The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-28
WILLIAMS TRIES
TO EXPLAIN HIS
OFFICIAL RECORD
Has Abandoned Old Time
Campaign Policy, Cast
Away Gu mShOeS and Is Out
on Stump at Every Rally.

-
] J. Williams has cast aside his old
gum shoes, abandoned his old. time pol
icy Of silence, and Is out on the stump
at every ward rally. attempting 10 de-
fend his political record against the
facts which show the conditions in
Memphis while he was mayor, all the
way through his ADMINISTRATIONS nom
1898 to 1904.
Mr.. Williams defended his record
Monday night before a gathering of 400
TO bO0 voters from the five wards In
me eastern section Of the city. He
spoke from the band stand In Wills
park. The park benches were filled
Many ladies were present, n there
was q good representation Of the men
from mat section, augmented ~ usual,
by a large contingent Of plain clothes
men from the police department and
other city employees.
The charges, made in newspaper ad-
vertisements, and by the speakers for
the Citizens league ticket, based on the
official record made by Mr.. Williams
as mayor Of Memphis from 1898 to 1904,
have caused him to abandon his old
policy OF keeping In the background
himself, and making no political
speeches. The record is so long that
would take more time THAI MIR, viii
hams has before the election to ex-
plain 1t all,
That he was the friend Of all the cor
perations during his terms as mayor Ia
part Of Memphis history In those days.
Ihat he granted free franchises, free
traekage rights, worth a score of mil
lions, to various railroad companies, is
admitted, for the records are In the
city han. Mr.. Williams attempted 10
AEnluIn MnnAnU ntrhf khnf 49, -
gifts benefited the city because they
brought the railroad shops TO Mem
phis and made the city a railroad CEN
ter.
He did not speak of other charges,
except that of his ineligibility, and In
that matter he repeated what he has
said before, that If the people elect
matter,
III my opponents wanted to be per-
tectly frank about it," said he, why
not let the people speak? When they
giHe me = majority Of their votes hat
Mr., Williams omitted any mention of
the lawlessness which disgraoed the
city during his administration, the
charges OF election fraud and ballot box
stgfftng the wide-open gambling which
led to the DeSoto street riot, when
gamblers released a number Of prison
ers and killed a deputy sheriff; the
election riots In the Fifth and Ninth
wards and a number OF other facts
which have been alluded to during the
campaign as forming part of the rec
ord on which Mr., Williams is again
running for mayor
His only attack upon Rowlett Paine
and the Citizens league ticket was the
charge that they still intend to at
tempt TO force he city manage plan
upon Memphis, a charge ha has al
ready been repeatedly denied by Mir.
Paine. "
Addresses wer made by several of
the candidates for commissioner on MIR
Williams ticket, and a fine speech was
made by Dudley Porter, who spoke for
the first time during the present cam.
paiBn.
Mrs. Isaac Reese, chairman of the
women's division for the Williams tick
ct, spoke particularly to the ladies, and
incidentally said that she resented al
leged statements which are being made
about her. No candidate and no speak
or for the Citizens league has ever
political meeting.
TWO other rallies were held, each one
WIN a smaller attendance. One was
held at the intersection of Mississippi
and heLemore, and one In South Mem
PMS az P~ennsylvania avenue and Iowa.
one OF the largest rallies OF the vii.
Hams campaign Is expected Tuesday
night at CASTOR park, and another rally
WIN be held on Cooper street and Young
avenue.