Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-24
NOMINEE DAVIS
MAKES TART REPLY
TO Mr.. DAUCHERTY

New York. Sept. s3-The real enc
mics Of the constitution are not the
Reds and Bolsheviks but corrupt
and impotent public officials and
their associates, John w. Davis. the
democratic presidential nominee de-
clares in a letter written today to
Harry NJ. Daugherty in reply to the
one sent to him recently by the for
mer attorney general.
Denying Mr.. Daugherty's state
ment that his illusions to the former
attorney general during the cam
paign had been quite yelled" Mr..
Davis said they had been both di-
rect and specific"
Brushing aside Mr.. Daugherty's
statement that his self-respcct de-
barred him from appearing before the
Senate investigating committee because
Of the malice exhibited towards him
by IT, Mr.. Davis said that II seemed
to him that under the circumstances
the malice OF the committee and the
falsity of the evidence would rather
encourage than diminish the natural
desire OF any man. much less an attor-
ney general of the United States. to
meet his accusers on their own
ground"
Insofar as the man CASTOR r.
Means Is concerned" the letter contln-
ned. II have read the reputation of
his former testimony which YOU en-
closed In your letter, ! observe that
since your letter was delivered to mo
he has once recanted and rcpudidated
his reputation. 80 1t was you, how
over. who appointed him to the conf
dental position in the department Of
justice"
You brought him into the circle of
your official intimate s," Mr.. Davis said.
you created him government agent,
YOU gave him his, credentials. At the
time YOU did so his character was al
ready notorious I can imagine
no administration in any govern
mental department. more vicious than
the employment of men of such char
acter." Adverting to tho indictment OF
United States Senator Burton X.
Wheeler of Montana. prosecutor" for
the Senate committee, Mr.. Davis said
"the significant thing" was that no ef-
fort to find such an indictment had
been made until Senator Wheeler Ind
assumed leading part in the criti-
cism of the administration and of your
self"
THE remaining comment which ]
have made concerning you has to do
with the circumstances of your re-
moval from the position of attorney
general. ] need not remind YOU that
this was accomplished only as q re-
suit of continued pressure exertcd by
members of the Senate and House.
The reason finally put forward was
in short. that you could not be trust
cd to decide to what extent the rec
ords of your office would be investi-
gated. Concerning the reluctant ac-
ton taken in this respect have said,
and now repeat, that II you were I'M
fit for the high position you held,
the president. instead of twice re-
fusing your resignation, should have
accepted ii when first rendered: or
better still, have demanded 1t as soon
as he assumed office. II on the other
hand. you We're fit person to oc-
cupy the office of attorney general,
some better reason for yoiir dismiss
sal should have been found than the
poor pretcxt which was finally adopt
ed.
with one sentence OF. YOUR letter
/ heartily agree. that there is some
thing more important In this year OF
grace than election to Office of polit-
zeal success. That something be-
lieve to he that the moral sense OF
the American people shall be aroused
to condemn and not to condone the
betrayal of trust. This issue cannot
be obscured by your effort to repre-
sent the real contest in this Gam
paign az one between the defenders
of the constitution and those who
week to overthrow II under leaders
fresh from n baptismal Of Bolshevism
in lurid and suffering Russia. If the
constitution Is to endure. the first
requisite Is that men who hold tofFice
under It shall be honest and faithful
to their trust. Its real enemies are
not the Reds and Bolshevists of
whom you speak. whose shadows
frigbten YOU. but corrupt and i'm
potent public officials and their as
sociates."