Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-25
ToOmhs ON Stanhens.

among other things, that ne believed MI.
Stephens was in his dotage, and that he
was totally disqualified, mentally and
physically, from discharging the duties
of the Gubernatorial Office, to which be
will be elected in October. This reputed
interview has been quite extensively
quoted with the hope of injuring Mr..
Stephens, and it has been given out as
the expression of the opinion of Geor-
gian who, like the Democratic standard
bearer, has been in public life for a
number of years.
The truth of this interview has already
been denied, but General TOombs, evil
IDENTIFY not satisfied with general denial,
has taken pains to write letter to the
Atlanta Constitution declaring it, under
his own signature, untrue almost an toto.
His letter appears in the columns of our
Atlanta contemporary of Yesterday, and
we reproduce it in full. 1t is as follows:
"ATLANTA, GA, August 23.-EditOrs
Constitution: This morning the Augusta
Egenilg Neaos was handed me, with an
article purporting to be taken from the
Atlanta EUening Herald. There is one
truth in that article, and but one, that /
can detect in reading it, and that is that
/ had a conversation with Mr.. Howard
Williams, of the E0eniEg HerGId, on the
Saturday morning referred to. AS to
anything that passed that could be tor
tured into an interview it is wholly un-
true. AS to any remark as to Mr..
Stephens dotage or anything against his
personal character, have never uttered
such a word. We have not unfrequently
differed on public questions and about
public men. have met and opposed
him on the stump, the mos: marked
case being when he supported Douglas
and I. Breckenridge for President of the
United States. The next most important
case was when | was a secessiOnist, and
| am one now. He was a Union man
and is so now. l differed with him on
the Darrell decision in the Louisiana
trouble and withheld from him my SUI D.
port for the United States Senate when
he ran against General Gordon, by giving
no support to either. l might have said
to Mr.. Williams or to anyone else l
talked to that / expected Mr.. Stephens to
support General Lawton-of course not
to antagonize him personally. l said
nothing about DR.. FeltOn's speech.
never read it. If there was an issue of
fact between Mr.. Stephens and DR.. Eel
ton l should believe Mr.. Stephens l
know of none. AS to all this stuff about
the people rebuking this thing at the
polls by voting for Gartrell or Albert
Cox, it is untrue. l may have met Mr.
Cox, though l don't remember him.
have heard him spoken of as a man CT
ability, and have nothing but kind
opinion of him. AS to what this writer
saws in this interview about the voice of
the people of Wilkes county, / left there
on the 4th of July and had not been back
there from that time until l met
Mr.. Williams. l did not know the opin-
ion of human being there on the Cub
ernatOrial contest, except that my letters
told me the county delegation had been
unanimously instructed for Mr.. Ste
phens. As to the expression of opinion
that General Gartrell would beat him, /
had no evidence of any such thing and
made no such remark. | did say that
there were very formidable elements of
opposition, including $4,000 negroes and
the support of the government patron
age, and that if a man held these ele.
ments who was able to WELD them be
might beat Mr.. Stephens.
Though | differ with Mr.. Stephens
on the subject of internal Improvements
by the general government, the currency,
the tariff, and taxation generally, as the
question now stands if l vote | shall cast
my ballot for Alexander H. Stephens.
your obedient servant, K. TO0MBs."
Thus the first SANDER of the campaign
against the nominee of the Democratic
party of Georgia has been squelched so
effectually that it would naturally be
supposed that the opponents of the De
mocracy would hardly have the cheek
to attempt to get up another This
is, perhaps, expecting too much, but
there is little doubt that all which may
hereafter arise will be disposed of as
easily as was this. The people of Geor-
gia are perfectly familiar with Mr..
Stephens record, and know now full
well all that can be alleged against him.
As ne differed with Mr.. Toombs in many
respects, so he has differed on various
occasions with all the leading Demo
Gratis of the State. This cannot be de
MED But in spite Of these things his
fellow citizens have seen fit to shower
honor after honor upon him, and to rake
up now against him what he did in
the past is simply resurTecting dead and
gone issues. Whatever he did of which
the people did not approve has long
since been condoned, and now that he
has declared himself straight out or
ganized Democrat, submissive to party
discipline and rledged to support the
party and its principles, the people do
not ask any more of him. To recall his
actions in years gone by is, therefore,
simply worse than useless. His fellow
citizens have, like Mr.. Toombs, seen fit
to forget them, and they also like him,
have determined to,cast their ballots for
him and elect him their Chief Magis-
trate. If the opponents of the Democ-
racy can find any pleasure in throwing
stones at Mr.. Stephens record, let them
enjoy themselves. But he will be elected
Governor in October next all the same,
and that, too, by decisive majority.