Newspaper Page Text
The Henry County Weekly
VOL. XXXV 10
Judge Dupree Replies
To Opponents’ Attacks.
The Letter Below Answers Each
Attack in Detail.
States How He Will Administer the Law as Judge.
To the Voters of the Flint Circuit:
Since my announcement for the
position of Judge of the Fiint Cir
cuit, I have tried to conduct my
candidacy on the high plane'which
should be required of all seeking
this honorable position.
In not a single instance have I
said or uttered a word in dispar
agement of my opponent. But it
has recently come to me tjiat an
entirely different course has been
pursued touching my candidacy,
and that siatements have been
made, ruthlessly attacking, by in
nuendoes and insinuations, my
honor and integrity. To these
charges my self-respect •ompels
me to make defense, which I now
submit to the fairness and honest
judgment of the people.
It has been charged by my op
ponent’s friends that because the
present Judge of the Flint Circuit
has seen fit to give me his sup
port, that I would decide cases in
his favor without regard to the
sacred oath I must take if elected
and to the detriment of other
members of the bar and other
parties litigant. This attack upon
T honor and integrity, as well as
the attack upon the Judge of this
circuit should meet with the dis
approval of every fair-minded
man. The present Judge has
simply favored my candidacy as
others lawyers have favored that
of my opponent. To be a judge
takes away no right of citizenship,
nor destroys any bond of friend
ship. Every citizen, however
humble or exalted, has the same
right to speak a word for a friend
or recommend any one he chooses
for official position. The attempt
to deny him this right, because he
did not choose to recommend to
his friends my opponent, instead
of myself is puerile and no fair
minded man will ever deny to an
other the same right he claims for
himself. The Judge has asked
his friends to me and I
appreciate his support as I appre
ciate the support of all my friends.
But why should I be influenced by
my friends and my opponent not in
fluenced by those supporting him.
Does he mean that he is so much
better and higher than I am, or
that his supporters are of a higher
class? Will the support of him
by the Hon. B. S. Willingham at
Forsyth, influence him to allow
Col. Willingham to run things in
Monroe county. Will the support
of him by Col. Y. A. Wright in
Jackson, influence him to turn
over the judicial direction of the
cotinty of Butts to him? Wil the
support of Col. J. W. Shell in Fay
ette, and other lawyers in other
counties influence him to turn
over to them their respective
counties to their judicial adminis
tration? I SAY NO, and make no
such charge. I could make the
charge with just as much truth as
the one made upon me that be
McDonough, Georgia, Friday august 191910.
cause Judge Reagan has chosen
to given me his support I
would turn over the business of
the whole circuit to him.
The charge is unworthy of those
who make it and I resent it with
all my nature that I would be re
creant to my trust.
Secondly, not satisfied with the
attempt to reflect upon my integ
rity as a man, they have gone
further and charged that I am too
slow to transact the business of
the courts —that the court needs a
business man to run it —that my
opponent can do twice the work
that I can —that the court has
been run too slow heretofore any
way, and that there is a demand
for a fast Judge. In reply to this
charge I will state that I have been
Judge of the County Court of
Pike for sixteen years and that
when the City Court of Zebulon
was established last year I was
asked by both the bar and the
people to accept the judgship and
against my request or desire. If I
had been unbusiness-like in my
methods and unjust and unmerci
ful in my rulings or unfaithful or
' incompetent in the discharge of
duty, I surely would not have
been continued in this kindly rec
! ognition without protest from
! some of my fellow-citizens. It
seems to have remained for the
distinguished cotton manufacturer
lawyer of Griffin to discover that
I cannot keep pace with his won
derful business capacity. I have
devoted my life to the practice of
my profession and home affairs
and educated my children and
have not had the opportunity of
laying aside the stocks of large
flourishing corporations, in which
others make the increase; but I do
claim however, a legal knowledge
sufficient to discharge the duties
; of the office to the satisfaction of
the people and I will endeavor to
keep untarnished the judicial er
mine and see that equal and exact
justice is-administered to all who
come into court.
I believe that sufficient time
should be given for the proper
consideration of all cases, know
ing that a hasty consideration
oftentimes results in mistrials, new
trials and the defeat of justice! In
this connection I will say that if I
am elected Twill properly dispatch
business and I will, see that the
humblest and poorest man who
comes before the court shall have
the same opportunity of defense
and the same treatment at the
hands of the court as the richest
and most exalted of my fellow-cit
izens. This has been my rule for
many years and will continue to
be so in all courts in which I have
the honor to preside. In this con
nection I will state that more than
half the cases tried in the Superior
Court are the same class of cases
tried in the County and City
Courts in which I have had long
Odd Fellows Meeting at Rex.
The meeting of the Odd Fel
lows at Rex which was to be held
on August 31, 1910, has been post
poned to September 7, 1910.
There will be the Division meet
ing of this order at Rex on that
day and all Odd Fellows are in
vited.
experience and the transition from
the lower to the higher court will
not cause any delay in its business
from the inexperience of the judge.
Thirdly: Not only is my integri
ty attacked and unfitness by slow
ness emphasized, but it is claimed
that all the secret orders in the
Flint Circuit will support my op
ponent.
In reply to this I will say that I
do not believe that these great
and benevolent institutions can be
used to advance the political* in
terests of any man. No man has
a higher regard for these orders
than myself and I would not for
the sake of this office attempt to
drag them into the political arena
to promote my political ambition.
To turn them in this direction, if
it were possible to do so, would
be to make them political ma
chines, to foster political schemes
and advance the personal inter
ests of men. In this great coun
try ail moral and religious insti
tutions should be kept separate
and distinct from politics.
I have organizod no lodges since
my candidacy was contemplated
among the people whose votes I
was to solicit. I have been to no
secret order meetings or church
to influence them to give me their
support.. I believe that the
church and state should not be
united, and that true benevolent
institutions should never so far
forget themselves as to be used
for political purposes. I repeat
that 1 cannot believe that this
charge is true and that our great
benevolent institutions will band
together for my defeat.
Fourthly, it has been charged
that if I am elected judge I willbe
too lenient with the violators of
the law. I state now what I have
always stated in private, that I will
try each case on its merits and
tnflict such punishment as the law
prescribes and, where discretion
is in the. Court, I will exercise
that discretion ' . righteous judg
ment as I see .t. If one deserves
severe punishment it will be ad
ministered; if one does not deserve
severe punishment he will never
receive it at my hands. With
charity for all, and malice for none,
I will administer the law without
fear, favor or affection.
If my friends can influence me,
why is not equally
true that his friends, environments*
and large corporate interests can
not as easily influence him.
In conclusion let me say that I
will not use any* unfair methods
to obtain this office. In invite the
scrutiny into my life. If I ever
err ; I trust that it will be on the
side of mercy; for I love both jus
tice and my fellow men. I stand
for law and civil righteousness,
unmoved by the spirit of commer
cialism into which I have never
entered; and if I am elected, I will
serve you in the fear of God and
uninfluenced by friend or foe,
however mighty.
I will appreciate the vote and
support of all the people.
I am, very truly,
E. F. DUPREE.
Every Man Must Vote
In His Own District
Act of 1908 Changes Former Meth
ods and Customs.
Section 2 of the New Registration and Primary Act, passed
in 1908 by the Georgia Legislature, reads as follows: .
“That no elector shall vote in any primary election, in a
militia district othen than the one in which he resides, or if in a
city, in a ward other than the one in which he resides, if an elec
tion procinct be located in such ward."
This applies, beyond any possibility of dispute, to the coming
State Primary election on next Tuesday, the 23d instant.
So let every voter remember that he cannot come to McDon
ough and vote in this Primary if he does not live in the McDon
ough militia district.
All should bear in mind that they must vote in their own
home precinct, whatever and wherever that may be.
Heretofore those who lived in a district not containing an in
corporaten town could go to the county seat and votje. This can
not be done any longer.
HENRY COUNTY TAXABLE ~~
PROPERTY SHOWS INCREASE.
Consolidation For 1910 Completed and Shows Nearly
$300,000 Increase.
NEARLY 1,200 DOGS RETURNED ALSO.
Mr. T. T. Barham, our clever
Tax Receiver, has just completed
the consolidation of the tax re
turns for 1910 and they make an
excellent showing for Henry
County.
He has received the following
letter of appreciation of the same:
Office of
Comptroller General,
Tax Department.
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 13, 1910.
Mr. T. T. Barham, R. F. R.,
Luella, Ga.
Dear Sir:
Your Tax Digest for 1910 has
been received, examined and
found correct. The book is one
of the best received this year. The
handsome increase in values
shows that you have been careful
arid diligent, and that your peo
ple are prosperous.
I thank you for your fine work
and the promptness with which
you have finished the Digests.
With best wishes,
I am yours truly,
W. ivl Wright, Comt Gen.
For this year are returned 2,723
polls, an increase of 215.
Acres of land returned are 196,
762, an increase of 12,922.
The aggregate value returned
for this land, including buildings
thereon, is $1,404,935; an, increase
of $100,615.
The aggregate value of City or
Town Property returned is $467,
882, and increase of $55,979.
Value of shares in any state or
national bank of this State is re
turned at $148,669, an increase of
$19,119.
Capital in bank as sinking fund
or surplus, and undivided profits,
is returned at $13,500, an increase
of $2,500.
Value of stocks and bonds is re
turned at $2,860, an increase of
$860...
Amount of Money and debts,
pages $« a Ye?ir
notes and accounts, etc., is retur
ned at $278,038, an increase ul
$147.
Merchandise and are re
turned at $189,756, an increase of
1 $35,865.
Iron works, foundries, etc re
turn $1,200, an increase of SSOO.
Value of household and kitchen
furniture, Pianos, Organs, Libra
ries, Pictures, etc., is $141,745, an
increase of $17,940.
Watches, jewelry, etc., are re
turned at $7,007, an increase of
$1,192.
Horses, mules, and other stock
are returned at $361,973, an in
crease of $54,755.
Carriages, Wagons, buggies
tools, etc., are returned at $lO9,
580, an increase of $11,425.
Cotton, corn, etc, and provisi
ons are returned at $23,104, a de
crease of $3,435.
Value of corporate franchises
$10,790, an increase of $4,317.
* Tax on professions $340, an in
crease of S4O, being returned by
2 new doctors and 2 new lawyers,
Aggregate value of whole of
property i5'53,336,499, an increase
$288,543.
QUARTERLY CONFERENCE
NEXT SUNDAY.
; The Quarterly Conforance will
meet at the MHJonough church
next Sunday, the 21st instant.
The presiding elder, Dr. J. 11.
Lakes, will preach at 11 o’clock
in the morning.
Quarterly Conference will meet
at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. '
Let us have a full attendance at
both services.
J. E. England, Pastor.
Closing out Ice Cream Freezers,
Preserving Kettles, Etc.
Variety Store.