Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-27
LETTER WRITTEN
BY HOKE SMITH.
Former Governor Denies Most
Emphatically He Agreed to
Eliminate Bond Deals in Spe-
cial Message.

Hon. Hoke Smith, former governor OF
Georgia, has sent letter TO senator
w. H BurweH, chairman Of the commit
tee on investigation OF the suspension OF
S. Guyt. McLendon, in which the former
governor vigorously denies the irnpiied
statement in several state papers that
he sought to suppress the bond deals or
the railroad commissioner.
THE TEXT OF THE LETTER
The letter Of the former governor. who
signed the McLendon suspension order
to Chairman Burwell, of the investigating
committee, is as follows:
Hon. w. H. Burwell, Chairman Commit
tee on Investigation of Suspension OF
Mr.. S. q. McLendon. State CapitoG,
Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Sir: Recent publications in news
papers throughout the state, especially the
Atlanta Constitution and the Macon Tel
egraph, have sought to create the impress
sion that l failed in my message to the
legislature to mention the connection Of
Mr.. s. G. McLendon with the Athens
Street railroad bonds although / had
knowledge of these transactions before
his suspension and before the message
was sent to the legislature. st
The two papers named have also pub
lished that "a conference was held In the
governors office with political friends,
in which 1t was agreed that all refer
ence to the Athens bond transaction
should be eliminated in the special mes
sage"
The publications to which have refer
red are utterly false.
l did not know of the transactions before
Mr.. McLendon was suspended or before
the message was sent to the legislature.
There was no conference in the COVER
- Il. NH vrsaa
determined that should not mention the
Athens bond transaction in the message
which 1 sent to the legislature. 81
Sometime during last winter, 1t was sitg-
gested to me that Mr.. McLendon had rs-
Gently been connected in some wny with
a railroad bond transaction at tho Cen
trail Banking and Trust company. The
party making the suggestion did not claim
to have any proof upon the subject but
he thought it deserved investigation.
1 saw within a few days a director OF
the Central Banking and Trust company,
ard sought from him information on rhe
subject He assured me that he knew
nothing of any loan to Mr.. McLendon by
the Central Banking and Trust company,
or Of any bond transaction that Mr.. Nc
Lendon had had through the Central
Banking and Trust company.
Later on inquired from another dlrec-
tor, and again from the director to whom
first spoke, but 1 could obtain no in
formation of a definite character.
sought information in other ways with
reference to this matter, but obtained
none of an authoritative nature. Z final
ly sent third party to the cashier Of tne
bank to find out, II he could, whether
Mr.. McLendon had borrowed money at
the bank with bonds as collateral. or had
handled any bonds through the bank, but
he reported that he could learn nothing to
sustain such a charge.
NEVER HEARD OF 1T.
had never heard of Mr.. McLendon's
interest in the Wrightsville and T'ennille
railroad bonds, nor of the correspondence
between Mr.. McLendon and the attorney
general, as to the right OF a railroad
commissioner to hold such bonds, until
after the suspension of Mr.. McLendon.
1 learned the facts connected with the
Athens Street railroad bonds since the
suspension of Mr.. McLendon. and only as
they have been made public through the
press and as the investigation before
your committee progressed.
My own investigation had not support
ed the suspicion of the party who first
mentioned the bond transaction through
the Central Banking and Trust company.
While not satisfied that the suspicion was
unfounded, I did not for a moment enter
tain the thought of using a report the
truth Of which was not prepared to sus-
tain.
l write you upon this subject as now
have no other means Of communicating
with the legislature, and that my state
ment may be in your hands while your
power of investigation still exists.
Very respectfully yours,
HOKE SMITH.