The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-07
THE IRELAND-JONES CORES
PONDENCE.
"Wash.o Proposes and Ireland
DIspOses,
Jones Fails 10 Give Ireland any
Declaration OF Hrs Principles.

Jones Fails 10 Give Ireland any
Declaration OF HIS Principles.
BELOW we republish from the Sc
gum Times the correspondence be-
tween Col. G. Wash. Jones and
Judge Ireland regarding a Joint
canvass:
SEGUIN. TEX, Aug. %, 1882.
Hon. G. W. Jones, Bastrop:
DEAR SIR-On my return home
from Austin find your favor OF the
18th inst, and hasten to reply. 1 be-
lieve in the freest and fullest dis
cussion of all political questions,
and am at all times willing TO meet
any adversary, whose personal char
acter, like your own, entities him to
respect among gentlemen. While L
am the nominee of my party, and en-
terrain for you the highest re-
spect personally, your request
for az joint canvass presents
these difficulties: l am the nominee
of the Democratic party; the con-
vention which nominated me adopt
ed a platform of principles, declar-
ing in favor of some and against
other questions of state policy.
Iaccepted and am before the peo-
pie of Texas upon that platform. 1t
has my approval and shall have my
support at all times. This platform
is open to any attack you may make
on it. On the other side you de-
clare yourself an Independent can
didate.
If you have platform, or line OF
policy marked out, l am not advised
OF it. Now, you cannot fail to see
that this would render the contest
unequal. You are advised before
hand of the line of pol
icy have adopted, and,
therefore, know exactly what
you have to combat, while l would
be compelled to stand each time and
wait for your deliverances to see
what to meet, unless 1t should turn
out that you had nothing to propose
in place of what you propose to tear
down.
Again: stand upon the platform,
state and national, of the Democratic
party. You attack this party; sup
pose by way ofrejoinder l attack
the Greenback party, or the Repub-
lican party. You simply turn and
reply that you do not endorse either
OF these parties, and that you are not
running on the platform of either.
Now, am more than willing to
meet you in discussion, but before
such canvass is agreed on request
you to furnish me the platform of
the party to which you acknowledge
allegiance, and to inform me precise
ly what you propose to do for the
people of Texas, in order that | may
know what it is that is to be dis
cussed between us: in other words,
to know what the political difference
is between us.
trust that you will see that my
suggestions are reasonable and that
your answer may open a way to 3
joint canvass, if possible.
1t is true that for the entire month
of September my appointments are
published, and those for October are
ready for publication, and while
they have been arranged for the
most speedy travel and without
reference to the time that would be
consumed in discussion with oppo-
nents, still it is possible to rearrange,
not, however, so as to deprive me OF
the privilege of meeting the people
in east and north Texas. In this
connection 1 would suggest that
there could be no good reason for
declining to invite Gen. Robertson
to participate in debate. He, too,
is an independent candidate
for governor, and has published
his platform, and his high
character as gentleman would
seem to entitle him to the same high
consideration that l would extend
to yourself.
Hoping that you will reply in the
frank and candid spirit in which L
have written, await reply at your
earliest convenience.
am very respectfully yours,
JNo. IRELAND.