The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-23
Aug. Is, 1913

My Dear Sir:
know it is your desire, IS it s The
desire of every fair minded man, to hear
both sides OF every controversy before \
reaching conclusion. have been so
cruelty misrepresentation Intention
ally, perhaps, but BECAUSE riy side has
not been preseuted-tnat feel il Is my
duty to present TO you in this personal
letter the true and exact facts.
MY silence up to this time has been
due entirely to the advice ofmy friends,
and absolutely against my own judg
ment in the premises, and no doubt this
silence has been construed against me.
In the beginning want to say that
as Commissioner Of Agriculture | have
direct or indirect supervision over all
branches of the Agricultural Depart
ment. 1t Is my duty 10 takecogniEanee
of complaints against any DEPARTMENT
and to do what can TO correct any
mistakes or misconduct. Numerous
complaints were made to me ablut MI.
IDodson. Two OF the comp!aintan,swere
men who had been in Mr.. Dodson's
department for number of years and
we're supposed to know what they were
talking about. They were men whose
honesty. integrity, and varacity were
unquestioned. They made many serious
charges against Mr.. Dodsnn's conduct
1 of his department. Coming from the
: source they did-from these men who
& had been for a number of years under
lMr. Dodson and in position 10 know
y what they were talking about natur
Il ally believed them to he true, and Of
n the strength of my honest belle: II
# these reports, discussed the matte
with some of my friends-or suppose
to be f,iends-and had my informant
- Mace the matter before the Governo
'' who assured me that thorough lnVes
r. tipation of Mr.. Dodson's books, vouch
IF ers, etc., would be made. But betor
= the investig ,tion could be made Dodso
- made affidavits against me for slande
went into the Case depending upon m
- infcrmants 10 substantiate the charge
De they made to me. My first witneS
Il. 1.-THE man who made the most charge
Il and the one upon whom / natural
a, most depended-absoluteiy fell fiat, al
instead If substantiating the charg
% he made, net only to me, but to Il
Governor and to my attorneys, made
good witness for the State. or cours
IL I, as well as my attorneys, was abs
'Ol lutcly non- Observation-Disclosures.
saw that had been mi~lead- deceive
and as result, ad done Mr.. Dodson
lie injury. might have continued wi
~ the trial, had my other witnesses ;esh
tied the matter up in the Suprei
Court until October or later and i
- some doubt in the public mind as to
correctness or incorrectness OF
isS charges made to me. But | deemed
a., my duty-the duty Of an honest maj
ice TO rectify, as speedily as possible and
ey- the ciearest and most unequivocal w
nd the wrong had Internationally do
Hence immediately had the case hal
' without putting another witness on
Iik' stand, and stated to the Court that
en-, sired TO plead guilty to giving curre
to reports that had beel made to ME
my official CAPACITY as Commissions
rem Agriculture aud immigration of
49,, State of Louisiana and which |
Ar. honestly believed to be true, tho
subsequent Developments had sh'
not to be true, and | wanted to m;
the honorable amend to Mr.. bod
one Now, the above are the absolute
at and want you TO consider the WI
matter carefully aud see if The cour'