The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-10-29
HAMILTON INVITES
STAHLMAN To LOOK
INTO PROCEEDINGS

fered to by me to the Nashville Ban
ner Saturday morning. / also offere'
a manuscript copy of my reply to Nh
John r. Aust-the same as that pub
lished in your paper Saturday morn
ing. The Banner declined to publish
either communication. But instead
they proceed to write another editoria
in the attempt to excuse the"iaelVei
for not publishing my communities
tions. Among other things. they say
His contributions are unworthy O.
a man who had held the important
position he has for the past nine
years, and since they have reached
the level of campaign canards, the
Banner has determined not to admit
them to its columns"
In neither of their editorials have
they attempted to answer or refutt
( y OF the statements which / have
L,.de. But they attempt. by innuendc
and false statements, to have their
readers believe that my statements
contain things entirely foreign to any
thing that appeared in the articles
or things which had never even en-
tered my mind.
! If the Major would make an honest
confession. l am quite sure that he
would give as one of his prime rea-
sons for not publishing the communi-
cations the fact that he was a party
to--if rot largely responsible-for the
action of mat part of the state execu-
tive committee of the Anti-Saloon Lea
que that met on October Is and re-
versed the leagues position from one
of secret neutrality to one of public
endorsement of Governor Hooper.
The Banner charges me with falsi-
flying in my statement regarding the
pretense at law enforcement In Nash
vile. l now wish, through your col
umns, to invite Maj. Stahlman and the
Banner to demand a full and impartial
investigation OF all the law enforce
lnent work in Nashville under the
nuisance law. If have made unwar-
ranted charges, then let me stand con-
demned.
Hamilton's Rejected Reply.
Major Stahlman's exasperated edi-
torial in the Banner of Thursday af-
ternoon, October %, headed "Hamil-
tons Statement" clearly reveals the
spirit of the madness of the major
when he penned this TRADE against
me. He must have been in about thu
same frame of mind that the masters
of the soothsayer were when she was
healed of her spirit of divination, land
when her masters saw that the hope
of their gain was gone" Anyone who
will read my statement with an open
mind will fail to find anything in it
to justify what the major has said.
They will fail to find anything in 1t of
the spirit of madness manifested by
the major in his editorial. l should
like to ask the major if he were called
on to prove the scurrilous epithets
and mean things he has said about me
from anything that appeared in my
communication, how he would go
about it. Those who ha, been read
ing the editorials of a ersonal ma
ture in the Banner for the last twelve
months or more can better understand
that the major was evidently speak
ing out of his own experiences when
he undertakes to draw the conclusion
and passed judgment on the spirit in
which my statement was made.
| certainly have no desire to enter
into any personal controversy with
the major, when l so well understand
the one thing above all else that has
prompted him in the present state con-
test, which every one thoroughly I'M
derstands is personal grudge. Be-
sides, the public would have little in
terest in a personal controversy.
While / did. and do, disagree with
the members of the executive commit
tee of the Anti-Saloon League that
have acted and questioned their
just as they have question
ed mine, and feel that they have al
lowed PARTISAN influence rather than
the future welfare of the Anti-Saloon
League to predominant. / still main
tain the highest regard for the men,
bers of the state executive committee.
Were | guilty of the spirit and feel
ing as expressed by the major In his
editorial, and had become traitor to
the cause and organization for which |
l have labored for nine years, as in |
dictated by him, l would despise my
self. You speak of the time at which |
my statement was given publication. |
| am in no way responsible for the |
occasion of the necessity for such a |
and, as indicated, had hop
ed that it would not become necessary
for me to do SO during the heat of the
political campaign, but, at the same |
time, confess / felt that the condi- !
lions that existed with reference to
the law-enforcement work in Nash
Vile should be brought to the atten-
lion of the public.
Challenge Investigation.
Now. major If you want to prove l
hat the conditions REVEALED NV nv