Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-27
WATSON ATTACKS
SENATE OR SMITH
Launching Railroad Commits
sion Ticket, Urges Election
of Guyt McLendon.

In a bitter attack on Senator Hoke
Smith today, Tom Watson launched
ticket of three railroad commissioners
to succeed the men who must fight for
reelection in the primary. Foremost
among the Watson candidates Is S.
Guyt McLendon. who was forced out OF
office as a result of Senator Smiths eff
forts.
Judge George Hillyer, Atlanta; Paul
Trammell, Dalton, and Joseph Gray
Savannah, are the commissioners who
must go before the people to serve
longer.
Watson declares that McLendon was
"lynched" by servile legislature at
Smiths orders He asserts that the
senator-then, Of course, governor
needed a sea pegoat, singled out Nc
Lendon and attacked him alone with
savage vindictiveness that has never
been surpassed"
Mr.. Watsons other candidates are
j. j. F'lynt, of Spalding, and Fermor
Barrett, of Stephens. His attack APP
gears in his paper The Jeffersonian,
md says among other things;
If the peor .e of this state should
tight the wrong which was wreak
Cd upon Guyt McLendon, by Hog
it-all Smith, l for one, would be
deeply gratified.
There never was a man worse
lied about than was McI4endon.
Smith and his paper convinced
the legislature and the public at
large that Mac had betrayed the
people to the railroads.
Acting under this impression and
under Smiths orders, the legisla
ture lynched McLendon, driving
him out of his office, and consign-
ing him to shame.
AS a matter of fact, McLendon
had merely voted against the grant
of special fayors TO the Beck
Gregg Hardware Company ct al
vote which was right in itself,
and which was in accordance with
two decisions which the commits
sion had made, when the same case
mad been before 1t on two former
occasions.
Long before McLendon was APP
pointed commissioner. the Beck
Gregg Hardware Company ct al.
mad employed Hoke Smith to go
before the commission for the pur-
pose of securing special rates for
half a dozen Atlanta jobbers, on
coffee and certain kinds OF iron
goods
The commission very properly
refused to allow the special favors
which Smith sought for his clients
Watson then relates some history of
the case, declares Smith ignored his
campaign pledges, to reduce freight
rates. and when cond he grabbed
his old petition in favor of the Beck
+ Gregg Hardware Company ct al. and
laid it before the commission.
He knew that the commission
could not possibly grant the special
favors applied for by those Atlanta
jobbers.
He knew that the commission
would be compelled to refuse the
petitioners
But he wanted a scapegoat. and
he had selected Guyt McLendon,
the railroad commission.
Although majority Of the com
mission voted against the Beck
Gregg petition, Smith singled out
McLendon and attacked him alone
with a savage vindictiveness that
has never been surpassed.
McLendon is superbly fitted for
the position of railroad commits
sioner
Friends. let us put this honest
and courageous gentleman back
into the place from which the
treacherous and vindictive Smith
kicked him.
You made governor out of Jo-
seph M Brown, after Smith had
kicked him off the commission.
You have had no cause to re
xret it,