The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-10-13

he conflicting testimony as to his position. |
And the correctness Of this conclusion Is con |
armed by an admission which Er. Ogerstreei |
himself made to Mr.. Hammoad on our streets, |
that while in Texas during the war, ~he had
70 whip the devil around the stump" Loyal
men In Texas might have honestly thought
that be was loyal, and the disloyal men might
Just rs honestly have thought he was disloyal
When = man Is whipping the devil around
the stump" without you can see into his
heart, you can't tell what motives prompt him
TO do it. will not question the letters OF
ReVs. J. II. Wright, of Baxter Springs, and
WIN. ID. Baker. Of Zanesville. Ohi0-the latter,
by Mr.. C. w. Potwin, with whom
have the honor Of partial acquaintance, not
the Rev. Mr.. Baker, in his let
ter says, "YOu (Oyerstreet) were cOnscriPted
{ in Texas) for the army, by some local con-
federste authority" and, Rev. Mr.. wright
seems TO contradict this BY saying IN his letter
that .'he (OVerstreetl was exempt from con-
scriptlon by virtue Of his profession SIS min
ister." This conscript business. which iii.
O.'s witnesses have brought TO light may not
establish Mr. O.'s dIsloy atty at all, but II may
serve to explain, TO some extent, at least, that
Mr.. Means had been told that he (Ovsrstreet)
was = rebel chaplain, for having been con-
scripted, it would be quite natural for the
confederates 10 regard him ~ ut person for
such position In their service. Whether
Mr.. o. wore two faces in Texas or not leave
the public here to judge from the evidence
which Is before them, myself expressing the
desire that he khaIl be held innocent until
more positively proven guilty, conGessing,
however, that to my own mind, the matter is
not quite as clear rs a sunbeam. The conflict
between the letter of MIR. Davis taking it as
genulne) and the affidavit Of MIR. Means may
be placed, II you please, TO the credit OF Mr..
Overstreet, though one Is sworn to and the
others Is not. MI. Means is an honorable man
and have no doubt but Mr. Davis is. What
some men tai K at leisure thoughuessly, Is
sometimes entirely different from the consid-
Grafton of the same matter when they come to
put IL in '.btack and white" Hence both may
be entirely honest in their recollection and In
what they state.
Now with reference to the letter written BY
young Mr. Carter to the saloon keeper at New
ton, will say, In truth, 1 never saw that let
ter until it appeared in the NEWS in eonnec-
ton with Mr.. O.'s communiestioo-never die
tated its concentrated no hand in getting 1t
up-never proposed to pay anything for trou-
BILE or notary fees, nor did I know that my
name was mentioned. MIR. Carter Is absent
from town; when he returns he will doubt
less make some explanation. The public will
certainly not hold me responsible tor q thing
of which was entirely innocent. L publish
ed his statement before because he positively
asserted 1t to be true, and being young man
of quick and close observation ! shall be mir
taken il there is not something about it that
be can explain, and not like friend Adams,
wish it corrected after IL IL sw orn 20.
Again: 1t will not be rgotten that in the
6rat piac e, Mr.. Oyeretreet charged, through
the columns of the Emporia NEWS. that had
stolen u part Of the appropriation for building
the Normal school fence-that had stolen the
rock that went into the foundation OF my
building from the Normal school land, &c.
The evidence, conclusive of the falsity Of .hese
charges has been heretofore published. II
have used harsh language about him l plead
the irritating character Of these groundless
charges in excuse for it, and here ask the par
don of the public.
Mr.. .. refers to NV war record as being
solely made up by service in the ''KAhsas
MdIisk." 1t appears to me that serving with
MALTA of Kansas is q much better war record
than whipping the devil around the stump
in Texas. No Fairtaf in that! No! And,
then again, Mr.. o. could not have had 3 very
clear idea of the sufferings Of either the mali
tia OF regular troops any where, when we con.
slider that he made the expression last fall Al
the court house that "in preaching the gospel
in Texas he was doing more for the Union
than the soldiers in the field" Until then we
knew not to whom we were indebted for ouI
liberties and the preservation Of the Union
While recognize the important service rem
dered the country by all true ministers Of the
gospel and the necessity OF invoking the guild.
ing hand of Almighty God in temporal as well
as spiritual affairs, yet question the value oil
that service which is rendered in simply
whipping the devil around the stump"
Mr.. o. says Mr.. Adams requests him Il
make y correction in his affidavit. That Il
| what have been wanting MIR. o. and thu
gentleman to do for some time past-correc
your afidavits. But the correction IL incor
rect. will say to friend Adams, TRY again
| think you mean we'll, but that treacherou
memory Of yours VIII not do to rely on.
Mr.. .. turns me over to the voters Of the 6Stl
representative district and says he apprehend
| the high-minded, intelligent. christian peopl
of this community will hardly send Inc to rep
| resent them in the next legislature. Recog
Dizing these general elements of character a
! important on alt occasions, hope 1 shoult
= spect so far as to snock the nerves Of even tn
most sensitive. I make no loud-moutheC
professions as to superior moral excellenc
| over the average Of my fellow citizens, and
certainly do not wish to founder in the depth
Of that moral degradation 10 which Mr.. over
street, In his christtdn charity 10 struggling t.
consign me. Ii he had Iabored in the legisIa
ture rs energeticaIly for the advancement o
our interests as he has since to break me down
he probably would have been more successful
No charge which he may make in the fu
ture will provoke me to attempt to continue
this controversy. Though he may have leis
ure. have something else to do. Many citi
zens here have known me for long time, anC
all his writing will add nothing to their pres
ent knowledge. For mis- chTiStiGH efforts t
place me in Gethsemane will be excused fol
compelling him to take the road to Damascus
In conclusion, will say that the people HAYS
repeatedly honored me with their support.
have never disgraeed them that know Of, mol
did ever betray their confidence. II my
poor services or limited experience in leg1sIa.
tive matters are worth anything to the dis
trict, and the people desire It, l am willing
for what they have done for me, If nothing
more, to give their interests an untIring and
unselfsh support. I trust, at least, that the
disintereSted voters Of the dIstrict-those who
have no ends in view but the prosperity Of
the people, will vote on the day of the elec-
ton, not TO compliment me nor my opponent,
nor because either OF Us are clever fellows,
but vote ''business''-vote for him who In
your honest judgment W i'll best advance and
conserve the public interest, paying no. atten-
ton to stories or misrepresentation which, on
the eve OF the election, may be set afloat by
designing men. c. v. EsKRTDoE.
Oct. 9th, 1871.
POSTSCRIPT
Since the above communication was written
and in typeT sent note 10 Mr.. Carter re-
questing him to explain his letter TO the So
loon keeper at Newton and do me the Justice
to exonerate me from all connection with IL,
&C. The following 10 an extract from his let
ter in answer to it, and contains all that is
pertinent to the matter in question-so far as
am concerned:
SCHOOL HOUSE, Oct. 10, 1871.
HON. c. v. ESKRIDGE: Your letter of this
date with copy OF the communication " ritten
by Mr. Oyerstreet, is received. In justice TO
yourself must say that you had nothing to
DO with the writing Of that letter in any way
wbzteyer-that your name " a. used by me
without your knowledge, and, the proposition
TO pay the saloon keeper for the trouble and
expense OF making the statement mentioned
was proposition OF my own, and used your
name simply 70 impress the importance OF