Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-03
WATSON REPLIES To
THOS. ". HARDWICK
IN A WARM CARD
He Produces Letters to Show
That MIR. HardWiCk Had
Sought Invitations to MIR.
Watson'S Home
DENIES URGING HARDWICK
TO DESERT H0KE SMITH

Editor Journal:
ar. Hardwicks lengthy proclamation
j. no less surprising on account OF what
1t contains than because Of what it
omits.
1 had very distinctly pu. il up to him
that his vices have UNITED him for the
proper discharge OF his official duties.
He was told. without any sort OF circum-
lOCution that three more years OF
whisky-drinking and card-playing have
not improved his MINI. his morals or his
manners. This definite arraignment Of
him constitutes the most serious point
in the controversy. how great. then,
must be the amazement OF friend and
foe TO see him dodge the issue.
Yet he cannot make a speec.. or write
q statement for the public without
Boosting OF his bravery. When no one
had questioned his courage and when
there is no reason why he should brag
about il. he vociferOusly and repeatedly
tells US that he IS unacQuainted with
fear. Nevertheless, wnen he is bearded
ana told TO his teeth that a.e has sunk
himself into bad habits and designations
WHICH JISQUALIFY HIM TO FIFTY
REPRESENT Us IN CONGRESS, he
draws into his shell every hitherto per-
cept-~.e part Of his anatomy.
Draggart and swollen egotIst that he
Is I wonder II he is the sport who re-
pudiated one OF his gambling debts and
had the fragments or the written evil
dence Of it thrown into mis- face in Ma
conf I wonder il he is the man who
meekly submitted to this insult, and to
the ~cussing OUT which followed? In
trepid little lion, who roars of his PROV
ess when there isn't the slightest dan
ger-I wonder where his valor was
when those scraps OF his dishonored
promise-to-pay were contemptuously
flung in his face?
To challenge" and fling "dares" ut
me and at McGregor. is a perfectly safe
stage-play. He knew that ne not in
cur tie slightest peril by making faces
II Mac and shaking his fist at Watson.
Neither or us is the least disposed to pay
any attention to the desperate congress
mans "dares." and yet neither of US
has ever had his jaws slapped-as Hard
wlck's practically were in Macon.
Another omission from Hardwick's
lengthy article is significant. l had
said that we had acted together so long,
and he had the beneficiary OF so many
years OF my unselfish support, THAT
HE HAD COME TO REGARD ME- AS
HIS POLITICAL ASSET. He was spe-
officially accused OF having said. when
n his cups at the Capital City club in
=
was accused Of having been so sure Of
ais influencing me in 1908. as he mad
Apparently done in former years, that
he became furiously angry because 1 as
serted my independence. disuncl.v
assigned this the reason why he ex-
aibiteu so much bitterness towards me
IN his speeches in Macon and elsewhere.
having regarded me as has political
Property. and having Iabored with me
post insistently in behalf OF Hoke
kmtth, he was enraged because I broke
Rway and declined to go with him fur
ther. In his six-column deIuge ne no
where denies this charge. Consequently.
ne stands convicted of having become
80 arrogant and conceited as to make
the maudiin boast, Il CONTROL WAT
81 SON"
The number Of misstatements con-
tanned in Mr.. Hardw.ck's article almost
equals the number Of his assertions.
SOME MEASUREMENTS
!. He speaks Of my flop from Hoke
Smith to Joe Brown" II he had kent
sober. as most Of us have done. he would
rot have fallen into such an error. de-
eIined 10 support Hoke Smith the second
time. but did not go to Brown. In spite
OF all the storm OF abuse which the Hoke
Smith papers. pamphIeteers and sneak
ers rained upon me. / never did bulge
from the position taken by me in the
beginning. I was against Smith, but did
not advocate Brown.
= Mr.. Hardwick misses the point about
bis visits to my house. His mind IS not
working well Let me restate the case:
For many years. we had been intimate
personal friends. For many years we had
been close political allies. Not a single
personal or political favor had 1 asked
or received at his hands so far as I can
sbce had gone to Hardwick. He himself
made no secret of that fact. In those
years. he did not hesitate to acknowledge
his obligations TO his older associate. He
had been a frequent and welcome visitor
I'm my home-on as familiar a footing
as McGregor himself He has knocked
at our door. when none Of us knew that
he was in this part of the state Usually.
he came upon invitations which were
prompted by his own previous letters. He
would write. asking whether I would be
AZ home on q certain day, suggesting that
he would be glad to call. OF course. an
invitation would follow. These visits
having continued down to the congress Of
fsoS. and our friendly exchange Of letters
having continued to his coming to Geor-
gia to make speeches in the gubernato-
rial campaign, IT SEEMED TO Me
THAT HIS ENvENOMED ASSAULTS
1FON MI. IN The v EhA FIRST
SPEECH WHICH HE MADE, WERE
AN OUTRAGEOUS VIOLATION OF
THE LAWS OF FRIENDSHIP, OF
GRATITUDE AND OF HOSPITALITY.
That was the question which / put to
all gentlemen. Was il good principle for
Mr. Hardwick to assault me In that
fashion when our relations had been what
they were. and when l had given him no
provocation7
As Mr.. Hardwick has made IL an issue
Of veracity between US, and as he has
publicly branded me as a deliberate fall
sIfer. / will accept his invitation to pro-
duce some Of his letters, the purpose be-
ing TO show how deliberately he pre-
.aricated when he declared, in the most
positive terms, that he had never visited
my house excepting at my urgent invi-
tation.'
PRODUCES LETTERS.
a.
Saudersville, Ga, mot dated)
Dear Mr.. Watson:
I have been intending TO run over and
see you before returning TO Washington