The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-01-30
Il LETTER FROM HON. JESSE &.

find in the columns of th
GAZETTE Of January %, 1873, a
article or letter entitled. THE Ker
lucky and Tennessee McAdar
Road" headed Lee Valley, Tenn
Jan. s. 1873. and signed "Clinch.
Under this character of title to
communication, strange to say,
find near the middle of the Iette
this reference that concerns myseI
and the citizens of my county:
"While at the Gap we were please,
to meet our good Democratic friend
Hon. Henry Patton, late representative
of Hancock and Claiborne, and presen
&c i1tfe member; he was undoubtedly re
elected by a handsome majority owe
Mr.. Rogers de fiGctO incumbent, but wa
counted out by a little radical moonshin
returning board over on the Kentucky
border. We think it fortunate for Mr.
Patton that his friends didn't learn tn
facts of the fraud until it was too lat,
to successfully contest the seat; as b,
thereby escaped the odium of partiei
pating in the late lamented repudiatine
extra session. East Tennessee has few
young men of purer character or bright
er prospects than Henry Patton, and we
are glad to know that the Democracy
of the mountain counties have already
selected him as their next Senatorial
standard-be in this Senatorial dis
tTict" -<4H Oh. HatIaa ----.
To this last sentence have no OBJ
lection, and merely quote it for the
purpose Of having all that portion OF
| NJ CIinobsa Observation-Disclosures Flo =
calls forth this letter from me.
Now do not know, nor do care,
who it is that is the author of this
communication referred to; it is
enough that he has disguised his
name and has written over an as
sumed signature; but this much l
! dol brand the author Of that ar
ticle as liar and q COWARD. A liar
because he has published a base
falsehood-a coward because in do.
ing SO he has concealed his name.
The statement that Mr.. Patton (who
agree is a gentleman) was elected
over me by handsome or any other
kind of a majority, at the November
election, 1876, is wholly false and
untrue, as the official returns will
and do show. The statement that
| Mr.. Patton. was counted out by a
little radical returning board, or any
other kind of returning board, on the
Kentucky border or any where else
is equally false and untrue, Mr..
Patton nor a single one of his many
friends have never claimed to me
that there was anything unfair in
the election; but on the contrary,
when all the returns were received,
MIR. Patton, in his own proper per-
son, on Main street in the town of
TazeWell, in the presence Of num-
Der of persons, called me to him aud
addressed me in these words
have not a word 10 say; you have
beaten me. You have acted and
shown yourself a gentleman, and L
submit to the will of a majority of
the people"
AS Mr.. Clinch refers to the border
of Kentucky, L suppose that he in
tends to mean the 1sJ civil district.
of Claiborne county, as that is the
only portion OF Claiborne or Han
cock counties bordering on Kentucky
in that district. received IS votes
and Mr.. Patton received only one
UOte. The district contains about
l20 Voters and there were over 100
votes polled in that district in the
August election, 1876. Mr.. Patton
acknowledged after the election that
be did not expect to get a vote in
the district; that he received one
more vote than he looked for. He
declined to visit that district with
me before the election, although we
had joint appointment for the dis
trict expressly agreed upon by both
of US. The people along the border
of Kentucky, living in this county,
are industrious and honest. and have
the respect of all who know them.
They are as true to principle and to
Repubiicanism as the needle to the
pole and the statement in Clinch's
letter attempting to reflect upon
them is unjust and untrue. MIR. Pat
ton saw the returns from this dis
trict before they were forwarded to
the Secretary of State, and he made
no objection to them.
/ aln unable to conceive Of the
purpose Of the author of the false
hood above pointed out, unless it is
for the purpose of advancing Mr..
Patton's opportunities as a Senatori-
al aspirant. If this is the purpose
cannot believe at the present that
Mr.. Patton is party to it, as he
knows it to be false; besides Mr..
Patton and his friends cannot afford
to present his claims as aSenatorial
by rejecting upon me and
q portion Of the honest people of my
county. and that too at the expense
Of publishing an unqualified false
hood.
Again L cannot see why Mr.. Clinch
gave vent to this expression in his
letter:
eve think it fortunate for Mr.. Patton
that his friends didn't learn the facts of
The fraud until it was too late to success
July contest the seat; as he thereby es-
,aped the odium of participating in the
ate lamented repudiating extra session."
1t could not have been the pur-
pose of the author to reflect upon
ne, or my action, in the late extra
essi on. unless he is in total ignor-
nee Of my action as a member Of |
hat body. II Me-. CIinch read the |