The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-08
KNIGHT TELLS WHY HE CANNOT OPPOSE
 JUSTICE MERRETT
Asked Speaker to Appoint His Son to Committee Clerkship During Leg
 islative Session

Judge Thomas E. Knight of Greens? of apepsls bench against Judge Henry Merritt because of letter he wrote to Judge Merritt when the present justice was speaker of the house of representa- tives.
 In that letter Judge Knight had asked nittee clerkship and used the expression. Reverse the call, Henry, and I will re- srond; you can't make it too strong"
 Judge Knight yesterday sent to The Age-Herald a letter in which he pointed out that Judge Merritt had shown this let ter to well known democrats in Birming- \ ham as a reason why the Greensboro man should not run for the court of apepals in spite to the fact that he received 43, 900 votes when he ran before. His statement of the reason for not making the race against Judge Merritt is as follows:
 ITO the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Since the publication of my statement that I will not be a candidate for the court of appeals, I have received great many letters from friends expressing their regret at my decision, and assuring me that, had I run for the office, 1 would have carried their respective coun- ties, and some of these friends complain. I therefore feel that it is due to them and to myself that I should state the reason why concluded not to become a candidate.
 Just before the last, and now ntemor- able, legislature convened, I wrote MT. Merritt, who was candidate for speaker of the house of representatives, and for whom had asked my friends, who were l T 1,zl supported for president of the railroad commission in 1916. saying to. him that my son, who had volunteered early, had returned from the army disappointed and somewhat disheartened because he did not to go across, and that I would Ike for him to appoint my son to commit tee clerkship in the house, but adding, however in terms, that it was not a matter of dollars and cents. I did not keep copy of the letter, nor have seen copy of it, but my recollection is that I concluded the letter substantially as follows: Reverse the call, Henry, and I will respond, you can't make it too strong Mir Merritt has not to this day, either in person, by letter or through mu- tual freineds, made the call but am re- liably informed that he attended the meet ing of the state democratic committee in Birmingham, and was showing copies of this letter, and insisting in effect. thSt would act in bad faith if did become candidate When this was brought to my attention I decided not to run.
 This letter does not, however, permit of such a construction. It must be con sidered and construed in connection with and in light of the past political actions of Mir Merritt and his probable future political ambitions. No one could have dreamed of the change on the court oi appeals and of his being the appointee Still further had been candidate fol the court of appeals in the primary ol 1916 and received more than s43, GOO votes ad it was far-fetched to conclude that had waived this ambition.
 Mir Merritt has made no call on me My friends and I believe that I would have been overwhelmingly nominated. have concluded over the protest of m, closest personal and political friends t temporarily lay aside my ambition to be come member of one of our appellate courts. Mir Merritt's use of my letter IS above detailed, absolves me from al obligations to him.
 T must again thank my friends fo their confidence in and their loyalty t me. THOMAS F. KNIGHT.
 "Greensboro. Ala, February [, 1920"