Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-21
HON. A. O. RACON
ms answer TO Charges Affecting His
Canvass for the Governorship.
N'fcon Telegraph, Goth inst.

Il am glad you have come in,v he said.
'as have something TO say. [ am in a
position now where the public have a
right TO hear from me, and the time is too
short for speech-making. 1t is due to the
public, nevertheless, as well as to myself.
that should speak for myself"
II learn through letters received from
friends IN various sections of the State,
that by some very persistent and dill
gent ehort is being made to array against
me the friends OF Gov. Stephens, as we'll
as the tender sentiment naturally excited
by ms death, with the charge, directly
maze or lnslnuated, that in my present
candldacy, am seeking dIrectly or indi-
rectly 10 reflect upon the memory of GOV.
stephens. There never was charge
more utterly unfOunded and unjust, So
far from its being true, il has been my
most earnest wish, expressed upon
an proper occasions, that no word
should be spoken concerning him
that could possibly offend or wound his
most sensitive -fFiend. No such word has
been uttered by me. My desire was and
Is TO make the present contest without
any reference to last years contest fur
ther than the present one might be affected
Dy the fact that was one of the opposing
candidates in such former contest. and
then yielded to the will of the majority.
IL
nlng, supported the nominee to the best of
my ability"
II suppose you have seen that it is
charged that you did not give GOV, Ste
phens n cordial supportg'
les, OF course have, and am coming
to that, That charge is as unfounded as
the former one, as l am satisfied / can
show to all fair minded and unprejudiced
men. Upon the day of the nomination,
last July, in the moment of defeat. with
all ITS disappointment, ! voluntarily and
openly announced In Atlanta, to nv
friends and 70 the friends of Mr.. stephens.
that would give to him my unqualified
support. There are men of prominence
In the State, who then supported Mr.. Ste
phens, who will read what now say, and
who will remember those declarations
then openly made by me,
but d.d not stop there, A short time
AFTER the nomination of Governor Steph-
ems went North, / myself needed rest
ana recuperation. as l was worn, in no
small degree, by the fatigues and ankle
ties OF a most arduous campaign. NV
principal object, however, was to be with
my children, who were absent from home
-one OF whom, after a protracted illness
OF nearly half year, was an invalid, and
had been recommended, bv nv family
physician, to travel at the North during
the summer months. At the time
OF my leaving, about the first of
August, the party in the State was to
large extent inharmOniOus: and, knowing
that fact, took occasion, before leaving
| he State, to address to public meeting
III my own county letter in which i
again. i'll a more formal manner. an
nounced my unqualified support of Mr..
stephens. That letter was, by my direc-
tion, published at that time in the press of
the state. did not intend that my friends
should be in doubt as tO, nlyposition, or
that my enemies should have the shadow
OF an excuse TO misrepresent it..
but the main charge which is pressed
against me, in this connection, 10 that
when invited by the Executive COMMITTEES
to make speeches for Mr., Stephens. failed
10 do sol and wish now to give the his
tory OF such invitation, and my action in
response to IL. Upon my return to the
state, was anxious to contribute what I
could to harmOniZe the entire party in sIfp-
port of Mr.. Stephens, and l felt that. as the
representative of the portion Of the party
which had opposed his nomination, there
was a responsibility on me to make
an effort in that direction. / had
not then been invited to take any
part IN the canvass; and the invitation
and which was published, aras solfcfted 6w
myself, With the desire to do what i
could under the circumstances, I expressed
my wish 10 a friend, and stated that. if re-
4uested to assist, / would respond either
by Il speech or public letter, and re-
4uested him to suggest to the Chairman of
the Executive Committee that he should
extend the invitation to me. / said TO NV
friend then that the time was short, and i !
believed the public letter would do the most |
good. The friend by whom that request !
was conveyed is Senator Pope Barrow. 1t |
Is due to the Chairman of the Executive |
to state that when this request
was made to him by Mr.. Barrow, he said |
that it but anticipated tho invitation
Whlch he had 1nteuded TO extend to me,
In response 10 the invitation thus pro-
'Hred, wrote letter a column or more
II length, in which / endeaYOred 90 the |
very best OF my ability to set out the rea, !
'ons why | thought all Democrats in the |
skate shOuId give an earnest and united |
support TO Mr., Stephens. That letter was |
published in all the leading papers in the |
state, and was read by thousands, where |
ne speeches l could have made would |
nave Deen heard by comparatively few,
Il am willing by these facts to be iudced |
whether the charge is true that failed to |
5iye to Mr.. Stephens my cordial support. |
announced my support of him from the I
and never waYered for an In. |
tant III continuing it TO the end, when I
EAST my vote for Aim, -
"Thera Il an0 other matter uDon which !
wish TO say something. Prejudice IA |
'oought to be excited against me by Che /
'harge that my candidacy wa4 ANNOUNCED |
C 90 soon after the death Of the Governor.
Ihe tacts are {bese:''I received from Gov.
3 a.o5 ht9Hil On eHnday, two kilograms re-
lnestlng nae to 20 to Atlanta to confer as /
o the states Interest, one of them calling
ne there on Monday did not 60 until
Monday night, SO aa to be there Tuesdey |
norn!ASi was very much surprisad thek
nerning 10 find in the Atlanta Ga0stjlm. /
ION dispatch dated from Macon to the /
meet that ! had pubiielX declared NV
That dispatch was sent and !
published Without my authority, know
etssigs Qr consent. 1 have no doubt |
ne author OF it did so in |
rood faith upon the basis of street rumor:
or Whatever l may have said to zly 4
1ends and in response to their Inquiries, 1
certainly designed no public announce-
nent at that time, a1d would have pre-
erred that II aRoIiid not have been made
or 9 Week later, During that day Tues
sayl was called upon at my hotel in At
anita by a reporter Of the Atlanta CSAsfi-
"tton, with the statement tha.s the pro-
,rletorS ana editors Of tAe paper (naming
nCAh hou scA5 tALu ~ Ll1e Win the re-
Iuest tha5 would state to him for pub-
lGapoh what my intentions were
With reference to being a candidate in
he approaching contest. / did no: at I
rst comply, and it was not until his T
bird visit to me that l consented for any-
hing to appear. Was then Controlled
y the advice Of friends, who said that as
he digpatcR from Macon had been pub
lshed, and as other statements would
appear In other papers with or
Without authority, it would be better If /
ny Intentions should be definitelv stated
y myself. The interview Was Certainly
ot sought By tas. At that time the EX-
cutiEa committee bad been called to-
ether, and the papers were laden With
rticies and dispatches about other bar,
ates. .+'-f
81 hays soaght no personal controversy
4 .antag0niam In this contest. feel con-
clous OF having done my whole duty in
leldlng to the decision of the majority
p0n the former occasion, and In assistinS
0 carry out its command, and, havinS
nteFed thfs contest, Twill again. in the
anne spirit as before, submit myself 10
he Will of the people, as expressed thro.eh
he convention"
FailgTes IN Business.
PsITSAURG, Pa, March 20.-A dla. !