Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-01
JUDGE REAGAN Tells
WATSON TOLEAD MOB
IF HE MEANS THREAT
Chairman of State Democratic
Executive Committee Replies
to Talk of Tar and Feathers
in the JefferSonian

state Democratic executive committee
Wednesday issued a statement to the
public I'm answer to what he declared
was a threat recently made by Thomas
T. Watson in the Jeffersonian. that If
he Cwatson) and his followers could not
rule the coming state convention in the
interest of Hugh Dorsey for governor,
1 as chairman of the state executive
committee was to be tarred, feathered,
ridden on a rail and manhandled."
In his statement Judge Reagan makes
pubic a letter written to Watson IN
which he tells Watson:
IF you see proper to attempt to have
me tarred and feathered, ridden on a rail
and manhandled. please be man enough
TO accompany the mob yourself and en-
courage them by your presence. even If
you are too timid to hold one end of the
rail. You are in good health and are
able to travel and are no older than L
am. So come along and let me greet
you at the head of your rail and tar
brigade"
Judge Reagan's statement follows in
full:
TEXT OF STATEMENT.
To the Democrats OF Georgia:
As temporary head of the Democratic
party in Georgia, being chairman of its
state executive committee. l wish to
call the attention of all Democrats in
Georgia to the threat openly made by
Thomas E. Watson in the Jeffersonian,
that if he and his followers could not
rule the coming state convention in
the interest of Hugh NJ. Dorsey for gov
ernor, i, as the chairman OF the state
executive committee was to be tarred
and feathered. ridden on rail and man
handled. The following is the threat:
Judge Reagan, of MeDonough, has
been In Atlanta several days, blowing
around. and Dragging about his inten-
ton to put the steam roller to Dorsey
at the convention.
GO slow, Judge.
You wouldn't look too pretty, wear
ing a new suit of tar and feathers;
and you can ride on the cars with more
comfort than you could get out of a
ride on a fence rail.
IF you try any of your steam roller
tactics on Hugh Dorsey, you will soon
learn what it means to be- manhandled.
All of us know how desperate the anti
Dorsey combination is, and we know
that 1t will not hesitate at any crime;
but. knowing this we will be ready for
the fray.
Leave your Observation-Disclosures
steam roller at home, Judge"
From the Jeffersonian of August "a,
1916.
There is not a word of truth in the
article, for 1 never Dragged about put
ting the steam roller to any one, and
never in my life mentioned the steam
roller in connection with Hugh Dorsey,
but the fact that there is no truth in
the statement does not concern Mr.. Wat
son. He never bothers about little mat
tiers like this.
I have written this regular character
assassin. arch-foe of the Democratic
party, traducer of every one of it's lead
ers for the past twenty-five years, that
when his mob comes to tar and feather
me 1 desire that he be its leader in the
front rank. II is a matter of supreme
indifference to me what Mr.. Watson
NAV think or say about me, but it
should be a matter of the gravest i'm
port to every Democrat in Georgia that
this man, who is attempting to destroy
the Democratic party should openly
threaten to attack the chairman of the
state executive committee
AS soon as I read his threat I sent
him the following letter:
LETTER TO WATSON.
"McDonough. Ga, Aug. "a, 1916.
Hon. Thomas z. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
Dear Sir: 1 notice in this weeks JEFF
fersonian that you contemplate having
me tarred and feathered and manhan-
died at the approaching state conven-
tion. You knew when you wrote that
article that my term as chairman of the
state Democratic executive committee
would expire with the meeting of the
convention, and that a new chairman
would be elected as soon as the conven-
ton was organized, and before
the balloting for governor begins.
and that / will not have an opportunity
to put the steam roller to Dorsey" or
any one else. 1 will not be chairman
of the convention, no matter which fac
ton controls it. / take IL for granted,
however. that il a majority of the dele
gates are opposed to Dorsey that they
will control the convention and nomi-
nate some one else, and that they will
elect some man chairman who has back
bone enough to see to IL that the minor
ftv does not control the convention even
In the face of your threat to have him
tarred and feathered and 'manhandled.'
II Is true that your threat is against
me. but inasmuch as the acts that you
are apprehensive will be committed
must be committed by the chairman of
the convention / presume that you
would have your castigation inflicted
upon the acting chairman, whoever he
might be, as we'll as upon myself. 1 am
sorry that you are so belligerent, and
trust that If you do see proper to bring
on a regular war In the convention, that
when you organize, arm, and equip your
army for the fray that you will be
brave enough to act the true general
and march at the head of your army
and not skulk in the rear. 1t is very
easy TO have others to carry on a fight
when you can, yourself, direct your bat
tie from a bomb-proof position in the
rear, but it is another, and quite differ
ent, to march at the head of the coll
umn where the bullets are flying.
If you see proper to attempt to have
me tarred and feathered, ridden on a
rail, and "manhandled," please be man
enough to accompany the mob yourself
and encourage them by your presence
even If you are too timid to hold one
end of the rail. There is no reason why
you should not do so. You are in good
health. are able to travel, and are no
older than am. So come along and let
me greet you at the head Of your rail
and tar brigade.
BE BRAVE AS BRUTUS.
Come on over to the Macon conven-
ton, and II your crowd is in the major
/ lily and has a majority of the dele
gates. no one will even attempt to pre-