St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-07-22
HALL REPLIES
To ASWELL
Will Meet Him in Joint De-
bate Under Condition
He Will Acknowledge Sup
port of Part of Machine.
Does Not Care to Simply En-
gage in Mud Singing.
Nothing to Debate, AS He
Agrees With Platform.

Monroe, La, July 1S-Seyeral
days ago DR.. J. B. Aswell challenged
Judge l.. E. Hall, the Good Govern
ment Leagues candidate for Govern
Or, to meet him in series of Joint
debates to discuss the issues of the
tcampaign. To-day Judge Hall re-
piled to this challenge as follows:
lion. j. B. Aswell, Natchitoches, La.
MY Dear Sir-I have received
your telegram reading as follows:
! Papers credit you with following
statement in your Crowley speech:
He accused his opponents of fall
ing to stand up and fight. / here
by challenge you to joint debate
within the next twenty-five days in
Monroe, Shreveport, Alexandria,
Lake Charles, Crowley, Opelousas,
Lafayette, Franklinton, Tkibodaux,
Baton Rouge, Amite, Franklinton,
New Orleans and other places named
by you, dates and conditions fixed
by friends, one named by me and one
by. you and Hon. A. ]. Pujo as umpire
il case of difficulties
In reply beg to say that stated
substantially in the address referred
to- that the paramount issue in this
campaign is whether the State shall
be ruled by the machine dominated
by the ward bosses of the city of
New Orleans, or by the people; that
the opposing candidate will not meet
the issue; that they will not stand
UP and fight. but that they are try
ing to dodge it by injecting into
the campaign irrelevant matters to
divert the public mind. Iregret that
| am unable to repeatethe statement
remafks ewaWfalsS .,seed. bx bn
Gus.
II am opposing, as you we'll know,
the retention in power of the political
machine which is in control Of our
government, and am leading move
ment having for its object the over
throw of this machine and machine
politics. Ny position is plain and
! unequivocal
"You have s ated substantially that
you are a candidate because you
want to be Governor, and you are
making certain promises to accom-
plish certain things if the people
will consent to crafty your ambition.
"While you have dealt in much
generality of statement about ring
rule and ring methods, you are
strangely silent as to how you stand
with respect to the machine, a part
of which is supporting you with SO
much vigor. If you will come out
| in the open and declare your sup
| port of the machine, and take the
position that its cintinuation in pow
er, under the leadership of that part
of it wich has indorsed you, at your
solicitation, and is supporting your
candidacy, would be the best public
lpolicy, will meet you in joint de-
bate on that. issue anywhere and at
lany time, even conceding to you the
privilege of opening and closing eacf
debate.
s.Unless you do this, and as long
as you profress, as you are reported
to have done in your address a.
Campti, agreement with the princi
pies of the platform on which stand
there is nothing which could be made
legitimate subject of debate be
tween us. The debates which yol
propose, aside from being tests a.
; to our respective merits as campaign
!. orators, or declaimers, could be, a
you must know, nothing but mer
disputes or quarrels concerning ou
respective personalities, with asser
ton on one side and denial On tn
other, which could accomplish n
useful purpose in which | have n
disposition to indulge, not carin
for reputation as disputant o
platform entertainer.
"Unless you openly avow your sur
port of the machine. l shall declin
. to permit you to give it aid and CON
!, fort by drawing me aside from tn
fight which I am making to engag
with you in fruitless joint discussio
!, at the places named in your telegral
OF any other places.
cit is my purpose, which cannot b
:. shaken Or altered by any challenge
. which you may make, to go befol
the people of the State and preseI
e my views to them in my own wa
= and time. You will pardon me,
q hope, the suggestion that you ha,
the opportunity of doing likewise.
81 am, with great respect. you
truly, Il. b. HALL.
1 nnnfI, ET,p,a