The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-27
WILL SUE FOR LIBEL Denounces Statement by H.
 R. Dudley. SAYS MONEY OFFER IS UNTRUE Declares Russell Representative
 Asked for It. Safe and Sane Secretary h Hitter In Dental of . Campaign Caasrd which, He Declares,
 win Re-
 eoiI..
SAYS HONEY OFFER E UNTRUE

Birmingham, No. 26.--(Special.)-- Leon McCord, Secretary of the Safe and Sane League, issued tonight reply to the charges against him, published by the Birmingham afternoon newspa- pers Thursday in the form of an affida- wit by Representative H. R. Dudley In the Legislature from Russell County. who said that he had been asked to handle money for the anti-amendists in paying up poll taxes"
 Mir. Dudley charged in his affidavit that the money which he was to handle was to pay up the poll taxes of per- sons who would on that account be ex- pected to vote against the amend ment.
 Mir. Mccord has been speaking for the past three weeks in the distant precincts of Marshall County and sent word from Guntersville last night. on first hearing of the charges against him, denying absolutely everything contained in the affidavit of Mir. Dud- ley.
 To File Three Suits,
 In addition, MT. McCord announced that he would, as soon as practicable, bring suit for libel against The Bir- mingham News Publishing Company. The Birmingham Ledger Publishing. Company. and Mir. Dudley. He said that he could not reply ear- Her because he has been of the rail- road.
 MT. MoCord's statement follows: T had begun this campaign with full Knowledge that if I listened to all my critics, and undertook to answer them, my time in serving the anti-amend- ment cause would be very little. I knew that the amendment strife would reach bitter stages and so predicted | A~f xxfoA axyar h. mitted to the people of Alabama, but never did I anticipate that In taeir desperation the fanatics of the opposi- tion would go so far as to libel and islander individuals on our side.
 "The charge of Mir. Dudley is so se- rious that cannot overlook 1t. | de- sire to serve notice now that Mr. Dud- ley and those papers, which are parties, by circulating his affidavit, will be made to answer in the courts In due time for this deliberate lIbel.
 Meantime, will content myself by declaring that never before the last extra session of the legislature or dur ing the same or at any time after wards, have offered him any sum of money for use in this campaign in paying poll taxes of persons in Rus sell or any other county of this state.
 .:Mr. Dudiey's statement Is ds-. kPeretslgs and wilI false in every published In the Birmingham after noon newspapers on Thursday is true.
 Dudley Asked For Money.
 "On the contrary. Representative Dudley approached me during the last extra session of the Legislature with the proposition that I furnish him some money with which to pay the poll taxes of Russell county citizens.
 Mir DudIsy. in this conversation, said that he intended to be a candi- date for probate judge in Russell county against MT. E. Herndon Glenn and that the payment of poll taxes was to be undertaken with the under standing that they were to vote for him (Dudley) for probate judge. This proposition promptly rejected and had nothing further to say to Mir. Dudley.
 'The folly of attempting the pay ment of poll taxes with view of get ting votes either for or against the amendment is apparent to all. since under the law such payment of poll taxes unless 1t was done prior to February 1, 1909, would not qualify such persons to vote on the amend ment
 q hope the people of Alabama will appreciate the uncommon depths to which q losing side in any great cam paign will descend. The widest sian .iers and their worst canards come always at the eleventh hour. Reck- less of the consequences, the leaders of a losing cause fabrlcate stories and try to assassinate characters with the hope that they will be the winners thereby. But they will meet the fate of all detractors and their unseemly conduct will recoil upon the fanatic ism which they represent.
 ''The amendment is beaten. Slander will but increase the majority against 1t and the rank partisanship of regis trars will add further.
 (signed) Leon Mccord."