The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-27
LEON M'CORO NAILS
THE DUDLEY STORY
Will Bring Suit for Libel on
Publication
DUDLEY BEGGED FOR FUNDS
Mccord Says When Representative APP
preached Him For Money to Pay
Poll Taxes He Promptly Re-
jected Proposition.
DUDLEY BEGGED FOR FUNDS

Leon Mccord. secretary of the Safe and
Sane league, issued last night a reply
to the charges against him, published
by the Birmingham afternoon newspa-
pers Thursday, in the form of an affidavit
by Representative II. 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"
Mr.. Dudley charged in his affidavit that
the money which he was to handle was
would on that account be expected to
vote against the amendment.
Mr.. 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 alb
solutely everything contained in the af-
fidavit of Mr.. Dudley.
In addition Mr.. McCord announced that
he would, as soon as practicable, bring
suit for libel against the Birmingham
News Publishing company, the Birming-
ham Ledger Publishing company and Mr..
Dudley. He said that he could not re-
ply earlier because he has been off the
railroad.
Mr.. McCords statement follows: 81 had
begun this campaign with full knowl-
edge that If 1 listened to all my critics
and undertook to answer them, my time
in serving the anti-amendment cause
would be very little. l knew that the
amendment strife would reach bitter
stages and so predicted before the prop
osition was ever submitted to the people
of Alabama. But never did l anticipate
that In their desperation the fanatics of
the opposition would so so far as to libel
and SANDER individuals on our side.
THE charge of Mr. Dudley is SO serious
that cannot overlook it, desire to serve
notice now that Mr.. Dudley and those
newspapers which are parties by circulat-
ing his affidavit will be made to answer
in the courts in due time for their de-
liberate libel Meantime I will content
myself by declaring that never before the
last extra session of the legislature or
during the same, or at any time after
ward, have I offered him any sum of
poll taxes of persons In Russell or any
other county of this state. Mr.. Dudley's
statement is deliberately and willfully
false in every detail and not a word
of his affidavit published in the Birming-
ham afternoon newspapers of Thursday
Is true
.'On the contrary, Representative Dud-
ley approached me during the last extra
session of the legislature with the prop
oStfiOn that 7 furnish him
with which to pay the poll taxes of Rus
sell county citizens. Mr. Dudley, in this
conversation, said that he intended to be
a candidate for probate Judge of Rus
sell county against Mr.. e. Herndon
NGlenn 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 propo-
sition I promptly rejected and had moth
ing further to say to Mr.. Dudley.
The folly of attempting to pay the poll
taxes with a view of getting votes eth
er for or against the amendment is APP
parent to all since under the law such
payment of poll taxes unless 1t was done
prior to February l, 1909 would not quail
ify such persons to vote on the amend
ment.
II hope the people of Alabama will
appreciate the uncommon depths to
which losing side in any great cam
paign will descend. Their widest SLAM
ders and their worst canards come always
at the eleventh hour. Reckless of the
consequences, the leaders of losing
cause fabricate stories and try to as
sassinate 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 fanaticism which they repre-
sent. The amendment is beaten. SANDER
will but increase the majority against 1t
and the rank partisanshp of registrars
will add further LEON McCORD."