The Polk County Republican. (Ducktown, Tenn.) 1914-191?, 1917-09-07
Gen. T. w. Peace
Explain His Position in
the Russell Case.

severe criticism OF my action IN ordering
dismissal Of the Russell suit, and your
threat to publish The whole truth of the
deal" as you have heard it,
don't know what you have heard, but
| know there was no deal, and | trust that
you will do me the fairness to verify the
truth of any reports that you may have
heard before you publish them. This is
my right and shall be satisfied with
nothing less.
AS public official, criticism of my off,
cial conduct is to be expected, and shall
find no fault with any man that criticises
my acts as an official, but have the right
to demand that charges be sustained by
facts
In my letter to Mr.. Copeland, said:
''rhe Hon. Joe. V. Williams has appealed
to me to withdraw the use of my name in
the prosecution OF the custer suit against
W. f. Russell, ]. P, now pending in the
chancery court of Polk county.
Sin this connection | am presented with
the records in some four other cases OF
very similar character, tOwit, No. o5l
against Lawson ct ais; 655 against Prince,
Chairman; OBS against Auburn and 654
against Payne.
"Of this number, see that 65l is prose-
cuted in my name. Others are not. am
impressed with the fact that this is all very
unfortunate litigation, not only for the in
dividuals, but for the county.
Outside Of the road contract, matters,
charged against Russell, which was before
he was elected ]. P, seem to have been
of a character similar to those had by
majority of the ]. P.s throughot the various
counties, so far as | have been able to
gather.
'rThis does not excuse under the law,
but it does not appeal to to my sense OF
fairness to singl lie out one man, and, par
ticularly, since the law violated seems to
have been overlooked by everybody until
the suits in Bradley county were begun.
RI am feeling very much like it would
be proper use of the discretion, vested
as understand in the district attorney, to
let this suit be dismissed on the payment
of costs by Russell. wish you would
write me frankly what you think of this,
and what objection there is to this course.
don't mean to say that these lawyers
consented to my taking the action did
take, but to meet your proposition that
had not consulted the REALTORS.
The most serious charge against Mr..
Russell was his road contracting with the
county. But the main contract was
made before he was elected
Justice of the peace; the other road con-
tracts evidently grew out of this original
contract and incidental to it.
The other contracts charged were SINH
lar in character to the contracts made by
certain Justices of the peace in Bradley
county. | took similar action in the Brad
ley county Justices of the peace custer
cases that have taken in the Russell case.
Did your paper criticise me for that? IT
it did, failed to see it.
declined the use of my name in the
prosecution of suit to remove SuPt. Ad-
cock of Bradley county from his office,
though the governor and the attorney
general of the state made written demand
on me to prosecute such suit.
Did your paper criticise me for that! II
it did, failed to see it.
wonder if Russell had been Repub-
lican instead of Democrat, and the rela-
tors had heen Democrats, if you would be
criticizing me now?
am not running my Office as partisan
Office. Officially, Democrats and Repub-
licans look alike to me.
VII. nLo,.l1 / after hauinn dismissed