The Henry County weekly. (McDonough, GA.) 18??-1934, August 12, 1910, Image 1
VOL. XXXV “JUDGE REAGAN AND POLITICS.” ‘‘Griffin Daily Herald Editorially Attacks Judge E. J. Reagan Officially, JUDGE REAGAN REPLIES AND THE HERALD WILL NOT PUBLISH HIS REPLY. Under the above heading, as contained in quotation marks, the following appeared as an editorial in last Sunday’s issue of The Grif fin Daily Herald, the capital letters of the last paragraph being copied just as The Herald has them: “Judge E. J. Reagan, the pres ent judge-of the Flint circuit su perior court, and whose home is in McDonough and who is not a candidate for re-election to the place Jie now fills, is placing him self in a position to be severely criticised by his constituents, es pecially by those who differ with him as to who shall be his suc cessor. “Judge Reagan is not only making a personal campaign for his choice for the judgeship, but he is occupying the time that should be exerted in clearing the jails of their inmates. In his prac tice he is taking from every pris oner, whose trial is fixed on the court calendar, a right to an eariy hearing. “He also denies the bar the right to hear and give argument in the cases they represent. He burdens the county with the expense necessarily incurred when prisoners are detained in the jail, when, in many cases, if they were given a hearing, would be removed from the county's care. “Is it right for a presiding judge, or any other judicial officer, to de ny his constituents of those things for which they pay him? In the minds of ail level-headed, con servative and business-like men, Mr. Reagan is going beyond the bounds of his rights. He should, if only thru courtesy for those who supported him for the office, mend his ways and refrain from the unjust methods he is using to place his choice in his seat on the bench. The dignity of the office is enough to make any man re spect it; and if Judge Reagan is as walling and ready to perform the duties imposed upon him as he was when he was asking the voters t o support him for the place, surely he would not use such unjust tactics in fighting those whom he would not like to see filling his place. “There are no laws forbidding a judge taking a decided stand in political affairs, but there are such duties attached to the office that make it compulsory that he should give the amount of time to the court’s duty as his salary repre sents. “WE DON’T BELIEVE JUDGE REAGAN IS RESPECTING THE DIGNITY OF THE OFFICE HE NOW HOLDS.” JUDGE REAGAN'S REPLY. McDonough, Ga., Aug. 11, 1910. Editor of The Henry County Weekly: Please publish the enclosed re ply to a recemt editorial in the Griffin Daily Herald in reference to myself. io I at once sent a copy of this re ply to the editors of the Griffin Herald and requested that it be published in the next issue of that paper. There have been two is sues of the paper since and it has not appeared. I therefore con clude that they do not intend to publish it, or at least to delay its publication to suit their conven ience. I am determined that the people of Henry county shall know what disreputable methods this paper is willing to resort to to further the interest of its candidate for judge, and let them say whether or not such candidate is worthy of sup port. Very respectfully, E. J. Reagan. McDonough, Ga., Aug. 8,1910. Editors Griffin Daily Herald, Griffin, Ga. Dear Sirs: — I notice the. attack made upon me in an editorial in your paper of yesterday, and really cannot ac count for it except upon the idea that your partisan interest in Grif fin’s Candidate for Judge has warped your judgment. You say that I am not only making a per sonal campaign for my choice for the Judgeship, but am occupying time that should be exerted in clearing jails of their inmates. You also say that I “deny the right to hear and give argument in the cases they represent.” These charges directly involve my official conduct, and I think I have the right to demand bill of particulars. When and where • have I neg lected my duties in clearing the jails, or denied any prisoner the right to an early hearing? When and where have I burdened the county or counties with the jail expenses of prisoners? You speak of this as my practice, seek ing to leave the impression that I am in the habit of doing these things throughout the circuit. This will indeed be news to the people of the circuit, for they know that I have done everything possible at every term of the courts, not only to clear the jails, but also to bring to trial persons who are out on bond. I must in sist that you specify the times and places when I did any of these things that you complain of. In regard to the charge of denying the attorneys the right to argue their cases, I have never had any of them to complain of being de prived of this privilege. I am per haps too lenient in this respect. Your candidate for Judge evi dently thinks too much time is given attorneys to argue thqir cases for he is insisting that he can run the courts faster than any other Judge has ever done and to do this would necessarily require a shortening of the time allowed counsel for argument. You differ so widely McDonough, Georgia, Friday august 121910. Mr. J. B. Mayo Marries. Wednesday afternoon, August 3rd, Miss Maggie Bell Studdard was married to Mr. James Byron Mayo at the home of the bride’s mother, Mrs. Studdard, in Monroe, Ga. The Rev. L. E. Roberts was the officiating minister. The bride is one of Monroe’s most popular young ladies. Mr. Mayo is a former Henry county man and has many friends here who are rejoicing in his good fortune in finding such a charm ing help-mate. v from your candidate on this subject that I would suggest that you and he hold a conference and agree on this question, so that in the future as you are conduct ing his campaign by abusing those who differ with you in the col umns of your paper, and he is seeking to woo the voters by whispering sweet promises into their ears, there may be no dis cord between you. Now, frankly, is it not true that all this talk of yours in reference to my neglect of official duty arises from the fact that the August Term of Spalding Superior Court was not held on the Ist Monday in Au gust? Honestly now, have you any other complaint of my official conduct? If so, please specify it, giving the time, place and county in which it occurred. Now as to the August Term of your court, you will doubtless be surprised to learn that the reason why it was not held at the usual time and all cases, civil and criminal, called and tried in the usual order was on account of a petition sent by the lawyers and officers of Court of Spalding county. It is true that they only asked that the civil cases be not tried, and the business of the Court confined to the trial of criminal cases where the parties were in jail. I suppose you will be fair enough to admit that the Judge was not obiiged to split up the business in this way. The first man that asked me not to try any civil cases was your candidate for Judge. Me did not want to kept at Griffin a week when he was needed so badly in the field in the interest of his can didacy. I agreed not to try any civil cases, and thought I was do ing him a favor, and he thought so too. To have held the court for jail cases only would have re quired his attendance, if he repre sented any of them. The law re quires me to give leave of absence to lawyers who are also members of the legislature. This would have taken Mr. Boyd out, and jail cases represented by him would have gone over six months. Under all of these circumstances, I decided it was best to adjourn the court over to a time when there wouid be no elections on hand to interfere with the busi ness of the court, and when all the lawyers could be present, and I think so yet. Those who sent me the petition were perfectly satisfied with the arrangement, at least they expressed no dissent. I thought I was doing the Griffin attorneys, who were candidates, a real kindness in not having any court until the election was over, and I believe they will acknowl edge that this is true. Stockbridge Circuit Quarterly Conference. The third quarterly conference for the Stockbridge circuit will be held at Union church, Saturday, August 20th. Rev. Dr. J. H. Eakes will preside and preach. Preaching at 11 a. in., and con ference at 2 p. m., with basket dinner at 12 o’clock. W. O. Butler, Pastor. Now if you should answer that this one official act is all you have to complain about, and I think you must so answer, then I re spectfully insist that you withdraw the charge that it is my practice as Judge to do all those terrible things to criminals, the attorneys and the counties that you mention in your article. Now in regard to the campaign for I admit that 1 am sup porting Judge Dupree earnestly and ardently for Judge. I have a right to do this. You admit as much, provided I do not in doing so neglect any of my official du ties. I deny that I have neglected any of them and call on you for specifications. My opinion is that you will have very little sympathy from the people of the circuit in this charge. In fact during a period of nearly twelve years on the bench no such insinuations has ever been made by any one, except the Griffin papers. No doubt the people of the cir cuit will readily see that the great big axe that they have to grind in making them is simply the elec tion of their man for Judge. You speak of “unjust methods” and “unjust tactics” employed by me in the race for Judge. Now, pray, what do you mean? Be fair and honest and state to your readers just what I have done and let them say whether they are unjust methods and unjust tactics or not, and also give me an opportunity to reply. I have a perfect right to sup port Judge Dupree. Just as much as you have to support your man. I am supporting Judge Dupree because I am convinced, after having both candidates prac tice before me for nearly twelve years, that he would make decid edly the best Judge for all the people of the circuit and state. I have also the right to oppose your candidate for the reason that I am informed that he is go ing over the circuit fighting me, telling the people that lam try ing to dictate to them for whom they should vote, and even in my own county charging that lam costing the county several thous and dollars a year useless ex pense of holding the courts, and that he can save them all this, and also making some people whose names are not in tbe jury box be lieve that I am responsible for it, by promising that if he is elected it will all be changed, when he knows, or should know, that the Judge has nothing on earth to do with whose name is placed in the jury box, or whose name is left out of it, but that this is a matter solely for the jury commissioners. Some o f these parties asked Judge Dupree about this, and he, like the conscientious man he is, told them that under the law the judge could have nothing to do with it. PAGES A Letter About Governor Brow n. The papers are commenting on the Governor sending troops to the Durham coal mines. If the people knew the facts they wonld not be surprised at all. For the simple reason that Jim English owns the Durham Mines, and Jim English is one of the many bosses of die Governor. Our Governor is simply a puppet in the hands of the corporations and politicians, in other words we have no Governor but simply a figure head. The friends of the Governor are trying to scrape up a record for him. We can give it to them in a nut shell. First—lie had a position with the S. A. L. Railroad, lie was.fired from the position tor incompe tency. Second —Ho was appointed exe cutor of his father's estate ; he was removed from that for the same reason. Third—He was fired from the of fice of railroad- commissioner for incompetency. Fourth —Ho tailed to advocate the income tax, which wonld have placed (in part at least.) the bur den of taxation on the rich. But did not fail to sign the hill to tax the poor man’s dog, thereby adding a burden to his taxation. Every one knows our Governor was “born with a silver spoon in his mouth” and knows about as much about the needs of the com mon people as a ten 7eur old hoy, notwithstanding the cry of Brown beef and bread. The beef and bread were there as usual—hut they came high. And while we hear a great deal about Brown and la Cents cotton we fail to hear anything about Brown’s 20 cents beef ai d 25 cents meat. Fifth—He will lie fired from the office of Governor on Aug. 23 for the same reason, namely incompe tency. A Voter, Locust Grove, (hi. R. F. D. L In regard to your opinion as to my respecting the dignity of the office I hold, I have nothing to say, as it is a matter of opinion and you have a right t o your opinion. I would suggest to jxhi, however, that there are other high and honorable positions be sides that of judge in which prop er dignity should be observed, and that it is neither dignified nor fair for a newspaper to jump on and abuse any person without just cause. The fact that Spalding Superior Court was to be adjourned over was well known and published in Griffin several weeks before the Ist Monday tn August. Why' did you not make this attack on me sooner? Why wait until after the Ist Monday in August? Were you afraid that if you did so in time I might hold the court any way and keep your candidate there for a whole week and de prive him of this much valuable time that he devoted to his can vass? You need not have feared any thing of the kind for I would have given him leave of absence. I have nothing against him. In In fact I like him, but do not think he should be elected Judge this time. I am averse to newspapers controversies, and regret that your unprovoked attack upon me makes it necessary for me to write this. 1 trust that you will do me the justice to publish this in the next issue of your paper. > Yours very respectfully, E. J. REAGAN. $i A Year.