Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-17
LETTER FROM CAPT. ". A. THORN
TON.

1 regret exceedingly that my name has been
brought 80 prominently before the public, owing
10 an alteration between yourself and some
friend of mine writing over the cognomen o.
washington Township arising from y COM
munication addressed to the IntellIgencer com
mandatory of myself and endorsing certain com
plimentary notices from friends in Davis and
Freedom townships, advocating my claims for
the Office of County Collector.
You are correct, sir. IN your conclus ions, tina:
1 did not authorize any attack upon you through
the Register or any other source. On the con-
-trary. I have Always spoken Of you in the most
respectful terms, Is well rs all of my competitors
for the ONCE we seek, and wherever your merits
or claims were discussed in my presence / have
invariably represented you Us a drm and con-
sistent democrat and a gallant and true soldier
In the cause that served and loved so well, and
1 had INDUCED the fond hope Out l fear now
vainly) that this canvass would pass of pleas
antly and that no feelings of q jealous or envi.
Gus nature would arise to mar the perfect con-
cord and harmony that ought to exist between
gentlemen Of the same political faith and bat
Ting together for the same great results SO nee
sssary to our county. state and national we'll
fare and prosperity.
Now. in Justice to myself, 1 must be permitted
to say that 1 never asked any one of my friends
to pronounce eulogies upon my name or WI ite
complimentary communications for me through
the papers, but inasmuch as those con tribl-
tions We're voluntary and -emsnstlng from their
kind and friendly Considerations for me | ap-
preciated them accordingly and shall ever feel
grateful to them for their Kind and friendly in
terest in my behalf.
And now, sir. let us advert briefly to the issue
between yourself and a 'tyoice from Washing
ton.'' and l must say, that my friend from
Washington, while he may have b cen q little too
hasty and inpetuous In his charge upon you
through the Register, had to my mind no little
provocation for the attack. Being unacquaint-
ed with the rules of your paper regulating the
charges for such publications., he simply al
dressed u communication to your paper, couch
ed, 1 am told, Qor / have never seen the arti-
cle,) in the most courteous and chaste language,
inyeighing against no one, but simply endorsing
the sentiment contained in the communications
from Davis and Freedom, and giving it as his
opinion that Washington township would sup
port me for Collector. and therein, 1 fear con-
sists, in your estimation, his great sin. Now
sir, 1 feel that had you been u dislntere .led
party and q fair, candid and impartial editor of
the Democratic organ Of the county, that YOU
would not have hesitated to publish the article
ySNA VA ~ -AoA ZIG Ieu
dered, which would doubtless have been paid IN
full; but in your apparent zeal for the financial
interest Of the paper yon deemed it advisable to
write to Mr.. Schooley upon the subject and in
vite him to a conference with you ut your Office.
Now. at the risk of being thought inquisltlve,
permit me TO ask you why you were 30 DESTROYS
for an interview with Mr.. schooley? Was it be-
cnuse you feared you had done violence to his
feelings in failing to publish his communities
ton? or was 1t because you thought or feared he
had too truly portrayed the sentiments OF the
people of Washington townships Pardon me
1T do you injustice, but 1 am forced to the con-
clusion. after q careful perusal of your article
oil the 10th lnst., that you were controlled and
actusted by the latter confederation, and am
strengthened in that conclusion by your suisse
quent course in reference to the communication
from Davis township endorsed by my friend
Mr.. Higgins. in which. you exhibited such ca
gsrness to know who Mr.. Higgins was and by
what authority he presumed to give it, as his
opinion, Davis township would support me;
you could hardly bring yourself to the conclu-
sion that he was . reality; and so disturbed was
your mind upon the subject that you had to
forthwith dispatch to Messrs Smith & Pedicord
to know whether such a being existed or not in
Higginsyilie. and thosa gentlemen not knowing
Mr.. Higgins. and ybn having lived in Davis
four years. tdye or SIX years age. } YOU consoIed
yourseifw with the thought, that he must be very
poor authority as to how Davis would vote.
Now you must bear in mind that q great many
changes take place in five or six years, and
that even you, occupying the high and impor-
tant position of CHI airman Of the executive COM
mittee and editor and grand mogul OF the DEM
ocrstic organ Of Lafayette county, are not ex-
pected to keep M with all the yicIsituias and