Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-25
DAVIS RE|TERATES
CHARGES AGAINST
HARRY DAUGHERTY
Democratic Nominee Writes
Former Attorney General
He Will Not RetraCt

NEW YORK, Sept. "a - Having
served notice that there is to he no
obscuring of the issue that the
American people shall be aroused
to condemn and not to condone the
betrayal of official trust, John w.
Davis prepared today to return to
the stump, determined to hit out
harder than ever on the subject Of
corruption in government"
The notice from the Democratic
presidential nominee was contained
in a letter written yesterday to Harry
M. Daugherty in reply to one in
which the forme attorney general
protested against what he charac-
teriZed as the usually vague and all
the more reprehensible" references
which Mr. Davis has made during
the campaign to his official conduct.
Agreeing with Mr.. Daugherty that
there is something more important
in this year of grace than election
to office or political success" Mr..
Davis said the isue of honesty of
public officials could not be becloud-
ed ''by your forced effort to repre-
sent the real contest of this cam
paign as one between the defenders
of the constitution and those who
seek to overthrow it under leaders
fresh from a baptism of Bolshevism
in lurid and suffering Russia.
IF the constitution is to endure"
Mr.. Davis wrote, 1.-THE first requisite
is that men who hold office under it
shall be honest and faithful to their
trusts. It's real enemies are not the
Reds and Bolshevists of whom you
speak, whose shadows brighten you.
but corrupt and impotent public Of
ficials and their associates"
Asserting that instead Of being
quite veiled,' his illusions in the
campaign to Mr.. Daugherty had
been both direct and specific" Mr.
Davis declared that he found no war
rant whatever for withdrawing a
single one of them.
Daugherty Appointed Means
Brushing aside Mr.. Daugherty's
statement that his self respect" de-
barred him from appearing before
the senate investigating committee
because of the malice exhibited TO-
wards him by it, Mr.. Davis said that
it seemed to him that under the
circumstances ''the malice of the
committee and the falsity of the evil
dence would rather increase than di-
minish the natural desire of any
man, much less an attorney general
OF the United States, to meet his ac-
cusers on their own ground
II confess that your failure to do
So" Mr.. Davis wrote, "as we'll as
the refusal OF your brother to furnish
information demanded of him In re-
turn, produced on me, and I think
upon the country, an exceedingly
painful impression
With respect to the testimony of
CASTOR 3. Means, before the COM
mittee and his subsequent repuda-
ton of it and his still later repudi-
alton of the reputation, the Demo.
cratic nominee said it was Mr..
Daugherty who appointed Means to
a confidential position in the depart
ment of justice.
You brought him into the circle
of your official intimates," Mr.. Day-
is said. You created him a govern
ment agent. You gave him his Gre
dent1als. At the time you did so
his character was already notorious.
L can imagine no maladministratio
In any governmental department
more vicious than the employment
or men of such character"
AdVertlng to the Indictment of
senator Burton Wheeler, of Mon.
tana, prosecutor" for the senate
committee, Mr.. Davis said "the sig
nlf1cant thing" was that no effort TO
Ind such an indictment had been
made until Senator Wheeler "had as
sumed a leading part in the criti-
clsm or the administration and of
yourself"
In writing Mr.. Daugherty that he
was mistaken that such references
as had been made to him were ''un.
usually vague and all the more rep
rehenslble, Mr.. Davis said he
begged to call attention to them.