Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-29
JOE POTTLE TAKES UP
RECORD OF OPPONENTS
Outlines His Own Platform to
Overwhelming Crowd OF
ToombS County Voters
specraI Dispatch to The Journal.

CSpecraI Dispatch to The JournaL)
LYONS, Ga, Aug 2s.-Joseph Il.
Pottle, candidate for governor, made
today one of the most effective political
speeches ever heard here when he ad-
dressed a crowd of Toombs county vot-
ers.who filed the court house to over
flowing.
Mr.. Pottle. after outlining his own
platform. took up the records of his OPP
ponents and their platforms. The prin-
cipal criticism he made OF Governor
Harris was that the latter Is too old
TO I'LL the office again. particularly ut a
time when. If the states interests are
to be properly safeguarded, man will
be needed in the governors chair VINO
has vigor, courage and decision.
Relative to DR.. Hardman's candidacy
Mr.. Pottle said that gentleman is baslng
his campaign for governor entirely on
what he calls his record in the general
assembly. DR.. Hardman, continued Mr..
Pottle, was seeking credit for number
OF laws which were introduced by 9TH
ers. for other laws which were passed
By the aid and cooperation of others,
end for some proposed laws which have
not yet been enacted into statutes. He
said both Governor Harris and DR.. Hard
man are advocating four-year term Tor
governor and that he himself is opposed
to a four-year term.
Mr.. Pottle threw a number Of high
explosives into the camp Of Hugh NJ
Dorsey and that they did great havoc
was shown by the fact that at the
conclusion OF his speech a large num-
her OF his hearers came forward to tell
him Of men who had changed from Dor
sey supporters to Pottle supporters. Ev-
erywhere Mr.. Pottle oges he is informed
that the wave Of hysteria created in Ger
tain sections for Dorsey by Tom Wat
son is rapidly subsiding; that the con-
servative and thinking men are against
Dorsey almost 10 a man. and that those
who were for Dorsey before they had
really given his candidacy much thought
are now turning from him.
Here, as elsewhere in this section,
the voters are fast realizing that the
Dorsey boom has been punctured. And
great numbers Of them are according
the credit for this fact to Mr.. Pottle
who has made and is making such an
effective fight against the interests and
issues represented by Dorsey.
Voters of this section are in sympathy
with the great fight Mr.. Pottle is making
to save the Western and Atlantic (the
state-owned railroad), and they admir-
his courage in fighting and exposing
Tom Watson, who he declares is the
arch enemy of the Democratic party
and one of the chief sponsors for Dor
seys candidacy"
Mr.. Pottle charged that Mr.. Dorsey's
published platform on the question of
executive clemency ais a sham, a pre-
tense, and a fraud" He exhibited to
the audience verbatim copies of a large
number of letters written by Mr.. Dorsey
to the governor and the prison commits
sion urging clemency for convicts. which
letters bore Mr. Dorseys signature.
Mr.. Pottle said:
Mr. Dorsey, in his published plat
form. declared the governor should not
exercise executive clemency unless there
was new evidence discovered which if
known at the time of the trial would
have authorized a different verdict, but
that not I'm a single one of the letters
referred to does Mr.. Dorsey put his rec
ommendation for clemency on the
ground of new evidence. He gives all
sorts of reasons for the recommended
tions in the letters, but most OF them
are insufficient and many of them are
foolish and absurd.
Among other reasons he gave why
the governor should pardon or commute