The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-11-07
Of LibelolIs Articles by Walker;
Summers and the Hunt
ington Advertiser.
AND PRAISE GIVEN HIM
As Well as Assurances That
He viii Have Heartiest
Support as Governor.

chairman of the Democratic State
Committee, and George w. Summers
/ of the Press Bureau OF the Demos
/ cratic State Committee, were not
/ prompted by any desire for financial
gain but for the purpose OF vindi-
eating himself from the foul ISLANDERS
heaped upon him In the heat. Of the
lasf campaign, in an article publish
ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Gov
ernor Hatfield has made public LETT
tiers received from Walker and Sum
ners in which they disclafm any re-
sponsibllity for the publication OF
] the article and publicly assert that
the charges made could not be subs
lstantiated in fact.
In view of the open statements
4 from the active head Of the Demo-
cratic state organization and the di-
rector of the press bureau, asserting
their disbelief OF the statements con-
tanned in the article; Governor Hat
field feels that he has been entirely
indicated and has no desire to push
thu damage suits for any personal
gain. Accordingly, he has Instructed
his attorney to dismiss the action.
lat the same time the governor
lgaye out an editorial published by
the Huntington Advertiser under
date of November s, in which the
Advertiser makes public retraction
and apology to the governor for the
malicious charges made against him
during the campaign, and asserts at
tier q thorough Investigation Of the
charges that they were found to DO
untrue and that a grave Injustice
was done to the governor in the pub
4 lication of these charges. The gov-
ernor will also take the same attn
tude toward this case and ifiasmucn
as the public Fetraction yindIcates
him, he will,also order che disInisaal
of this suit. fi7s:
4 Governor Hatfield asserted that his
acton in bringing the damage suits
was with the hope that 1t would te-
suit in better protection for other
candidates in the future and that
they should not be subjected to the
same baseless, malicious charges
which were hurled at him by the
democratic press during the last
campaign. Both Mr.. Walker and
Mr.. Sommers give expression in their
letters to a desire to see an elinfna-
ton of these attacks in future cam
paigns and are seemingly IN SYM
p8thy with the aims OF Governor
Hatfield in this regard. The govern I,
or has received letters from many
other sources indicating that his eff
forts in this direction are worthy OF
praise and the general citizenship OF
the state seems to have been aroused
to strong protest over these cams
paign methods.
1t win be recalled that during the
last campaign many vile charges
we're hurled at the Repubiiean4Pro-
gressive candidate for governor by
the Democratic press OF this state
and as the climax OF this campaign
OF SANDER and misrepresentation an
article was published d few days be-
fore the election on the front pageDf
the Cincinnati Enquirer. in which
many libelous and untruthfui state
ments concerning the public and
private record Of Governor Hatfield
we're made. The evidence gathered
in tracing down the source of bhe
article indicated that Chairman
Walker and George w. Summers, OF
were II ponsible for the publication
Of the statements. and suit for $780,
900 damages was filed by Governor
Hatfield against Walker and Sum
mers in the circuit court of Wood
county.
The suit had been set for trial at
the October term of court following
the overrulipg Of a demurrer by the
defendants by Judge MGDougaE at u
recent session.
The letters from Walker and Sum-
mers and the editorial retraction
published In the Huntington Adver-
tiser are as follows:
Office Of
Faulkner and Walker. a
MarLiusburg, W. Va,
September II, 1918.
Hon. II. ID. Hatfield.
Governor,
Charleston, w. va.
My dear Governors,
desire to state to you my atti-
tude and position In reference to an
article published in the Cincinnati
ENQUIRER OF October &c, 1912, con-
tanning PERSONAL references to yonr
character and Your political record,
and which Is the basis OF a damage
suit brought by you against Mt.
George w. Summers and myself.
now pending in the clrcdit court Of
Wood county.
/ want to give you earnest as
surance of my disapproval OF the
publication of this article q do not
believe the charges therein can be
su5stEntiaied IN fact, and IL neees-
sarily follows that the publication OF
luntruthul statements Is lfbelous.
had no knowledge of the preparation
of this article, and was in no wise
responsible FOR It's publication. Had
II been In ParkerSburg on the day In
which the article was published n
the Cincinnati Enquirer m would
have asked permission from sou 70