South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-07-21
Lucas vs.. Hose.

The attempt Of the Free Press to
show that treated Judge Hoge with
an unpardonable Disregard Of the
courtesies due in the case, is 60 unjust
to me that l must ask you to publish
the facts.
When i received the letter from
Judge Hoge, IN December last. max.
ing inquiry of the terms of the COM,
ference had between him and me at
the Fairmont convention, in which
he referred TO the fact that was to
have made memorandum at the
time, | was surprised that the matter
should at that time become the sub.
ject OF question. / therefore wrote
him a letter dated December 80.
1881 in which, among other things
said
Il felt that my position was one of
great delicacy, aud was much in.
hopes that no occasion would arise
that would mako our interview mat.
ter OF question. You 4 / are the only
persons who know what occurred, OK.
cept from what we may have told
them. 1t is extremely un-
pleasant for me to decline sending
you II copy OF my memorandum. but
l can see how it might embarrass a
party not aware OF your request, and
am, therefore, perplexed to know
what to DO. No one, as l have sta.
ted, has ever seen it. or copy, and
perhaps it will be better for me to de-
cline sending you Il copy, ut least for
the present. Should you deem it n
matter of any Importance, aud still
think alter seeing this that. you would
like it, you will please advise me and
| will, if agreeable to the parties in
interest, comply with your request,
but for the present / must decline
After receiving this letter, Judge
Hoge made no further request. Had
he done so l would have advised Mr..
Lucas of his request. and would have
sent Judge Iioge the copy. All real
Oily see the position l occupied, and l
am willing to submit the propriety of
my action to the candor of the public.
But they insist that | did wrong in
giving Mr.. Lucas copy of the mem.
oranium. 1t must be remembered
that | did not give Mr.. Lucas the
copy until several days after Judge
Hoge published his letter in the Mar
tinsburg Independent, denying in eff.
feet the existence of the interview the
memorandum for which he had writ.
ten was made to record. After this
action on his Part. l was certainly at
liberty to give Mr.. Lucas copy of
the memorandum, or to have publish.
cd it if | had thought proper; espe-
cially since l., about the same time,
notified Judge IIoge that / had given
Mr.. Lucas the copy, and also then
gave him (IIoge) the substance of the
memorandum.
This, sir, is the treatment Judge
lIoge has received at my hands.
was satisfied then of the cor rectness
of my course, and still adhere to that
opinion. Very truly yours,
JNO. BARTON PAYNE
The following is tho memorandum ms
made by Mr.. PAYNE at tue time alluded
to above:
sat the Congressional Convention,
at Fairmont, July %, 1880, after the
adjournment for supper, Mr.. Lucas
having finished his supper. came to
me. Upon consultation we concluded
that he could not secure the Congress.
iOnal pnp,iuatiO,, anil ,,,Lo,;,.J 49,.
to do what seemed bost in tie premi-
ses. | thereupon went to Judge Jno.
Blair Hoge, and proposed to him,
that if he would agree not to ask
nomination two years from that time,
in case Mr.. Lucas should be candi-
date for the nomination, that then the
friends of Lucas he Withdrawing
from the contest-would vote for and
thereby nominate IIoge. Judge
Hoge retired, consulted with his friends
returned and accepted the proposition.
and requested that | make memo
randum in writing of the matter up
on my return home. | .hen went to
Mr.. Lucas, told him what | had done.
He was entirely satisfied, but express
ell some fear about our ability to nom.
mate IIoge, and thought we could not
do 80 unless Capt. Bradford could be
gotten off the track | tlIereupon
went M street, saw Capt. Bradford,
told him that myself and others were
anxious to secure the nomination oil
Hoge instead OF Martin, and that it
could be done if he would withdraw.
lie consented Uniformed Mr.. Lucas,
who started ut once for the couven.
ton, Their reassembling. then went
to tell Hogc. When / returned Mr..
Lucas was up making his withdrawal
In speaking to IIoge mentioned the
fact that in all probability he would
not desire nomination-that he had
a good prospect of succeeding IT O..
Davis, in the Senate--but this did not