New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-06
At THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
THE OPPOSITION TO MIR. HOUK.

THE OPPOSITION TO MIR. HOUK.
A SHARP LITTER TO II. b. HENDERSON, EEsENTlNG
HIS niPERTINENr INTERFERENCE IN THE CON
TEST BETWEEN RULE AND HoUK.
10y TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON Sept. ok Congressman j. NJ
Thornburg Of Tennessee has written aletter to Sec
retary Henderson. of the Republican Congressional
Committee. which would be called "a scorchcr" IN
Tennessee political parance. To make perfectly
clear the identity and political standing of the men
involved il may be stated that Mr.. Thornburg was
member of the delegation from tennessee to me
Chicago Convention and there stood wlththe boast
ing " 3O3," aud the Rule men resent the imputa'loh
that they are administration men. Ihey
claim to stand on basis of RcpublicaniSm whlch
includes in its breadth Thornburg. a Grant man. on
the one hand, and on the other Z. j. Sanford one
of the leading supporters from the South OF JOhn
sherman at Chicago Mr.. Rule - the tennessee
member OF the National Republican C"ulmlitce
He is the successor of ParsOn l}r0wnlow as puOiisn
naper published in connection wi h Thc Uhig Mr.
Thornburg il chairman of the congressman CoIn-
mittce CHE Rule Committed IN the ia District
The letter was received by Secretary henderson TO-
day, aud is in part as follows:
see it stated in the newspapers That You have
written an Official letter John NJ Corlc. esq. Chair
man etc in which you say that your committee. after
myo>ugdton have reached the conclusion lnnt H. -
Iouk regularly nominated Tor congress ny the lt-
pnbucans OF this District, etc. lOu Tcprohate the
action the convention which nominated Mr. Rule for
that position. and crcisc its conduct ~ injurious To ne
Republican You then urge the Repuhlcahs Oh me
District to support Houk. give him certificate OF CHAR
actcr as member of Congress- ana promise ifecy ule
aid of your committee to secure his election We are not
aware that the Republicans oi tins District nave sun
mtcd this matter 10 Your hfht"il"l' assuming tiiV
YOU have authority from some members OF Your commit
tee 10 write this extraordinary letter. intended 10 lnln-
cncc the Republicans OF TINS District we nave ilEnt ~
know Who II any of NOur committee were consulted ana
authorized thi, impairment and dctatoriai action .
Some years OF experience as memDcr oi lhht commit
tee, and my personal acquaintance WIN many oI us
present members, induce me I" hencNe Iht il more orc
than a small minority have authorized your actcn the
facts connected with the contest In this District have
been grossly misrcprcscntcd to Them Your statement
OF conclusions reached in regard to regularity etc OF
the Houk Convention, ana our den'hclaIoh % NJ, tno
men composing the convention which nominated Mr.
Rule indicate that yOu have accepted the statements OF
Mir inuk as the bass of your action. There two
conventions held here nominated Nj Rule, the
other Mr.. Houk Mr.. Houk happens 70 be a member OF
your committee You approve his nomination and
assume to direct Republicans of Tennessee to support
him. Mr.. Rule is and for many Years mas Peeh ti,e
tee of which the Hon Marshall Jewell is chairman It
would he easy matter for Mr. Rule to convince ms
committee and the country that the Statements ON Wnch
YOU have acted are false and your CONCLUSIONS I'M
The contest here is not between stalwarts and Indo
pendcnts nor between Garfield Republicans ana the
supporters of this Administration but IL rs eolc' Hi
intelligence. honesty sobricty and morality against all
that these antagOnze and In this contest you ana your
committee and probably the funds Entrusted to you are
being wrOngfully used There Is no Democratic candl-
date Congress in this District nor Is hkey there
will be, considering the fact that In the ast fIeSlle
tial election there more than two Republican
voters in the District each Democratic The truth Is
/
this District have determined to submit no longer 10 ne
represented i'll Congress by Mr. IIouk; The preamble
and resolutions unanimously adopted by them IN con
vcnton state their for this determination inns
convention was composed OF iameIS mercHmnS'
ply sicans and business men, many OF them cN-
filling our large Court House TO overflow They were as
regularly selected in primary conventions from ih9
counties in the District as any who attended
| Houk' Convention of Office holders
And that You may not longer remain entirely Ignorant
of the Of dsscnsion IN the party mere VII, m
scrt the resolutions above referred TO- ana when
! shows III part what the trouble Is ,o.,-,
'RcsGlred That the electors OF the ia congressional
District Of Tennessee will not submit mither To me
humiliation and disgrace OF being represented IN tho
Congress of the Nation by man whose cIacler anu
habits declared him from respectable society,
hypocrisy religion, whose public and notorious drunk
einess whose preference for fasehood TO truth and
comment and illustration in the newspapers through
out the land and have brought shame ana lcproach
upon a worthy and reputable constituency
The Republicans OF this District feel that they are
have tbe light without dictaton from abroad to select
! Republican who Will represent me lhicuItehcc ana
eminent is that all power cmanate- from and belongs to
the people. and that they should he left free To- cast
their ballots without OUTSIDE dlct'tIoI i."Ic! % NM
euce We deny your right 10 interfere with OF 10 ncde
n tbs canvass OF TO 3ctatc tor "nV we &c, 10 a.,
This extraordinary ana impairment ac"h Oh VuI7 II an
insult 10 the people OF this District and neither your
guarded certificate Of HouEs character rs member OK
Congress nor your seIiaSsGned tlaiuhh9np " "nI
| voters will prevent Houk's defeat. NotTltii,,
/ the - aid " you have promised or gwen, the
Republicans Of this District Will dcspise your
AND Nil elect to Congress iGe Hon William
Rule whose fitness is conceded by all In attempting To
control aud dictate to the voters Of this District you
haVc undertaken IA task which the whole southern Con-
federacy with organized armies was unable TO accom-
| plish.
Mr. Houk while here, was active IN the Depart
ments, and has already secured some removals OF
men who are not III sympathy with his candidacy
DE- Tadlock, examining physician on the Board of
Pension Examiners IN Tennessee who presided at a
county meeting that sent Rule delegates to the con-
vention, was one of the first to 90. On the stump
no methods are spared on account of personality
One Of Rules fagorte arguments is TO hold up the
Mast cartoon In Harpe'S Weekly of August II, and
then have IT handed around in the audience II
shows John b. BrOwnlow lOoklug at liOuk through
a mapnf ving glass a. he sits III dlninutlVe figure
swinging the party whip; and then Rule proceeds t'
tell how Houk undertook 10 secure the dismissal O
Brownlow from his clerkshlp IN the Post ONCE De
parrment whereupOn he was promoted and g1Yel
/ an increase of salary. such are the methods ON
ployed in the lid tennessee Congressional District
/ which, without doubt presents hNeler p0ntca
scenes than any other district IN all the country.
WASHINGTON NOTES
WASHINGTON. Tuesday. Sept. D. 1882
W. c. Durant has been reappointed Postmaster AT
West Troy. n V his commission having expired; VIII