The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-10-09

2Il 3QU kvSA
Here Ia what Mr.. 0ARPiELD has TO say
ooncerniug Captain Joux s. WIsE's state
ment that he bad seen a letter Ia that gen.
tleman's own handwriting, saying that be
was not candidate In Virginia. We copy
from the Valley Visyinidn
MENTOR. Quo, September 80, 1880.
b. 3. Bolts, Est HorrisoHbwg, Va:
Dear Sir, IL have received your letter OF
the 9th instant, Ia which you sav y mas
been stated IN a public speech at Harrison
burg That some gentleman In Richmond had
received letter in which stated, In effect,
that did sot consider myself candidate
IN the State Of Virgints.
I have 10 say. In refay, that i have writ
Zen no such letter. The story Is manifest'y
device 20 draw Republicans away to the
support st some Other candidate.
Very truly ycsms, j. A. GARFIELD.
Mr.. BORIS, in hrs letter to Mr.. GARFIELD,
says:
"Dear sIr,-Ibeard It stated in public
speect at this place on the Goth instant that
the speaker had seen, q few DAYS before,
letter from Colonel John II. Popham. OF
Richmond city, stating in effect that y5u ola
not consider yourself candidate In the
State OF Virginia. This is being circulated
all over the State and Is well calculated to
throw damper over all honest and earnest
Republicans here, and is TO some extent
psralyzlng our efforts"
This readers the affair more difficult OF
explanation than 1t was before. 1t is clear
that Captain JOHN s. WISE has made the
declaration, the truth OF which is denied
by Mr.. GARFIELD, in more speeches than
one and more places than one.
P.S-Late Yesterday afternoon Colonel
PoPHAM seat TO us the following letter,
which clears up the whole difficulty:
Editors Dispatch: Dear Sirs.-You have
several times within the past two weeks
invited me to explain the somewhat absurd
statement going the rounds" that Mr.. Gar
Geld bad written me q letter Withdrawing
himself as candidate for the Presidency OF
the United States from the contest In our
Stote. The fact that you who edit the lead
ing Democi attic newspaper OF Virginia have
at all times appeared so anxious TO make the
public believe that Mr.. Garfield was not
only q candidate in full run but most dam
gerous adversary, and likely, unless all hands
in your party should ri omptly unite on your
Nav ticket, to distance all his competitors,
caused ,De TO hesitate little as 10 the expe-
dicncy OF testifying in your behalf. knew
you would hardly summon me 10 the stand
except in your own interest. But as the
stories about this mysterious letter seem
still TO multiply, must beg sufficient space
10 the Dispatch to say that Mr.. Garfield
never wrote me the letter In question. and
~ "A l. io,f
on any one that he had. The statement he
bad done so was first made, it appears, by
Captain John S. Wise, and / am wholly re-
sponsIble for having misled him into doing
so. Let me therefore explain: About the
time OF the alleged writing Of this letter l
was, as you know, earnestly advising the
Republican National Committee to give
themselves no concern about the electoral
votes OF any southern State, but to give
their undivided attention to certain cou-
gressional districts of the South, num-
bering eighteen or twenty in all, and
embracing Readiusters as well as Republic
cans, in every district in our own State. This
policy had the endorsement OF many OF our
leading Republicans at home and abroad.
IL prevailed with the committee, whose de-
termination at the time referred to was to
have no general campaign. In circulating
this important news | naturally accompa-
MED it with many comments, coDiectureS,
and speculations. Amongst other things /
remember to have said, "Wby, Mr.. Garfield
don't need our vote. He don't expect it.
He IL not candidate down here" and so
on; meaning that he was not making con-
test. And then, IN spirit OF banter, aud
nothing more, / added: "Mr. Garfield
knows all this. He says so. Here is his
letter.w Unfortunately Captain Wise, who
was present at one Of these conversations,
the mood in which | was
speaking, and suppOsing was serious, de.
clared in one OF his speeches that he bad
been shown letter OF Mr.. Garfeld's.
And this is all there is Of the matter.
ours truly, j, X. POPHAM.
P.S Since writing the above have been
shown a correspo ndence in the Valley Vr-
0inian between Mr.. Beverly B Bolts and
MIR. Garfield, in which the latter very pro-
perly declares he has written no such letter.
| also note that Mr.. Bolts, through the tin.
horn OF newspaper proclamation, an-
nouncps to the world in his .letter to Mr..
Garfield that the Republicans OF Virginia
have determined to take advantage OF the
Democratic split and are going might and
main for the electoral votes of the State.
Surely this is what Mr.. Conkling would
call trying to surprise sleeping enemy
through the agency OF brass band.