The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-07-21
AN OPEN LETTER
A Reply to Judge A. ]. Murff by B. S.
Dormon of Arcadia in Defense of
Judge J. T. Watkins.
ITO the Caucasian)

1 o The NduCdSldIlJ
| have read the announcement of
Judge A. ]. Murff for Congress, which
recently appeared in the three Bienville
papers, and in addition to the direct
charges he makes against our present
congressman, Judge John T. Watkins,
it seems to me that by insinuation he
negatively makes other charges which
are misleading and incorrect.
I am not politician, and it is not my
intention to defend Judge Watkins
record in Congress, for it needs no de
Tense. | am now practicing law in
Arcadia and have no connection what
ever with Judge Watkins; but as | was
his private secretary for two years and
eight months and am intimately &C
quainted with him and his methods, |
believe it my duty, in the interest of
fairness and justice, to make few
statements in his behalf
When | first went to work for Judge
Watkins it was the custom of the rail
roads to send a man to the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES and leave a little blank
slip on the desk of each congressman,
and all that it was necessary for them
to do to obtain a railroad pass was to
fill out this blank slip, sign same and
turn it into the railroad Office Judge
Watkins refused to fill out the blank
and refused at that time, or at any other
time during my employment with him
to accept any pass or free transportation
of any kind whatsoever from any rail-
road corporation or individual moi
would he at any time give me any as
sistance i'll securing a railroad pass fol
myself.
Further than this, the telegraph ant
express companies gladly and freely
furnished every congressman who
wished them franking privileges over
their lines so that they might send a:
many kilograms or ship as many ex,
press packages as they desired entirely
free of charges; but during the entire
time / worked for Judge Watkins he
refused to accept these Thanking priv.
lleges.
It occurs to me that any congressman
who is representing the Special inter
ests' would be extremely foolish not tc
accept the things they are constantly ane
persistently offering to give him, for i
lhe does not accept these things what
does it profit him to represents these
interests? When you find mar
who Stands in with special interests
corporations and so forth, you will al
ways find a man who will gladly accept
everything which they have to give, and
will invariably get all there is coming
to him out of the deal. Ordinary com
mon sense and moments thought viii
convince any man of the truth of this
statement.
To me the idea of Judge WatlSin.
flooding the mails with stuff for his owr
private interests, without postage, seem:
almost co1nical, for if there was ever a
man who was careful to fault in this
respect, Judge Watkins is that man
! He was always and invariably extreme
| ly careful not to let any letter or pack
| age go out under a frank unless it was
clearly and indisputably entitled to &C
free | was always furnished by Judge
Watkins with an ample supply of post
age stamps and had the strictest instruc-
tons from him to never, under any cir
cumstances, mail anything of a private
mature without placing thereon the re
lquisite amount of postage, and | fol
lowed these instructions to the letter
AS stated above, | knew Judge Wat
| lins intimately for nearly three years
and was intimately and perfectly ac-
quainted with his affairs, all of his let
tiers and business passing through my
hands sooner or later, and | can truth
fully say that / have never known a
finer, cleaner man in his private life OF
one more straightforward, honest. up
right and conscientious in all Of his
business and political affairs, avoiding
even the appearance Of evil and fear
lessly fighting for the thing he believes
TO be right. Respectfully,
(Signed) B. S. DORMON.