The Van Buren press., 1878-05-28
EplroR VAN BuaEs Pass We sec

EpiroR VAN buren, Pass We sec
Gen. Churehiil's friends are continually
trying to make capital for him at Maj.
Woodruff's expense. How do they, or
are they, going to explain away the
Generals drawing two salaries--Major
General and Superintendent of Penitcn.
tiary-at the same time, in 1874. The
General has money Maj. Woodruff $
pile is meagre this may account for the
present advocacy of the General by per
sons who first halloed for Billy Wood
ruff, and now they have bought the Ga
zette, we suppose they think the cards
stocked on Billy. Not 50. His friends
and they are legion-will take up the
cudgel for him. Money, alone, must not
rule, We call upon the friends of Maj.
Woodruff to be up and doing.
LITTLE Rock, ARK. May 10. 1873.
Editor Democrat:
Your correspondent, ''sssn charges that
Mai. W oodrutf has endcavored to make capt.
tai out of the Texas cannon purchased in
1874. | defy any man to show any word, in
print or writing, or to report any verbal ut
teranee from him, tending to support such as
serton, prior to his answer to your report of
the speaking at Fayetteville, in which your
cores onGent attributed to Gen. Churchill
certain incorrect statements concerning that
purchase. which demanded correction at
Woodrutfs hands. About the same time, a
Little Rock correspondent of the Pine Blutl
Press tried to create the impression that
Woodruff had received from the state, on ac-
count of that purchase, Il much larger sum
than he had paid over, Those false statements
Woodruff, in justice to himself, exploded by
publishing the letters of Judge Rose and GOV.
Baxter. from which tile smallest OF mathema-
tlclanS can readily discover That Mai Wood
ruff is some hundreds of dollars out OF pocket.
should not have noticed your correspondent
If the matters above referred to stood alone.
But rs he endeayors to reduce Woodruff to
the status of an ordinary claimant against
the state, in respect to the cannon purchase,
SO far he is worthy of attention. Mr.. Smith
ee, that your correspondent is endeayorng to
produce a false impression, you are surely
aware, for you were the intermediate agent
of Woodruff and the state in the transaction
to which he refers, and the only man who
knows all about it.
In purchasing the cannon, Woodruff acted
as the agent of the state, under written au-
thority, giving ample power to do all things
necessary 10 secure tlt,ii' peioie s.ait.nS W
texas ne arranged Win you Il SET OF terms
Tor teieSfapli!e correspondence concerning ms
MISSION ana 1t was 10 you that ne ulu Iele
graph that the owner OF tne guns woulu nor
sell dlfeetlt 10 tue STATE out TO "oouIuH
alone upon MS lnaivluual 'ote' TO De iurtner
guaranteed py lhaiNllual siS natures alier
guns arrived here. and it was you who tele
graphed to him substantially in reply: "CloSc
the contract forward the guns and come
Ln,,o y
hohle.
Is 1t not little remarkable, indeed, Is IL not
a reproaeh to YOU. that YOU, OF all persons,
shoiiI1 admit such an effort to prOlurp n false
sh"'iu aathi. SUN an wv P'oo"oN " ''',
you have so often proclaimed your own
Without wora OF comment. or even aiitisioh
TO the dlsefeditaDlc attempt.
Now. have few words TO say IN regard
to Gen. Churchill, who Is my friend. lie mas
been in Arkansas twenty-five or more years.
and during th@t time mas occupied hl%h oli-
cial positions nearly or quite loilr- iiths OF the
time. lie was postmaster before the war uh-
der high pay, lie was colonel brigadler ana
major general during the war under hlgh
pay. lie was elected lieutenant governor IN
lSG6-a high honor lie was twice elected
treasurer III lst4 and 1876. lie was also SUI
perintehdent OF the penitehtlafy III ie'i al
time lie was also hiaJof-geherai OF ehe slaIe