Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05
DORSEY ASKED TO ANSWER
some POINTED QUESTIONS
But He Fails to Reply to
Charges Regarding L, &
N. Connections

FORSYTH, Ga, Sept Before Hugh
VI. Dorsey, candidate for governor. de-
livered his address here today list
Of questions bearing on the most i'm
rCrtant issues of the next administra-
iiCn was presented to him by /. S. May
naTd, The city marshal and a citizen who
is greatly interested in the state cam
pLign. lie requested Mr.. Dorsey to an
swer them in hIs address this afternoon,
hut Mr.. dorsey failed to reply to a single
one Of the eight.
The questions, relative to the connec-
ION between Mr.. Dorsey and the Louis
Vile and Nashville railroad. were con-
sidered extremely important by many
citizens who have been studying the
situation and who were anxious to know
Just now MIR. Dorsey, in view of his long
connection with the railroad interests,
ould reply to them.
For twenty-five years Hugh M. Dorsey
has been a member OF the old law firm
OF Dorsey. Brewster, Howell Hey
man, founded by his father. The Louis
VILE and Nashville was not represented
in Atlanta by this firm but by another,
and it was considered significant that
when the Louisville and Nashville, the
most notorious political railroad" in
the SOUTH desired to break down the
value of the state railroad by paralleling
it they employed this law firm, men,
Der of which was then q candidate for
governor of Georgia.
HISTORY OF ROAD.
A bit of history of this litigation may
throw some light on the situation. The
Louisville and Nashville controls the N.
c. & st. L., which has the state road I'M
der lease, which will expire in q short
time. Naturally 1T desires to renew this
lease at as low a figure as possible. So,
under the cover Of another name, it APP
piled a short time ago for state char
ter for a road to be known as the Min
eral railway. This would have paral-
leled the route of the state road in such
a way as to give the Louisville and
Nashville, which owned 1t, connection
with it's other lines into Atlanta from
Chattanooga and rendered it independ-
ent of leasing the state road, which
would ruin the value of that property,
there being no other system which could
use it on lease to advantage.
When the legislature refused to per-
nit the charter to be issued the Louis
vile and Nashville contended this act
was unconstitutional, and it served upon
the secretary of state and Governor Nat
Harris a writ of mandamus to force
the issuance of the charter. Governor
Harris. as he said in his addresses, re-
solved to defend the state against the
indndamus and to call in an official un-
der retaining fee by the state, Hugh NJ.
Dorsey, solicitor of the Atlanta circuit.
When ne read the writ, however, he was
astonished to find that the law firm
representing this effort against the state
was that of which Mr.. Dorsey had been
partner for many years. Another of
the firm was Albert Howell, president of
the Atlanta Constitution company, which
t. he La loro Ginu IA
Dorsey cause. The governor was forced
to retain other attorneys at heavy ex-
pense, the attorney general being already
swamped with work.
QUESTIONS ASKED.
The questions propounded to Mr.. Dor
sey at Forsyth today follow:
Cd At the time the legislature pass
ed the act in 1915 to prevent the Louis
Vile and Nashville from building a
track parallel with the track of the
Western and Atlantic railway, were you
or were you not a member of the law
firm of Dorsey, Brewster, Howell x
Heyman?
CD Did not the Louisville and Nash
vile Railway company, which was try
ing to obtain a charter from the state
for the purpose of paralleling the West
ern and Atlantic, employ your firm sole
ly for the purpose of attacking the act
of the Legislature preventing the issu-
ance of a charter for the purpose Of
paralleling the Western and Atlantic
on the ground that it Is unconstitu-
tional, in order that the Louisville and
Nashville might build a track parallel
with the track Of the Western and At
lantic?
CD Was not this the first time that
your law firm was employed by the
Louisville and Nashville railway, and
did you not at this time contemplate
making the race for governor?
ca Is it true or not true that you
retained your connection with your law
firm after it was so employed by the
Louisville and Nashville railway, ana
that you did not withdraw your connec-
ton from your law firm until after you
had announced your candidacy for gov
ernor and begun an active campaign
tour throughout the state for this Of
Ace?
go Is 1t true or not true that as
member Of your law firm you received
your proportionate part Of the fees pail
your law firm by the Louisville and
Nashville railway for filing this suit In
the name of the road against the state