Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-26
Avn Embarrassing Position.

Al USltAOns
The letter of Hon. A. Il. Stephens,
which we yesterday published, defining
his position on the Gubernatorial ques-
ton, places Hon. Emory Speer, indie
pendent N. c. from the Ninth Georgia
district, in an exceedingly embarrassing
position. On the 18th inst, the day of
the meeting of the Speer-Felton confer
ence in Atlanta. a telegram from Mr.
Speer to Rev. W. II. FELTON,, D. D., was
made public. as follows: q hope the
committee of Independents who meet to-
day viii recommend Mr.. Stephens as the
peoples candidate for Governor. IkROs
p0sitirely italics ours he will not reject
such a recommendation, and that,
if elected. he will be the Gov
ernor Of the people without regard
to party" Yet Mr.. Stephens, ex-
actly one week after Mr.. Speer's tele-
gram was sent, wrote as follows to Mr..
Charles E. Smith, of Washington, Ga. A:
when asked the question whether /
would allow my name to be used in con-
nection with this office at the next cleo
ton against the nomination of another
person by the Democratic State COnven-
ton, to assemble on the 10Th of July
next, my uniform answer has been 4
r0uld not. Italics ours) l
have seen a telegram dated the 18th
inst, from Atlanta, Ga, to the Chicago
Tribune, published in the Augusta ChrOn-
icls and C0nstitutiOndlist of the goth
inst, stating that 1 had telegraphed to
the Atlanta Convention of Independents
that I would accept the nomination for
Governor Il as utterly untrue that
eUer sent any such telegram or authorized
is being sent By anybody" italics ours
Now here is a decided conflict of state
ments. Mr.. Speer asserts positively, in
q telegram dated the 18th inst, that he
knows Mr.. Stephens will accept the In
dependent recommendation" for Gov
ernor. Mr. Stephens, on the 22d inst.
asserts equally as positively that he will
not do any such thing, and that he never
authorized any such statement as that
made by Mr. Speer. The question natu
rally arises, therefore, upon what cid
Mr.. Speer base his statement? The only
suppOsitiou to be arrived at is that he
made it after consultation with Mr..
Stephens. 1t is unqualified. He
does not say Il have good reason to be
lieve, or 81 have information 10 justify
the belief, etc, but he comes squarely
out and says Il kn0,c." How could he
know positively that Mr.. Stephens was
willing to accept the Independent IRE
commentator" unless he had heard il
from Mr.. Stephens own lips. Yet Mr.
Stephens denies with the greatest empha
sis that he ever made any such statement
or auth orized its publication.
1t is now in order for Mr.. Speer tC
rise to a question Of personal privilege
and explain. We expressed our doubts
as to the correctness of his telegram
when it first appeared, and now the
emphatic assertion of Mr.. Stephens him
self shows those doubts to have beer
well founded. 1t can only be concluded
that Mr.. Speer stated as a matter Of
positive knowledge what was only {
fight of his imagination, and a matter
of which he really had no knowledge
whatever. 1t looks as if ht
had spoken recklessly and without
the slightest shadow of authority, anC
he owes it to himself and to his constitu
ency to set himself right. He should
openly state upon what authority be
based his statement to DR.. FELTON,, for al
present he stands convicted, to say the
least, of fragrant disqualification, anC
of having deliberately misrepresenteC
facts to his political associates. This i
an exceedingly embarrassing position fol-
any one to occupy, but especially &
member of Congress. and a person Sc
prominently before the public as is Mr.
Speer. He owes it to his constituents
his political faction and his State to SCI
/ himself right