The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-07-30

He rises 20 0ersngle sn Unprovok.
% Calumny.
1 from the Davenport Gazette. July ysh.l
While the press exercises great
! freedom in commenting upon indivi-
duals. and especially in criticising
the ol6cial acts Of those who have
held, or are holding public position.it
IS not usual to deny to parties assail-
ed the privilege OF being heard in
self-defence. The propriety Of Civ
ing the vindication in the same col
umns which contained the charge.
must be obvious TO every one, not
only Is an act of justice. but that
those readers who imbibe the poison
may receive the antidose. without
troubling the public =: large with =
matter which has only acquired local
importance. But some times an ed
itor is not willing to allow one whom
he has assailed the privilege Of de-
Tending his own reputation. There
is such . specimen, we regret to say,
in this immediate vicinity. Nearly
two months ago the Wilton Cnroni-
cis tnow Wilton Herald published
an attack upon Hon. Hiram Price, to
which that gentleman sent . promp,
and conclusive reply; but the editor.
Mr.. g. o. Pearce, suppressed the re-
ply, and has since repeated the un-
founded siurs and insinuations which
constituted the original calumny. In
view of this continued injustice, MIR.
Price has sent Us note, enclosing a
copy Of the letter originally sent to
The Chronicle, both of which We sub
join:
EnIToRs DAVENPORT GAZETTE
Gentlemen: On the 4th Of June an
ed torial appeared in the Wilton
Chronicle calculated IF believed) to
do me very great injury. Believing
that the writer would not intention
ally publish falsehood prejudicial
to the character of any one, | wrote
him the letter hereto attached with
the expectation on my part that tina,
innate sense Of justice which rarely
deserts any man who lays any claim
to the character of gentleman.
would prompt him to publish if, and
thus. as far A. he could, right the
wr.,ng, which supposed he had. for
want Of proper and correct infarma-
iron, done me. La that expectation !
have been disappointed. Fridays
Ga5ette contains letter from the ed
TOR II The Wilton paper making an
insiHustion Of the same kind Is that
con aimed in his editorial OF the lth
Of June. | am therefore compelled
10 ask the publication Of my letter in
your paper
DAVENPORT, june 6, 1874.
EDITORS WILTON CHEpSi.Ls-
Genfiemsn in your issue Of the 4th
inss, you have seen proper to make
..se c: :.y :.aa.a il : manner thar
does me great injustice. This | pre-
sumo you will, as honorable men, take
pleasure in correcting as soon as the
facts are placed in your possession
In the first place you assume that |
was in some way connected with the
"lrsda -Mo5iher scindle.r Nothing
could f.e more unjust and further
from the truth than this. | did not
own one dollar Of railroad stock or
bonds during all the time | was a
member Of Congress, and it would be
ust IS proper 10 make that charge
against you or any other innocent
person, and an examination Of the
searching investigating Of tina, mat
ter in Congress cannot fail to satisfy
you or any one else Of that fact.
In the second place you say was
one Of committee of three whose
business it WAS 'tto look after the
welfare Of the nation regarding this
very scheme" and then you ask
Did not the Treasury get robbed of
millions of dollars and thousands of
acres of land while he was on that
eommittesf'
Now what are the factss The on
ly committee Of three ever appointed
connected with the U. r. r. r. Of
which | have any knowledge, was
the committee appointed by the
President in compliance with the
law, whose business it was to exam
inc each 40 miles of the road, and re-
port It's completion, before any bonds
could be issued.
] presume it will be a sufficient an
swer to the charges which you bring
against me, to say, that never was
member Of that committee, nor had
! ever any connection with it direct
~ or indirectly.
Now in the light Of the fact that
the law authorizing the construction
Of the Union Pacific railroad, and the
granting Of lands and bonds, was
passed before | was . member Of
Congress, think you will agree with
me when | say that your article of
the 18th inst, does me very great in
justice.
! am not seeking nomination for
Congress and the man does not live
who has heard me express desire
for that or any other office for the
last FIVE years, | have taken some
pains, when in Office, to discharge my
whole duty, and thought | had sue
ceeded to the satisfaction OF those
who had placed the trust in my
hands,
My private character as an honest
man ! prize much more highly than
any Office, and for that reason / trou-
BILE you and myself with this communi-