Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-13
lOerrespondence of the Globe. !

Correspondence of the Globe.
PINE Cry, Dot. ia telegram in the
Pioneer Press few days ago, purporting
to have been sent from here, announces with
flourish of trumpets that Col. James FL.
Davidson had been challenged to debate the
political topics of the day by VIM. Barrett
of st. Cloud, and that upon accepting Mr..
Barrett had declined. The reverse of this
was the truth, and that the readers of the
GLOBE may exactly understand the situation
give you full copy of the correspond
ence. Il is decidedly interesting reading.
Mr. Davidson's Challenge.
PINE CITY, Oct. Z, lSSo.-Wm. Barrett, Esq.
Dear Sir: Since my arrival in Pine City
am Informed that you announced to political
audience last night that "the bribe- giver and
The bribe takers friend would speak to. night,
and that on to- morrow night you would reply.
presume your insinuations referred to Gener-
al James A. Garfield. the candidate of The Re-
publican party for President, in whose inter
est, in part, speak tonight. / have person.
ally known General Garfield since 1860, and
served under him in the campaign in eastern
Kentucky when he thrashed the great expound-
Marshall. purer man in public and
prieAte life does not live, and
am confident he is in every way worthy
of the confidence and esteem of the American
people. That may contribute my mite to-
wards his vindication and to the vindication of
the Republican party, now challenge you to
joint discussion of the political issues of the
| cam paign tonight, on she following terms:
committee of two Republicans aud
two Democrats shall meet and by the toss of a
copper cent or other method which they may
select, shall determine who shall have the open
! ing and who the close, and each speaker shall
have a total of one hour and half. The party
opening and closing may divide his time as be
| pleases except that in his closing speech he
shall confDe himself to replying to the argu
ment of the opposite party and shall not pro-
| coed with new argument not advanced in the
opening.
Hoping that this will meet your approval, 1
mention as members of the Republi can party
to act on such committee, f. A. Hodge and J..
s. Fersou. Please give me an early acceptance
or refusal of this challenge to any other Demo
cratic champion who may desire to accept
| same, and oblige. / am, sir, very respectfully,
| your obedient servant,
JAS. e. DAVIDSON.
MR.. BARRRTT ACCEPTS.
PINE CITY, Oct. z, 1SSO.-James II. David
son, Esq-My Dear Sir: Yours of this date
is received and contents noted. I am grstifed
| that your desire to meet m e in joint discus
| sion has prompted you to make the challenge
contained in your note. am not surprised
| hat You have misconstrued my statement by
| supposing that referred to the late Rev.
A. Garfield, for bribery and co Eruption has
been SO conspicuous in the Republican party
| that it might have been difficult for you to
determine to whom did refer.
The language | used and which you have
correctly quoted might refer to numerous dis
tinguished lights, and leaders of the party,
and to no one, perhaps, more appropriate and
better than to General Garfield, your candi-
date for President.
That you may understand to whom and to
whom only 1 did refer, I will say,
hat meant that strumpet of cor
| ruption and political prostitute, William
| Washburn, the present Republican candidate
for Congress in this Congressional district.
presume that no person In the large and atten-
tive audience of last evening misunderstood
| my meaning.
The able and eloqsent speeches of Judge
| Gregory, Hon. e. NJ Wilson, and
| Judge Underwood, of Kentucky. fully
covered all the issues of national politics,
| and would not presume to travel over the
| ground 30 ably discussed by them.
| 1t was to the issues alone involved in the
contest for member of Congress in this district
| that proposed to discuss If, therefore, upon
those issues you desire to meet me In JOINT DIS
| cussion, your proposition is accepted. But to
| one of your propositions must dissent.
OF many offenses of commissions and omis-
sions man may be guilty, but of the offenses
of gambling for money, Office, the oppor-
| tunity TO make little political capital for my
friends, or the principles which they represent,
| have never been guilty.
| And, pardon me if 1 allude to the matter,
and if say that / surprised that you,
| who ought to be and doubtless are, the ex-
| ponent of the higher, better and purer sys-
TENS of moral ethics, politics and religion that
| your friend, MIR. WashburD) whom you must
represent, and whose qualifications for the
Office of Represent alive of this Congressional
district am prepared to discuss with you,
| should propose to ''toss up cent" for the pur-
| pose of determining in what way you may de
| fend the man who stands charged before a
| jury of bis countrymen with the crimes OF
| bribery and corruption, of which he has not
been acquitted.
Think we can agree upon better, more
| moral apA legal method of determining the
manner n which we will present the questions
which propose to discuss with you this even
| ing if you desire.
suggest, therefore, that all of the prelimin-
a:y arrangements to be submitted to Mr..
Hodge and MIR. FresOn, gentlemen of the Re
publican trty, whom you have suggested, and
to w. Fl. Grant, Esq, and Oliver Wilcox, Esq,
| representing the Democratic party of this
vicinity. Any arrangements these gentlemen
may make will be satisfactory to me. Re-
spectfully yours, VIM. BARRETT.
MIR. DAVIDSON DEMURs.
PINE CRY, Mimi, Oct. z, 18S0.-W. a. Bar
rett, Esq: Your reply to my challenge is re-
ceived. If you intend thereby to confne the
discussion wholly to the fitness of William D.
hhr1rr for
such narrow limits. l am certainly willing
that you may spend your time and strength on
that issue if you desire, but l certainly will
use my own pleasure to what issues / think
to be paramount in this campaign as to how
the time shall be appOrtioned and who shall
open and close. / think the committee can
select some method that will mete a fair and
equal chance for each of us to secure the open
JAS. q. DAVIDSON.
MR. BARRETT REVIEWS HIS ACCEPTANCE.
PINE CRY, Oct. z, 18S0.-James 81. Dayid-
son, Esq.-My Dear Sir: Yours IF this date in
answer to my reply to your challenge to meet
you in joint discussion this evening is Just re-
ceived.
La justice to you, and not the man whom
you represent, I must conclude that you have
been misinformed as to what said last even
ing to which you have referred in your letter
u ILLS uate, or tua1 you must nave put q
wrong construction upon my language quoted
ia my former note TO you. 1 meant what /
said. l am willing tonight to discuss with
you the merits, qualifications and integrity,
political. moral and religious. of MIR. William
D. Washburn and Gen. Henry q. Sibley.
They are representative men, men of the
Two parties Of whom you and I are humble
supporters. l must therefore ask you 20 with
draw your challenge for joint discussion I'M
less you accept the terms of my former propo-
sition. You have the original and must know
what 1 mean. The people of this vicinity
wish to know what you have to say IN favor of
ur. Washburr. Son ething must be said in
his behalf before he can expect to make
change in the vote of this county. which two
years ago helped to brand him as the cham
oion brlbe-giyer and pine land stealer of the