The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1916-02-03

40 SO, because they were both principals in the
crime; but the Government did not take either OF
them to State where neither of them lived: it
did not attempt to try them in Massachusetts or
Illinois.
In my case there are no agents, no confederates,
no co-conspirators and no conspiracy
There isn't word of obscenity in the Frank
articles nor one single line that violates any law.
The attempt to carry me away from the legal
venue is not SO much for the purpose of fair
trial, as it is to afford opportunity for the
assassin.
I do not accuse Mr.. Wallace or any official of
the Department with such an intent but know
very we'll the murderous purpose of those back
of this never-ceasing pursuit of me, and l think
it only fair that Mr.. Wallace, we'll his supe-
riors, be put upon notice of this fact. 1t is prac
tically certain that, if should be taken from here
to any of the Northern venues that you say
he contemplates / would never return to Georgia
alive. That is consideration very we'll worthy
the attention of this Democratic Administration,
for the people of the South, at least, would hold
it responsible for whatever tragedy might happen
from the high-handed proceeding against South
ern man.
Is the whole State of Georgia to be maligned
and stripped of legal jurisdiction it's citizens,
because of the Frank case?
Was it an objectionable sin for me to defend
our courts and our people, from deluge of lies
and libel?
Is it a crime to publish an honest report of the
official record in a of horrible murder?
Black that record was, it's publication had
been made necessary by the infamous methods
of William J. Burns and the Haas Finance Com
mttee
Bad as it was for the Governor of Georgia to
virtually retry and acquit his client, 1 did
not then know that the said Governor actually
and personally participated in the management
of the case: / CAN PROVE 1T NOW.
Am 1 to be singled out for destruction and
taken from the jurisdiction of Georgia courts,
because Of my defense of those courts?
Ninety per cent. of the people heartily approved
my conduct last summer: are they to be rebuked
and punished, VIGOROUSLY in my person?
Has the Government any right to say that the
ten jurors who voted for my acquttal are less
honorable than the two who voted the other way?
Were they twelve rascals or perjurers who &C
quilted the Naval Stores men?
Were they twelve rascals or perurers who &C
quilted the Menace publishers in Missouri?
Were they twelve rascals perjurers who &C
quilted those alleged looters of the New Haven
Railroad?
When before has whole State been arraigned
unfit to administer justice, because the Govern
ment failed to secure conviction in one case.
There are thousands of prurient novels coming
from the press from year to year: every week the
New York papers and magazines publish obscene
pictures and stories; such books Rabeais. the
Decameron, the Heptameron, Tom Jones, Roxa-
lana. Madam Bovary, Sappho, Candide, The Bo-
hemians and scores of other erotc works issue
from Northern publishing houses and go through
the mails
The Government itself received by mail and
placed in the Congressional Library the very book
out of which | clipped the Latin that caused the
Roman Catholic societies to prosecute me.
And the Government itself, at the expense of
the taxpayers, published the Tschimsian Texts
book full of obscenity-and the members
of Congress sent that book through the mails, all
the land.
Speaker Champ Clark sent me copy through
the mails, under his frank, while was in Florida.
All these facts being VIGOROUSLY known, who is
it that cannot realize that some special vengeance
is aimed at me, by those who nothing for
the purity of the mails, but who using the
tremendous machinery of the central government
to silence or crush man?
Very truly yours,
THOS. E. WATSON.