Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-12

Correspondence between Col. Ba.
ber aud Judge Winans-Judge
4 Winans Calls out Col. Baber and
then Refuses 10 Meet Him in
Debate.
COLUMBUS, August "a, 1868.
Hon. j. J. Winans:
DEAR SIR I'm your speech published in
the Ohio State Journal of the 22d August,
delivered at Columbus on the 2lst instant,
and which had the pleasure OF hearing,
y III say: - It-ltt t = =
propose briefly to allude to a resolu-
tion of the London Democratic Convention,
Of local and personal concern. 1t is as fol-
lows:
iss"' Resoloed, That we accept the issue ten
dered by the nomination of Hon. j. j. Wi
mans as the Radical candidate for Congress
in this district and that we call upon all
those who last fall voted against negro
suffrage to rally once more to the settle
ment of this question, which has thus been
a second time forced into the canvass
"This resolution is supposed to have been
the result and climax of the labors OF my
friend, Col. Baber, who was so ungratefully
set aside and discarded by the Convention.
Having deprived itself ofthe advantages to
be derived from the advocacy of the resolu-
tion by its author, by falling to put him in
domination, the party has availed itself of
the valuable services of the STATESMAN, and
the editor of the Winans column of the
Springfield Transcript, to scatter its dust in
the eyes of the people. Itissuggested that
as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, /
sustained the late Democratic Visible Ad-
mixture Bill and as Judge of the Dis
trict Court, held it to be unconstitutional
and void. 1t is true that in legal effect, in
the several capacities l made the decisions
stated. What of II? ?"
After an 4 )lanation of the circumstan-
ces under which you made these conflict
/ * decisions, and justifying the one in ia
vor of the Constitutionality of the Visible
Admixture bill as "a pro tormd decision
overruliug the demurrer, without decis-
| ion of which the case could not have been
| taken to the District Court" though, in
| fact, decision sustaining the demurrer
could have been equally well taken up, for
the same interests nOtoriously controlled
| both sides of the case made up at Xenia.
You then grav.ly remark that ''my
nomination rendered no ISSUE and
forces no question whatever into the can
Tass,' touching negro suffrage The cleo
ton last fall settled the question that ne
groes should not Uote, and the decision in the
Collins case re-settled the question that aohite
men should uote. Both questions are there
fore res dduticGtd-settled, and neither of
them in issue." Certainly very happy
belief for candidate for Congress in dis
trict which gave over 2 500 majority
last fall against negro suffrage; provided
his expected constituents can be persuaded
to have equal faith, that the Illegal polling
of hundreds of negro votes at Xenia and
elsewhere, under the judicial decision of
yourself and Judge White-a candidate for
reelection as Supreme Judge, does not
practically nullifv the late verdict of $4,000
majority in Ohio. ...
Judge c. w. Dewey, of Greene, your
former law partner, who was full cognizant
of the frauds committed at the Xenia polls,
by which the voice of a majority of the
honest legal voters of this district is over
ridden by negro votes illegally cast, euen
under the decision of the Supreme Court,
reported the resolution upon which you
comment and take issue. However, when
you go further,apd introduce my name pu' =
licly into canvass, where l am in no posi-
tion to reply, you cannot as a candidate,
refuse to give me an opportunity of meet
ing you on equal terms. -f r-
Negro suffrage is made the great issue in
the campaign by the unconstitutional re-
construction measures of your party, in
the creation. by military despotism, of 700 =
600 illegal lie gro votes, for the purpose of
controlling the coming Presidential elec-
ii n. In Ohio, by judicial notification of the
word ''white'' in the Constitution, it is
hoped by like means to elect you and otht T
Radicals to Congress, and if possible to
overcome the legal vote of the State for
Presidential electors. Nevertheless, YOU
assert that there Is no question ,ohatever in
the canvass touching snegro suffrage,n as
declared by the resolution of the London
Democratic Convention, for the framing of
which you hold me responsible. 1
90 not seek to thrust myself into
a general discussion with you, : but
having been called out by you on tbis