranchisement issue. The
plan of campaign, agreed on between
Congressman Hardwick and myself
grew out of the proposition made by
me in the course of a speech made
in Atlanta on the night of Septem-
Der /, 1904. At that time the Hon.
Hoke Smith was not known to be an
advocate of disfranchisement. The
candidate for governor, as per the
original agreement between Hard
wick and myself, was Hon. Pope
Brown. That gentleman entered the
race and the campaign was well I'M
der way when suddenly, and without
notice to me, Pope Brown retired
and HOke Smith was showed in.
For several weeks | was in doubt
what course to pursue. There were
reasons, not necessary to be stated
now, why l did not want to support
Smith.
Congressman Hardwick visited
me at my home, assured me that he.
Hardwick, had acted in good faith
believing that the change would be
all right with me, and that Smith
would make a stronger race than
Brown.
After further delay, and with re-
luctance, l acquiesced in the change,
on account of the issue involved, and
did my part, as best l knew how to
make the campaign a success.
'Afterward l learned from my life
long friend, Pope Brown, that he had
consented to withdraw from the race
because the impression had been
made upon his mind that | wanted
him to withdraw in favor of Smith.
Whoever created this impression on
the mind of Pope Brown cruelty
wronged me and cruelty deceived
Brown.
Sent 1t to Watson for His o. X.
when Messrs. Hardwick and
Smith had shaped up the disfran-
chisement law according to their own
notions it was sent to me, that l
might examine it and make sugges-
lions. l was willing to leave it all
to my friend Hardwick, and did so.
Therefore, l sanctioned the measure
just as it was, and that measure
represented the compact between
! Harwick, Smith and myself.
This original act provided that
the disfranchisement law should go
into effect Immediately after it's
adoption at the October election.
Therefore, the negroes would not be
free to vote at the November cleo
tons. The amendment recently
adopted changed this, and conse-
quently violates the compact as
agreed on, and as represented by the
original act.
CAS- to the necessity for the
change, it is a singular coincidence
that the discovery was not made un-
til after the Honorable Hoke had
been walloped in the campaign of
1908. 1t is remarkable that this
necessity had not been discovered by
the interchangeable champion of the
measure, Congressman Hardwick.
at is quite possible that two
weeks might be consumed in ascer-
tanning the results of a state cleo
ton, for l remember with considera-
BILE vividness that in 1894, when
Judge James X Hines was the popu-
list candidate for governor of Geor-
gia, many of the returns had to be
held back several weeks until they
could be judiciously doctored.
But, nevertheless, where the law