The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-06-15

am a millionaire and that / have
become such since / entered the
senate.
Now the fact is, as is well
known j the city wheer 1 live.
that practically everything I own
is in lands, chiefly farming lands,
and I am sorry to say that prac-
tically all of these lands, inelud-
ing even my home, is mortgaged,
or pledged by way Of reservation
of title, for fully half of their
value taken altogether.
Outside of the farm which my
father, who died since | became
"a member of the senate, left me
am worth today less than j was
when | was elected I. the SEN
ate.
| regret exceedingly to have to
refer to my personal affairs, but
when rumors of this character
are circulated with a view to e
iecting upon my integrity / feel
that / owe it to myself as well as
the people of the state to state
the facts
With assurance of high esteem
[ am,
Very truly yours
(Signed) F. M. SIMMONS
Concerning the letter the
Chronicle says:
The Chronicle prints today a
letter over the signature Of Sena-
tor F. M. Simmons, which not
only clears himself from charges
# partnership with Senator Lori
ner in certain alleged land deals,
rumors of which had been dilgent-
" circulated over the state, but
# another charge to which pub
lefty had not been given. Sena-
Tor Simmons statement is clear
md unequivocal, 1t will satisfy
lis, friends and confuse his enc
MES. One of the most valuable
services he has rendered the peo-
J1e of eastern North Carolina is
n the improvements he has Sc
ured in canal and drainage work
nd in the deepening of river
hannels. His efforts to bring
he advantages and possibilities
f serGnD lands to the attention
development capitalists were
}ltogether commendable. It
~nuld have been the better for
he state had he succeeded. We
are inclined to think that Mr..
Simmons has set matters straight
so far as any dealings with Lori
mer are concerned. An unbias-
ed, discriminative, unprejudiced
reader may be able to quite cas-
lily see how, in view of Senator
Simmons official connection with
other members of the senate com
mittee In swamp land work, it
was made easy to tangle him with
rumors of a discreditable char
acter and for which there was no
foundation. His denial is alb
solute and his recital of the cir
cumstances will strengthen his
hands and the hands of his
friends. AS we look at it, those
who hereafter persist in voicing
the Lorimer charges against Sim
mons will be but sinking them
selves into the class of mud-sling-
ers. At the outset, the Chroni-
! Gle calls for a campaign of de-
cency. Having seen the drift of
things, it thought best to bring
this matter to the front at once,
as a means of checking the ten
dency toward misunderstanding,
all too plainly evident. Senator
Simmons political enemies who
would assail his integrity will
ind themselves defeated at every
turn. If they want to defeat
him let them turn their attention
o producing reasons why he
hould not be returned to the
senate. 1t would be better to
give rumor.s This same fairness
give reasons, than to circulating
! rumors. This same fairness for
Simmons, the Chronicle would
invoke for Aycock, Kitchin,
Clark, or any. other man who
might ASPIRE TO the senatnrShin