The Natchitoches enterprise., 1921-07-28
for me and nv firm.

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This impels me to make a PLAIN
statement of how l became supporter
of Judge Porter. When Judge Palmer's
candidacy was mentioned Judge Land
himself was thinking of becoming a
candidate for the supreme bench, and
l, with others, favored his candidacy,
but for certain reasons we ultimately
concluded that he could not win.
At his instance and request l wrote
Judge Porter, soliciting him to become
a candidate, telling him that | was
writing HIM at the suggestion of Judge
Land. To this letter Judge Porter
replied, indicating that he would be-
come a candidate, and on the occasion
Of his visit here few days later he
states that he saw Judge Land and was
assured by the latter of his cordial and
undivided support.
Judge Land at that time was per.
fectly willing to accept and receive the
support of railroad lawyer" like
myself and my firm, and it comes with
bad grace from him after having in
duced me to get Judge Porter to run,
at time when he, Judge Land, felt
he could not win, to say that l am
supporting Judge Porter or am oppos-
ing, him, Land, because l happen to
represent some oil companies and
few railroads.
If Judge Porter was good enough for
Judge Land to support at that time,
as he evidently was, because Judge
Land insisted that write him, solicit
ing him to become a candidate, he is
now estopped from disputing that at
the present time he is the proper man
for the place.
Another thing, it was at the sugges-
tion and request of Judge Land that
the petition was prepared and circu-
lated among the lawyers of Shreveport
requesting Judge Porter to become q
candidate for the supreme bench, and
besides, Judge Land not only assured
the writer that he would support Judge
Porter but he told dozens of others the
self-same thing, stating that Judge
Porter was the man for the place.
If Porter was the proper man at the
beginning Of the campaign and not
having done anything since that time
to alter his fitness for the position, he
is the proper man now to elect to that
position.
While my firm and that of Wise,
Randolph, Rendell and Freyer represent
all of the railroads at the city of
Shreveport, and while both of our firms
are supporting Judge Porter. because
of his integrity, both as man and a
judge, yet Judge Land loses sight of
the fact in this circular which he has
prepared and is circulating that large
ma ajority of the lawyers who signed
the petition soliciting Judge Porter to
become candidate are lawyers who
stand with the people and who do not
represent any corporations at all.
Take such man as Ex-Governor N. C.
Blanchard, a man who has adorned
every position within the gift of the
people of this state and who represents
no corporations, he is actively, as far
as his health will permit, supporting
the candidacy of Judge Porter.
Again from the information received.
a majority of the lawyers from all
over the district are supporting Judge
Porter because they see in him the
ideal man for the place and none, or
but few of them, represent any cor
porations or any oil companies.
have hesitated about writing this
letter to the press, but feel, in view
of the fact of the circular which Judge
Land and his friends are circulating
and of the charges which they are
making, that / owe it to Judge Porter
assd U ND skrteuds 70 make pubic che
facts which have stated herein and
which can be eorrobcrated by wit
nesses, if such is desired.
J. u. WILKINSON.
shreveport, La, July %, 1921.