San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-04-05
ALECK STEPHENS.
M, p,,p.r.,. rIsl, with Judge Cone.

service, and pending the campaign Q
1s4s, he returned from Washingtol
to Georgia. He was fresh from grea
debates on the acquisition OF Caiiior
mia and New Mexico as United state
Territories, and for having taken
against the wishes of the majority o
the Southern members, a most prom,
inent part in opposition to suci
acquisition, he was met with mucl
adverse criticism. Judge Gone, wit
was at the time a leading politl
clan of Georgia, was particularly
severe in his comments upon Mr.
Stephens action, and was reported
as having publicly denounced him al
a traitor to the South.
Hardly had Mr.. Stephens reached
his home when these and similar re,
ports were conveyed to him. AT flrs'
| he did not credit them, but as one
kind friend after another informed
him that Gone had called him trait
or, and advised, in the true Southern
spirit, that he owed it to himself to
demand what is called satisfaction
the fires of pugnacity in his nature,
which were always smoldering, Missed
up, and he declared that if Judge
Cone would admit having called him
q traitor to the South he would slap
h;s face" Not long after this he met
the Judge at numerously attended
Wing gathering, and going up to him
quietly said:
Judge Gone, have been told that
you, for reasons of your own, have
denounced me as a traitor to the
South, and 1 take this opportunity OF
asking you if such reports are trueY'
No, sir" was Cones reply, they
are not true?" :,
Il am very glad to hear you say so,
said Mr.. Stephens, cordially, and in
the same friendly tone continued:
"Of course, 1 do not desire to be IN
any way offensive to you, Judge Cone,
but in order that we may have no
further misunderstanding, through
the Misrepresentation of others, L
think it right to tell you that 1 have
said I would slap your face If you
admitted having used the language
attributed to you.
Upon this the Judge again disowned
having spoken disrespectfully of MIR.
Stephens, and so for the time the
affair ended. 1t was the subject OF
discussion all over the State, however,
and the general verdict was that
Judge Cone-a verypowerful man, by
the way-had shswn the white feather
to Little Aleck Stephens" In such
a community no public man resting
under such charge could hope either
for political preferment or popular
respect. Cone, of course, knew this,
and very much heated and annoyed
bv the comments which were being
made upon him, wrote to Mr.. Steph,
ems demanding an immediate and
public retraction of the threat. In
reply, Mr.. Stephens wrote that the
threat Of slapping the Judges face
had been made contingent upon the
ruth of reports regarding which he
Mr.. Gomez had pronounced to be
untrue, and that such being the case
here was no cause for offense or an
sry feeling on either side. Unfor-
junately, this letter was never received
BY Judge Gone. Three or four days
after it was written, however, he met
MIR. Stephens Oh the piazza of hotel
n Atlanta, and, disregarding that
friendly greeting, said in
very offensive tone:
"Mr. Stephens, 1 demand that you
make an immediate retraction of your
threats regarding me.
Sick and weak though he was, Alex
Under H. Stephens could allow no
,ne to speak to him in the fashion
described. Judge Cone was
very giant in size and muscular de-
yelopment, yet the frail man whom
ne addressed, with aggravating polite
ness and without hesitating, replied:
Pardon me, sir; 1 have already writ
ten to you on that subject. must
decline to discuss it further"
Am 1 to take this as youranswer?"
asked Cone, excitedly.
at is the only answer have to give
you," was the calm reply.
"Then 1 denounce you as a misera-
BILE little traitor" cried Cone, mad
with excitement. The words had
hardly left his lips when light cane,
welded by the quick hand of the man