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JUDGE BEN J. H. HILL CORRECTS
/ ONE OF OUR CORRESPOND-
ENTS.
Dear Sir: My attention has been
called to the following extract which
appeared in The Jeffersonian of
Thursday, July 15th, 1915: *
“I am informed that the
‘Judge’ who sentenced Frank
the last time suggested the
same thing to Slaton, and of
fered to fix the date of Frank’s
execution so that gov. Harris
would have to pass on the appli
cation for clemency; and that
Slaton said ‘No.’ He demanded
that the case come before him.”
I am the “Judge” referred to. The
information given you was not only
incorrect, but without the slightest
foundation of truth. I never spoke
to Gov. Slaton on the subject of fix
ing the date for the execution of the
sentence of Leo M. Frank. It would
never occur to me to seek the advice
or to accept suggestions from the Ex
ecutive as to the exercise of my
judicial functions. Neither Gov.
nor any friend of his, ever
spoke a word to me on the subject
of fixing the date for the execution
of Frank’s sentence.
The only map whoever did, at any
time, speak to me on the subject,
was the Solicitor-General, and he did
so in the line of his official duty,
without making any suggestion as to
the date for the execution of the
sentence.
In fixing the date, I acted entirely
upon my own initiative and responsi
bility, selecting the medium between
the maximum and minimum dates,
under the statutes, as I had done on
two previous occasions, and I did
this on the last occasion regardless
of the personnel of the Governor who
might have the responsibility of pass
ing upon any future application for
executive clemency.
Kindly insert foregoing in next is
sue of The Jeffersonian.
Yours truly BENJ. H. HILL.
(Comment.)
It gives me pleasure to publish
Judge Hill’s letter.
The gentleman who wrote me evi
dently mistook a rumor for a fact,
for there was undoubtedly a rumor
that Slaton was being urged not to
act on his partner’s case, but let it
go over to the incoming Governor,
Harris.
There was not only a rumor to that
effect, but I have in my possession
written evidence to show that at
least one member of the Atlanta bar
wrote to Slaton, intimating as deli
cately as possible that his partner
ship with Frank’s leading lawyer
disqualified Slaton to act.
My own opinion is, that Slaton had
no more right to pass on Frank’s
case than Rosser had.
Wouldn’t the whole legal fraternity
be shocked and scandalized, if a
member of Rosser’s firm had pre
sided as Judge in the trial of Frank ?
It is the Law which defines and
fixes the relationship of partner to
partner.
In the eye of the Law, your part
ner is yourself, in business transacted
by the firm.
Therefore, in the eye of the law,
Rosser himself commuted his client’s
sentence when his partner did it. -
The papers seem slow to recognize
this scandalous fact.
The people recognize it, and are
intensely outraged by it; but the
papers are silent about it.
As long as Rosser & Slaton were
partners, the act of one was the act
of both, so far as their clients and
the business of the firm were con
cerned.
Suppose that Benj. Phillips, anoth-
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THE JEFFERSONIAN
er partner of the firm, had been ap
pointed Judge pro line vice to try the
case, would the papers have been
silent?
Ben Phillips had just as much legal
right to preside in the court-house,
as Slaton die to preside on the case
in the Executive Office.
A partner is just as much disquali
fied to sit on the case of a partner,
as a juror is disqualified to try the
case of his partner.
The stockholders of Frank’s pen
cil factory were no more disqualified
to serve as jurors for him, than was
Rosser’s partner to serve as com
muter for him.
In legal contemplation, Frank’s
sentence was commuted by his own
lawyers, and it is therefore out
rageously illegal.
In the eye of the Law and of
Justice, the commutation is a nul
lity, and would be so held by the
best lawyers in the w’orld.
If the Attorney-General will move
to have Leo Frank re-sentenced,
treating the Slaton commutation as
a legal nullity, the judges would be
compelled under the Law to hold
that Slaton’s action was absolutely
illegal, because his legal relation
with Frank’s lawyers made him
Frank’s lawyer, too.’
Finally, I assure Judge Hill that
had he done exactly what my inform
ant alleged, his conduct would have
met my warm commendation. e
Every judge is a high officer of
State, and naturally prizes the honor
and dignity of the State; and if
Judge Hill, or Judge Bell had spoken
to Slaton on this subject, it might
have deterred him.
While so many outsiders were ar
rogating to themselves the right to
dictate, an influential voice, and a
friendly warning from an insider
might have saved the State from a
greater stain than the Yazoo fraud.
I am not able to see that it would
have been improper for Judge Hill
to act as amicus curiae and to have
said to Slaton —
“You are Rosser’s partner, and
therefore Frank’s lawyer: THINK
OF THAT.and disqualify yourself, as
any honest juror, or any honest
judge, would do!” T. E. W.
REFERS TO THE TIMES OF LONG
AGO.
Dear Sir: As you know, ever since
I met you in old Screven county,
when you were but a young man,
teaching school, and studying law,
I have been your friend and admirer.
I thank God that I have lived to see
you championing the cause of the
down-trodden, poor and helpless
people of the State, and of the Union
as well; but most especially since
reading what you have had to say
in the Leo Frank case, and how you
have stood by little Mary Phagan
who, in my opinion, died fighting to
defend her virtue, I feel, if possible,
I am a greater friend to you than
ever.
I am sorry that John M. Slaton
commuted the sentence of Leo M.
Frank, for in doing so he has brought
down upon himself the righteous in
dignation of 75 per cent of the people
who once admired him , and who
stood by him in his political career.
But we read in the Book, “Be sure
your sins will find you out.”
We all admire, love and respect
you for the fearless stand you have
taken for Right and Justice. Your
friends are increasing by the thous
ands. I know many who used to
curse and abuse you who are now
speaking in the highest terms of you.
May God spare you for many years
to fight the battles of the poor, help
less working people of Georgia.
I am truly and sincerely yours,
Ga. H?G. EDENFIELD.
HERE’S OLD UNCLE JIM PARRISH
AGAIN, AND OF COURSE, WITH
A LIST OF NEW SUBS.
Dear Sir: After sending a club of
ten last Monday, I am glad to be able
to send another club of ten today,
Saturday. I would be glad to know
that there were five thousand of
your many good friends sending you
two clubs a week.
I hope that the good people of
dear old Georgia who are taking the
Atlanta Constitution, the Journal and
the Georgian will write to the edi
tors and tell them they do not want
any more of the things, as they were
bought over by the big Jew money
to slander and abuse the courts in
the Leo M. Frank case. I hope the
good people in Alabama will also
stop the rotten things, and let the
editors know they do not want any
more of the things to come to their
homes.
Your old friend,
Ala. JIM PARRISH.
HE WAS AT THE “WATSON HOME
COMING” IN 1892: HE UNDER
STANDS IT, NOW.
Dear Sir: Some twenty 7 -five years
ago, when you came from 'congress,
my father, who was a Watson man,
and I, drove twenty miles to Thom
son to hear you make a speech. I
remember when the train came up
how the people shouted and hur
rahed. They toted yon to a carriage
which was dr’ven to a piece of pines
I would say, east of Thomson, where
you told the people what was being
carried on in Congress. I did not
understand what all this toting and
shouting for Watson meant. But as
I have grown to manhood and
watched you through life I see that
you are doing more for the poor and
BTHORftsR
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Im Write for Estimates of whai you need,
J. D. WATSON, Manager, |
Jeffersonian Publishing Co., Thomson, Ga.
common people, uncovering more
hidden mysteries in church, politics,
Frank, and Slaton, than any living
man.
Those who do not read The Jeff
only cheat themselves out of their
rights.
The Jeff proves Frank guilty, and
Slaton equally so. If it could be left
to a vote to every man and woman
who is competent to judge, and not
paid to see it from a certain angle,
Slaton would never return to Geor
gia again. He has done more to en
<jurage lynch law than any man of
today.
I write to express to yo i my ap
preciation of a Georgia man who
money cannot buy. Long may you
live and have God to protect you.
Yours truly,
Ga. J. E. BLANCHARD.
o
ALABAMA PEOPLE INTERESTED.
Dear Sir: I have given away a
lot of copies of The Jeffersonian, and
only wish that mine would come
more often so that I could distribute
it all over this country so that the
common people could get a peep in
on the dirty work that is going on
in the inner circles of the fellow
higher up. Yours truly,
Ala. W. A. CLOUD, JR.
Watch the label on your paper,
don’t let your subscription expire.
SONG
•‘ Mary Phagan ”
Words and music by J. C. LendermaT’, snd a
short biography of her and history of the case.
Price 10c per oony, prepaid. This is the latest
and best yet. You must have a copy. Address,
J.C. LENDERMAN, Mcßae, Ga.
P. S.—Seed dime for remittance.
PAGE ELEVEN
