Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-19


ing but Epithets Exchanged.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE Star fur
nishes the correspondence that passed be-
tween Representatives Haskell and Town
shend since the passage at arms in tn
house.
FIRST LETTER.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHING
TON, Feb. 14-Hon. D. G. Haskell, SIR:
Before 1 had an opportunity to further re-
ply to your criticism upon my remarks in
the house yesterday, 1 determined to act
upon the advice of my colleague, Colonel
Morrison, member of the committee on
ways and means, as we'll as of other col
leagues and friends, and not prose-
cute the matter Of disagree
ment with you, but leave you
an opportunity to judge from the steneo-
graphic reports of my remarks as found
in the Record to-day, whether you had not
misinterpreted my language, and replied
thereto in unwarranted terms. Such was
the opinion OF my friends and myself.
This opportunity has been presented to
you in the Record to-day, and in view of
your silence, feel that can do no less
than call your attention to this matter and
ask a response. I am, sir, respectfully,
etc 4. ". TowNsHEND.
HAsKELL's REPLY.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, WASHING
TON, D. c., Feb. 14.-Hon. r. w. Town
shend, SIR: Yours, By hand of Hon. VIM.
Morrison, has been carefully read, and you
say that you "leave me the opportunity to
judge from the stenograPhic report of
my remarks as found in the Record to-day5
whether you had not misinterpreted my
language and replied thereto IN unwar-
ranted terms In reply beg leave to sub
nit clippings from your remarks as they ap-
pear in the Record. l drawmy pen beneath
the words which I desire to call your es-
pecial attention to. Haskell here quotes
literally from the report, giving the most
striking passages of TOwnshend's charges
and his own reply and continues. 'The
ways and means committee or at least
those of that committee who voted to re-
port this bill to the house, are by your re-
marks made to appear as mere tools in the
hands of lobby of hired monopolists.
Such lobby you designated a corrupt and
scandalous lobby and your remarks make
the ways and means COM
mittee merely agents of lobbyists,
and members of congress who thus act as
agents or tools of hired Lobbyists, are
scoundrels. In consultation with my par
ty friends and also with some of your par
ty friends, learn that the Interpretation
I put on your remarks at the time they
were uttered, and that now put on them
as they appear before me as plain type,
is the one that reasonable men are COM
PEELED to adopt. From articles in
this connection that have ap-
peared in the public press
1 learn that it is the Interpretation put
upon them by the occupants of the report
ers' gallery of the house of representa-
tives, very generally. In answer, there
fore, to your implied question contained in
that portion of your letter that l first
quoted, reply: First, I do not think 1
have misinterpreted your words; and,
second, I do not think replied thereto in
terms. Very respectfully,
D. G. HASKELL.
TowNsHEND's REJoINDER.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, WASHING
TON, D. c., Feb. 17.-Hon. D. G. Haskell,
II: Yours of the 18th inst has to day been
handed me by my friend Hon. VIM. Nor
rison. Inasmuch as you and some of your
party friends insist upon the interpreta-
ton which you have placed upon the
language used by me in debate, and prefer
to rest under the imputation of corruption,
and are contented with the employment
of epithets in response to such
grave accusation as you insist has
been made by representative
of the people on the floor of the American
congress, am willing to leave you where
your own construction of my language has
placed you. l am gratifed that it does
not appear that any other member of the
ways and means committee felt that my
remarks were intended as a reflection upon
his integrity. have never known an in
stance where a gentleman who believed
himself charged with personal corruption
sought relief from the charge by the use of
epithets.
TSigned1 R. w. TowNsHEND.
Mr.. Townshend furnished the letters to
the Star reporter, and explained his posi-
ton in the matter as follows: ~ have
heretofore refused to be interviewed on
this subject, but as Mr.. Haskell has rushed
into print there is of course no longer any
improperly on my part inbreaking silence.
Before and since had an opportunity to
further reply to his remarks in the house
have acted upon the advice of my Demo
cratic colleagues, anG friends. AS advised
by them, correspondence was opened the
termination of which is satisfactory to me
and my friends. Now, the substance of
the whole affair is just this: Notwithstand-
ing my disclaimer in the house, Haskell
and some of his party friends insist that
1 charged him with corruption, or to use
his frontier phrasology with being scoun-
drel. and 1 have informed him that I'm
willing to leave him where his own con-
struction of my language has placed him.
If he is contented to answer such a serious
imputation with words do not certainly
feel justified in taking further notice of
him.