The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-05-15
'WATSON PEOPLE" IN ARKAN-
SAS HIGHLY INDIGNANT.

are ,pestered | kinder hesitate to
bother you with this stuff, but know
ing that you, as much or more than
another, are intensely interested, I'll
take the liberty, anyway We Wat
son people are highly indignant that
we were, in four big dailies, unable
to find word as to your trial. 1t
doesn't matter if it was not even
called, or if it had been entirely
thrown out or postponed-it doesn't
matter | say what the action or nom
action was, We want the news about
it! We couldn't find a miserable
word, and we got mad and we intend
to poster the dickens out of some
body until we have these questions
answered, viz: Have we, the mob,
any rights, and comeback in the
matter OF the news that we pay for
through these publications? Shall
the Romish church or any other in
ternal institution be allowed TO CEN
sor the news? Have we any rights
whatsoever in the premises? If we
haven't we simply want to know it
so we won't be butting in in an ILL
hammered way; that's all.
To find out about this | wrote to
Clark Howell, who is a director of
the A. P, and while l told him any
reply would be regarded as conf
dental he did not so mark his letter
nor refer to it, and so I'll tell you in
confidence SO as not to abuse, what
he wrote, which doesn't amount to
anything. He wrote me that l was
like lots of other misinform-
ed-and that the trial was not in
progress, but had been postponed,
etc, and that the A. P. would treat
the trial according to it's news
merits" Well, we finally saw in
some radical sheet that the trial had
been postponed, or reset, for April
7th, and here we are again clean up
in the air, not knowing whether you
were put on the rack, the wheel, or
thrown into the model institution in
Atlanta. We can't find a word about
you, and despite Mr.. HowelTs re-
assuring letter we still feel that
some power is causing the A. P. to
suppress the matter entirely. We
don't ask for a thoroughly detailed
account, even though we feel we are
entitled to it, but we do demand at
least the skeleton outline, and to be
Informed as to the general status of
the case.
Some days ago I wrote the general
manager of the A. P, Mr.. Stone, of
New York, the rOttenest kind of a
letter, ana told him that while we
couldn't hope for action by time
serving Congressman whom they
could so easily punish, but that
there were some things that wild
eyed legislators in Arkansas, Missis-
sippi and Texas could do to them,
and [ intended to start the agitation,
and that | hoped they would drive a
knife into them up to the handle!
Mr. Stone kindly condescended to
reply to my letter, and he handed it
out like this: 1.-The case against
Mr.. Watson has never been called to
trial, nor has any date been fixed for
such trial You will, therefore, see
that your impUdent assertion that
we are suppressing any facts about
it has no foundation in truth what
ever"
Has he stated the facts with ref
erence to your trial? Has it not
been called, or at least there certain
ly has been some court action?
don't care what the action was.
Doesn't any schoolboy know that the
news about a trial in which at least
million intelligent readers and
probably ten million or more Ameri-
cans are intensely and even pass
Sf1n yy,t1 ia