The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-08-22
JUDGE HALL AND THE MACHINE
Threats of ExpOsure--Letter of the
"Vice Governor Of Ouachita" Is
Given to the Press With a Great
Flourish of TrumpetS.

| GlVen 10 tne PfeSS WitH Ufedl
Flourish of Trumpets.
In it's issue of August 81 the Mon
roe Independent says:
Following close upon the an
nouncement that Judge Hall had
consented to the use of his name for
endorsement by the Democratic
Good Government League as a can
didate for the Democratic nomina-
ton for governor, there began in the
columns of the Monroe ews-Star1
the most vicious attacks upon him,
charging that he owed his election
to the Supreme Court to the State
administration, otherwise known as
the machine, that he had turned
against his best friends and was
guilty of base ingratitude. Proceed
ing on theory that these charges
were true, Judge Halls resignation
as associate justice was demanded.
1t was pretty generally understood
here at the time in we'll informed
political circles that Mr.. Henry
Bernstein, long styled the vice gov
ernor of Ouachita, was the author of
these articles. They bristled with
threats of exposure and vengeance
and finally Mr.. Bernstein gave out
through one Thompson of Alexan- |
dria the contents of a private conf
dental letter written by Judge Hall |
to him a year ago during the Su-
preme Court election campaign as
the basis of the charges. This infor-
nation, in turn, was transmitted to
James B. Aswell and by him used in
a public speech. The letter was eX-
aggerated in every way possible
known to the artful and designing
politician, it being stated that Judge
Hall appealed, begged, implored for
the help of the machine. After hav-
ing used a-private confidential COM
munication, Mr.. Bernstein saw the
necessity for making the letter it
self public and wrote Judge Hall
asking permission to do so. Judge
Hall very politely told him that
since he had already made use of
the letter there was no occasion for
asking permission to make it pub
lie, but as he had nothing to conceal
he (Bernstein) could do as he
wished Then the letter was given to
the press with great flourish of
and here it is:
\ Monroe, La, Aug. 7, 1910.
Henry Bernstein, Esq, Monroe, La.
Dear Henry-If you have not al
ready done so, please write to Mr..
J. H. kirkpatrick, Homer, La, and
urge him to do what he can and to
begin now. He could help a great
deal if he would.
McLendon's friends do not seem to
be doing anything for me over there.
A letter from you to the registrars
and game wardens in other parishes
would do good. Yours,
L. E. HALL.
When it is considered that Judge.
Hall had not supported Governor
Sanders in his campaign for gov
crnor and that Mr.. Bernstein was
Judge Halls personal and political
friend and practically his campaign
this is not such an unusual
letter. Certainly it is not a begging,
appeal to line up the game
wardens. 1t was merely suggestion
OF the candidate to his manager. At
any rate, the game wardens were
not lined up and the machine did
not save" Judge Hall. The record,
an analysis of the vote, proves that
the machine vote with few excep-
tions was cast against Judge Hall,
and that, therefore, Judge Hall is
under no sort of obligation or debt
of gratitude to the machine.
This is but small pettifogging at
tempt to discredit Judge Hall, big,
clean, able, honest, manly man, to
muddy the waters and distract the
minds of the voters from the issues
of the campaign and it will prove
abortive, as it should. On the other
hand, it establishes every charge
against the machine and emphasizes
the necessity for the machines
overthrow and destruction.