Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-10-20
MORROW PROTESTED
AGAINST PARDON
OF TOBACCO GROWERS
". S. Attorney General At WASH
\ ington Quotes Records On y
Republican Candidate
&, Cantrill Tells Bethu-
rum To "Make
"Good"

EUkn o WAKE ttfflti/ aris
f2t "Goodr
Edwin p. Morrow DID appear in
the prosecution Of Grant county
tobacco growers in, 1912, and after
they were convicted in Federal court
of pooling their crops to get better
price the Republican candidate for
Governor wrote letter protesting
against their pardon. sse
Congressman Campbell Cantrill has
proven true every statement he has
made against Mr.. Morrow. In de-
bate with Cantrill at Irvine. Judge
Rethurum of Somerset, said that if
Cantrill could show that Morrow had
een interested in the case at all OF
lad protested against the pardons for
the tobacco growers, that Morrow
would withdraw as candidate for
governor. 1t is now up to Morrow
to withdraw, if he is willing to make
good on Bethurum's pledge.
The Attorney General of the United
States in q letter to Mr.. Cantrill ex-
poses the position that the Republi-
can candidate for governor took
against the tobacco growers of Ken
lucky. Mr.. Cantrill has just made
the following statement about the
matter, quoting also letter from the
U. S. Attorney General at Washing
ton.
Cantrill's Statement
81 will state again what / said in
my first speech at Winchester that
Mr.. Morrow was the District Attorney
when the case of the Grant county
farmers was before the Federal Court
and that his name was of record in
the case as attorney"
"Mr. Morrow has stated that he had
no connection whatever with the case.
Mr.. Morrow was appointed Attorney
by President Taft on January 81,
1911. The case Of the Grant county
farmers was affirmed, as the records
of the court will show, on January
%, 1912-almost one year after Mr..
Morrow was commissioned as Federal
Attorney. Mr.. Morrow's name ap-
pears on the record as attorney for
the prosecution. Mr.. Morrow says he
i. had no connection whatever with the
case. Then why did he write a let
ter to the Attorney General ON Feb
2, 1912, protesting against the pardon
of the Grant county farmers? 1t is
well known that I was appealing to
President Taft to pardon the Grant
county farmers, and that had for
mally called on him at the White
House and had presented the facts in
the case to the President. While
was making an effort to secure this
pardon, the farmers of Kentucky
} should know that Mr.. Morrow went
out of his way to write a letter to the
Department of Justice, protesting
against their pardon.
"In the joint debate between Judge
Bethurum and myself at Irvine last
Monday Judge Bethurum stated that
Mr.. Morrow did not write letter to
7 the Department of Justice protesting
against the pardon Of the Grant coun-
ty farmers. Judge Bethurum also
challenged me to prove that Mr.. Nor
row now candidate for Governor, did
write a letter to the Department of
Justice protesting against the pardon
of the farmers. Judge Bethurum
stated that If ! would prove that such
letter was written by Mr.. Morrow
he would guarantee to the people
of Kentucky that Mr.. Morrow would
withdraw from the race. I accepted
Judge Bethurum's challenge, and /
now give to the people of Kentucky a
letter which l have to-day received
from Hon A. Mitchell Palmer, At
torney General Of the United States.
The letter is as follows:
The Department Of Justice, Of
Of the Attorney General, Wash
gton, d. c., October 16 1919.
"Hon. ]. Campbell Cantrill, House
Of Representatives, Washington, D..
C.-My Dear Mr.. Cantrill:-
"ln response to your inquiry as
to whether the United States At
torney for the Eastern, district Of
Kentucky made q recommendation
on the application for pardon Of
John S. Steers, Perry Simpson, j.
s. Carter, ct all as stated by you
in O recent speech, ! wish to advise
that the records of the department
show that Edwin p. Morrow, then
, United States District Attorney, in
a report of February 2, 1912 stated
that he was familiar with the case
and in his opinion the defendants
were guilty and he saw no reason
why the fine. imposed by the court
for this violation should be par
doned. Very truly yours.
"a. MITCHELL PALMER, Attorney.
General Of the United States.
I Mr.. Morrow, in his speeches, has
publicly declared that he knew moth
ing whatever about the case of the
Grant county farmers; but in his
letter to the Department of Justice
he stated that he was familiar with
the case and being familiar with
the case he protested against their
pardon. ,l
Judge Bethurum was chairman Of
the convention at Lexington that
nominated Mr.. Morrow and was the
chosen spokesman Of his party.
now call upon him to make good his
promise to the people Of Kentucky
and withdraw his candidate, before he
meets with overwhelming defeat on