Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-30
An Explanation.
=. IRoNToN, Mo. March 20, 1882.

Am Explanation.
IRoNToN, Mo-, March 90, 1882.
Ed. Poplar Bluff Citizen
DEAR SIR: Some friend has kindly
sent me a copy of your issue of the 16tn
inst, containing your criticism of an
| article purporting to be an interview
with me on the affairs OF Butler county
and published i'll the Globe Democrat
recently. Now if the interview had
been correctly reported there would
have been no room for criticism, but
exaggerations and misstaternents oc-
curing all through it. called for review
and explanations, hence this commu
nication.
1 intended contradicting the untrue
parts of the article in the same paper
in which the matter appeared, but con-
sidering that the very persons affected
by it, would most likely fail to get the
benefit of it, thought it a waste of
time; but now, since it has become
local matter, it is proper that offered
such explanation, with your permis-
sion, in the manner best calculated to
prevent harm to the interests of our
county.
Concerning the overflow, / did not
say, as was reported, that the larger
part of Butler county was under water,
but mentioned only the low or bottom
lands of Black river. The report would
indicate that the city of Poplar Bluff
was inundated, whereas the staten mt
was that some of the families living in
the lower part of town were compelled
to leave their homes, but as the waters
were suhsiding they would not suffer
such incnn venieDce but few days.
That the place Poplar Bluff bad
been ''cut off from the outside world,
having no mail for two weeks" was
another Indication of the power of the
| reporters verbal microscope.
Touching the political outlook, moth
ing was said about the hopeful indica-
tions that the Estate would be re-
deemed" or that Moss backs and
Bourbons (names l never use, even in
the most ordinary con veasationl were
trembling" or something to that ef-
| fleet.
Touching the exercise of franchise by
the colortd people, in answer to the re-
porter's question, | simply said they
were enjoying their privileges, and
more of them had voted there at the
last than at any previous election (this
| was told by q citizen just after the
| last electionl, without any thought of
| intimating that they had been intimi-
dated or in any way hindered from ex-
ercising their rights, as Was made. to
| appear in the report.
| 1 did not speak of our present MEM
her of the Legislature as "making u
stir" in politics; but remarke,. in an
swer to his query that it was too soon
| to make any stir concerning those
matters but understood that Mr.. r.
p. Lilies, our present member OF the
LEGISLATURE would be candidate for
| reelection.
But this, Mr.. Editor, is sufficient to
show that the interview was far from
| being correctly reported, and were it
not that Others as well as myself would
| suffer from the misstatements, should
! not even now take pains to present the
matter in it's proper light; but interest
ed as am in securing immigrat ton to
s Southeast Missouri, and advancing the
cause of truth and righteousness there
| in, / submit this statement and explain
alton, hoping that my usefulness in
the religious field may not be injured
by the previous erroneous presen
| tation which this is designated to
correct.
I notice in a recent issue Of the CD.
what is represented as being an int T.
view with our synodical missionary,
Rev. Thos. Marshal, upon the same
subject c ,ncerning Northwest Iissouri,
in which have no doubt appear some
enlarged expressions touching some Of
these same matters. OF this, however,
have no right to speak, only in kind
ness to Bro. NJ, and to intimate to those,
whose confidence in him might be
broken, that [ think him too wise and
good a man to sacrifice his Christian
use fulness by sen ling out broadcast
such statements to the world. Minis
ters, as other men, have right to their
political views, but not many of them
are willing to parade them before the
world to the prejudice of the work in
which they are engaged.
Very truly and fraternally yours.
A. w. WRIGHT