Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1882-07-25
COMMUNICATED.
JEFrEnsoN CouNrY. july 22d. is


have published the Payne-Hoge controversy.
Mr.: Payne's letter, memorandum and a
letter OF Judge Hoge to him appears on one
side, and letter entitled Judge Hoge's
Version" on the other.
Tho question now for the people to decide
is which is correct? In order to do this. the
circumstances which surround the transaction
should be carefully considered
Mr. Payne, witness in behalf of the
agreement, speaks from a memorandum made
only four treeks after the conversation oc-
CURED, and not seeking the nomination him>
self is, to great extent, at least disinter-
ested party, who has in the interest of truth
and right voluntarily placed himself in po>
sticn in which he has been and is being as
sailed by writers both known and unknown.
Mr.. Hoge, testifying in opposition to him, is
announced as candidate for nomination and
election he is therefore an Interested party,
witness speaking in his own behalf, and
with an admitted faulty recollection, after
two years have elapsed. To which will the
impartial mind give the creator credit? To
the Interested OR to the diSintercsfed; to the
memorandum or to the faulty recollection ?
MIR. Payne claims to have proposed to Dir.
Hoge that Lucas would Withdraw and his
friends vote for him if no (Hoge) would
agree not to be candidate against Lucas in
1882, and that Hoge accepted this PROPOSE
tion and asked him to mako memorandum
OF it. Mr. HOge claims that Payne further
asked for the support of his friends in 1882,
in addition to his retirement; aud in reply
thereto, after consultation with his friend s,
he uttered this high sounding platitudo, that
such proposition involved matter of prin>
oiple, and therefore he declined it, as no one
had right to determine matter of uomina>
ton that belonged to convention but says
that he agreed to withdraw in 1882 if the
Democrats Of tho Eastern counties should sig
nifty their preference for Lucas, and has some
recollection of adding that he did not know
that he would caro- to serve second term ia
Congress. THIS is the substance of both
statements.
1t is noticeable that what Payne asked
Hoga to do, to>wit "Not to be a candidate"
involved 10 matter of principle, usurped no
powers of convention, repaired only his in>
dividua! action, his abstinence from an off
cial feast alter two years of enjoyment. There
was, therefore, no necessity to invoke princi.
pie, excuse for tho parade of injustice to
friends" 1t is also noticeable that whilo
Hoge could not speak for his friends and was
Dot asked to speHk for them. that he could
speak for himself, aud according to his own
statement said that he did not know that he
would care to serve second term in Cons
gress. Is it act peculiar that the very thing
he did DOT care to do ct that timo was the
thing that Payne proposed for him not to do
Did Judge iIoge think by saying this that
he would leave Payne undor the impression
that he was acceding to his proposition and
thus get Lucns to retire, receive tho support
of his friends, by thst means GO; the nom
instou and then in 1892 come before the
people and deny it Was il an Artiui dodge
or were !SenatorinIAomors so apparently close
at hand just then that he could afford to make
such bnr"an, and not charge his memory
with it? Now let US view this matter in the
light of surrounding facts. It is CERTAIN that
Payne aud Hoge had conversation that
after it Mr.. Lucas withdrew; that it was tho
interest then of Mr.. Lucas, without an ar
rauec,ncut with Sir. Hoge, to elect Martin
that Martin wAY the strongest candidate and
the easiest nominated that Lucas was mas
ter Of the situation, and could elect him. 1t
is equally ccrtuiu ,hat MIR LUGas lu60re9 to
get his friends to vc'e for /! ogo ard that too
against the protest Of many Of the delegates
that these friends did vote for H0.e and nom
mate him, and that they did SO because they
were Informed and believed that such an ar
rangcincut hsd been made and would be kept
Then we have in sutstGntiation of Mr. Icync's
lucid statement which bears upon it's face tie
impress of truth the action of the friends of
Lucas at the Convention, which can be cx-
planned only by the light thrown upon them
by the agrcomeut; We have tho fact that
Ho2e reaFed the benefit OF this agreement on
tho spot and this has been whispered in the
district ever since and never denied BY Hoge
or his iEieuds, until the very latest period
possible for success With tbcse convincing
circumstances surrounding theni. can any i'm.
partial ran doubt, for an instant, that Mr..
Hoce is not in duty bound to retire?
We have further ia eubstsntiation of
Payne the fact that he is not speaking entire
ly from memory. but il giving u memoran-
dun made ouly four weeks nhor tho CONVEX.
sati0n.
MIR. Hoge, not more than six months ago,
wrote that he was unwilling to trust his rec
0Hecfio" without copy of this same mems
ov0ndUm, aud now after this admission
speaks from that same /;1ulty recollection,
after two years have elapsed By what pro-
cess has his memory boon thus suddenly re-
vived ? We have heard no rumors of WIS.,
ion, dream or auy miraculous agency. Per-
haps lie has been stimulated by official desire
and that Eguc common to oftice>hoders, s'a
spur of political burial" and under this
fear his once faulty memory has awakened to
sudden rejuvenesnance. A VOTER.
HITCuCoCK' NEW AND COMPLETE AN
ALYsIs OF THE Holy BEBLE.-The Row
Dr. W. Il. Meade says that it is a vast stores
house of inform alton, to which sny ordinary
reader may ousily and promptly refer. 1t
CONTAINS the substance of dozen separate
volumes of Biblical Literature. The Rev. j.
L. Shipley says that he is load unhesitsting-
" to recommend it. Tho Rev Dr. a. G.
Hopkins says: az regard it as very walls
liable, reliable help in studying the Bible,
and especially useful to Sabbath School teaoh>
ers.' Tho Rev. T. b. Shepherd, also Row