Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-09
PERRY ANSWERS
BANKSTON' CARD

Editor The journal: In a recent
Issue Of your paper you published a
card over the signature of w. Tro1
Bankston, bearing on my candidacy
Tor reelection to the railroad com
mission. The statements OF fact.
related by Mr.. Bankston are so ut
terly void Of truth that I feel i'm
PEELED to ask that you give me the
same consideration accorded Mr..
Bankston by publishing this replS
to his card.
I am opposed to card writing in
political campaigns unless it be Of
nature that will enlghten the pub
Tic on relevant issues in the particu-
lar campaign, but Mr.. Bankston
started this practice, and were to
ignore him there are many who
would not understand my silence.
He takes exceptions at my saying
ne reconvened the railroad commit
tee of the legislature, of which he
was chairman, and after favorable ac-
ton on a certain bill in accordance
with the contentious Of the consum-
ers of a certain local utility, with
out excuse for doing so. He says
ne did not reconvene the committee.
Hon. A. s. Anderson, solicitor gen.
eral Ogeechee judicial circuit, Millen,
Ga, and the two authors of the bill
in question, say he did reconvene the
committee; this charge against him
was published in the paper of one
of the authors of the bill six weeks
ago, which publication was repro
duced in the dailies throughout the
state, and it is strange that Mr..
Bankston would wait till right on
the eve of the election to deny it.
This preponderance of evidence
against his contentious, as well as
the fact that such a practice is so
consistent with his life, that am
willing for the public to judge as to
who is correct in this matter.
He also, complains about my COM
ment on the small vote he has re-
ceived heretofore in the three races
he has made for place on the
C.
OF the three races he has made for
such position he carried twenty.
seven counties in one race, seven
counties in another and five coun-
ties in the other instance. The daily
papers publishing the results of the
last election in which he was a canCii-
date, gave him one majority in Troup
county. notice he, refuses to say
by what majority he did carry his
home, county in this race.
In undertaking to explain why it.
ts that the only newspaper in West
Point, Ga, his home town, is sup
porting me In my race, he does
Mr.. Upton Coffee grave injustice,
and by innuendo publishes a libel
against good, honest man and one
pf the best weekly editors in the
south. The people of northwest
Georgia will not forget Mr.. Bank
ston for his cowardly attack on Mr..
Coffee. Mr.. Coffee's support of me
IS of his own choosing, and I firmly
believe is prompted solely upon the
conviction that Mr.. Bankston is in
40 sense fitted or qualified for a con-
scientious and intelligent discharge
Of the duties incident to this office.
:. Mr.. Bankston gives as his qualift-
eation for the office he is seeking,
his experience as chairman of the
railroad committee of the legislature
and editorial observations" His
experience thus related as evidence
Of his qualifications bears the same
relation to an understanding of the.
duties of member of the railroad
commission as is afforded the Of
fetal who grants charters to banking
institutions from time to time to
become versed in the banking busi-
ness. In other words, it gives him
no opportunity for experience what
sOever.
This lack of understanding on his
part of the jurisdiction and the very
duties of the office he is seeking is
well reflected in the following state
ment by him and similar state
ment by O. B. Bush, my other OPP
ponent, broadcasted throughout the
state as follows:
"F'or reduction in rates Of all util-
tiles, vote for w. Trox Bankston."
This cheap clap-trap of Bankston
and Bush, applied to our jury system,
puts them, as jurors, appearing on
The morning court is to convene in
their county, saying to one side Of
any one or more cases for trial,
leave me on the jury and I will de-
eide the case in your favor" without
regard to law or evidence. Any party
litigant would be slow to listen to
the absurdity of such statement
coming from a prospective juror, and
well he might be, because such a
Juror, If the proper inducements were
offered, would go to the other side
Of the case before a verdict could
be reached.
Mr.. Bankston is the only candidate.
for place on this commission, since
its creation in 1879, who has been
forced to the necessity of getting
his neighbors' to sign a certificate Of
character for him, and then unable
to get as many as one-third of the
voters in the municipality where he
resides. Five Of the number thus
secured are residents of the state
Of Alabama, and will hardly vote in
primary election held in the state
Respectfully,
JAMES A. PERRY.
IT e. H..t:a