Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1882-08-08
STATEMENT OF HON. D. B. Luz
GAS.
CHARIEsTowN, August I, 1882.

DEAR R:-In reply to written request
from you to furnish statement, from my
standpoint, of the issue between Judge Jno.
Blair Hoge and myself, forward the follow
ing brief recital.
The proposition that if would withdraw,
and support Hoge, he would agree to receive
the nomination at the hands of my friends,
upon condition and pledge, on his part. not
to ask reorganization in 1S82-emanatea
from, him, or his friends, and was communi>
Gated to me by the Hon. Frank Beokwith,
after the adjournment for supper. He said
that this proposition had been made to him,
as friend of mine, by friend of Judge
Hoge, member of the Berkeley delegation.
Immediately referred Beckwith to Hoge to
know whether the same was made by his au,
thority.
In the meantime, after Beckwith left me,
l had an interview with Jno. Barton Payne,
who was q mutual friend, preferring first my
nomination, and secondly that of Hoge.-
Upon consultation we agreed that nay chances
for the nomination were not improving, and
told him that in the interest of harmony, I
meant to withdraw. He asked me to wait
until he could sec Judge Hoge, and told
him to do SO, and authorized him to do what
ever he deemed best. In a short time he re.
turned, and Informed nae, with every indica-
tjon of great satisfaction, that Judge Hoge
had agreed not to ask a denomination two
years from that time, in case / should be a
candidate, provided my friends would, upon
my withdrawal, vote for ard nominate Hoge.
l expressed my satisfaction ut this under
standing, and suggested to Payne that in
order to effect nomination on the next bal
lot, and thus avoid all danger of rupture,
Bradford ought TO be Withdrawal. He said
he would soc Bradford
then left the hotel and proceeded to the
convention which was reassemblng. Ibid
not see Beckwith otter his interview with
Hoge, not deeming IL important, ss >Psyne
had completed the understanding which, in
substance, had been submitted to me through
Beckwtb
Bradford's namo was Withdrawn, and I
proceeded to announce to the convention my
own withdrawal, which was greeted with
great applause. I then saw Col Davenport,
of the jefferson delegation, Mr.. Osburne of
Pocahontas, and Mr.. Wood of Monougalia,
and informed them of the understanding,
and thus, with the assistance of the Preston
delegation, Judge Hoge was nominated by a
majority of fire and a fraction. It is there's
fore absolutely certain, and true beyond all
controversy, that he owed his nomination to
the understanding with Payne, and to that
alone. / did not understand at the time, nor,
L presume, did Judge Hoge, that the under
standing was entered into purely for personal
ends. The adjournment before supper had
been brought about by Judge Hoge's friends
in a manner which had exasperated tho
friends of Mr.. Martin we were right on the
heels of the State convention, and contn-
uation of the deadlock was fraught with dan.
ger of a rupture. We believed the Eastern
counties entitled to she nomination for the
&xro - I =
Judge Hoge would accept it for one term on
ly, he could be nominated, and not other
wise. He knew this as we'll as We did, aud
therefore it was that, 10 the interest of har-
mouy, aud for the welfare of the district, we
all assented to the understanding, without
any thought that, under the circumstances,
there was involved any departure from the
true standard ofpoliticsl ethics. No one ever
dreamed of asking Judge Hoge to support
me in 1882 as a part of the consideration.
L never heard any such suggestion from any
source whatever, nor did any ono clao. The
condition was pl1in and simple, that Hoge
| should not be a candidate for denomination.
This was we'll understood at the time, and
never until Is months after, did any ono ever
suggest, or hear of any other agreement or
understanding whatever.
Mr. Payne especially acted from the high
est and purest motives. He had not the
slightest personal interest he was tho n1u-
tuat friend of both Judge Hoge and myself,
trusted and coufded in by both, mediating
between for the good of the party. So
high toned and sensitive was he, that when
both Hoge's friends and mine rendered him
the dictatorship, he declined, lest it should be
supposed that he had the slightest personal
interest in bringing about harmonious ter
mlnation of our deliberations Under these
circumstances, [ now deliberately denounce
the attempt to impeach the veracity and tar
nish the fair fame of Mr.. Payne, as one of
the most dishonorabe and disgracoful devices
to which an unholy ambition ever descended.
The refusal of Messrs. Colston and Stewart
to reply to my letters hereto annexed, ad-
dressed to them by myself, is tacit confess
sion by them. Judge Faulkner declines to
answer the statements of nay letter, because
of his official position, but here reafirm the
statements therein made, and / charge,
moreover, that Gen'l. Joseph Sprigg has in
his possession and has read in public letter
of Judge Faulkner, copy of which I have
seen, which, according to my understanding
of it, fully confirms Mr.. Payne, and 1 now
challenge the production or publication of
said letter.
The attempt to introduce other parties to
prove that Mr.. Payne denied that there was
any understanding, is fully met by the fol-
lowing extract from letter written by Judge
Brannon, in whose presence it is alleged said
denial took place +:
&c see you have some Congressional complice-
lions; my mind inclines mo to Lueas-Hoge
could not have obtained the nomination with
out SOHO kind Of concession"
But, secondly, these witnesses are fully
refuted by Hoge's own confession rs follows,
contained in his published letter to Mr.. Payne
of December 26, 1881:
"Haring absolute con fd1nce in you. an content
to abide by your statement, particularly as being
a con temporanoons memorandum it must ne
NJ me ann nfnf han