Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-21

To the Editor Of the DiSpd'ch;
Pardon brief reioinder 10 the letter OF
Hon. George ID. Wise. my only object be-
Jnr 10 correct one or two misstate .nents.
do moi know why the bull for enlarging
onr cuStom-house was delayed so long after
our data were fled. do know that Mr..
Wise. when asking me 10 have the bin in-
troducrd i'm the Senate. complained OF
stock slayer. Youngiand Others as having
introduced their own bills and holding
hack ours, and he added that Mr.. Young,
who had charge Of our bill, was about
70 leave for Hot Springs, Arkansas,
which would catise- another delay, and
we went together 10 see Mr.. Young.
The Congressional Record shows why
Mr.. Wise appealed 10 me to help him in the
Senate. His Democratic friends on the
House committee were SO busy with their
own bills they would not help him. Our
hills had been introduced December IL.
1889. and while ours were not rep 1rted the
Democratic members Of the committee had
renorted for themselves the following pub
lie buildings: Stockslager, for New Alba
nv. Ind. report january pa; Dibble, for
Greensyille, 6. c., report January 231;
Young. for CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. report
January oath; HOPKINS, for Pittsburgh,
Pa, report January 2ith; Pusey. for
Council Bluffs, Ia, report January 3Oth;
Reese, for Augusta. Ga, report January
31st; worthington, for Springfield, ILL.,, re-
port February 9Th. Mr.. Wemple, OF New
York, was the only Democrat on the COM
mittee who did not bave in bill for his
own section, and Milliken and Brainerd.
OF the Republicans on the committee, had
bills OF their own.
Thus II was that Mr.. Wise came 10 me
carly In February and sought my aid and
General Mahone's. General Malone intro
duced the bill February Sth, reported 1t
February 18th, and it was passed March
I'd. giving us 100000. Meanwhile Hoa.
Casey Young, after II was reported in the
Senate, reported TO the House on February
18th, giving us only $4,000; and there it
slept and died. On this state OF facts the
public may Judge who did the most To-
wards getting an appropriation for the
Richmond post-oflice.
Mr.. Wise does not deny that when he sug-
pested 10 me 10 make the bill Senate bill he
! declared that Malone and myself should have
| full credI. for our course. He only denies
that he sent such message to Malone.
! That seems to me to be yerv special plead
| ing, and unworthy OF further discussion.
He denies that he was present when tried
to pass the biz. ] reiterate that he was
present. Before calling up the bill |
stepped over to his desk and told him what
would do. To which he replied, "All
right" when | did call 1t up, and hr.
Holman. "the great obiector," arose to
object, Mr.. George ID. Wise started for his
seat from one direction and from the other
side OF the House. and the eagerness OF our
opportunities and vehemenec OF bis resist
ance produced a utter Of Amusement
among the members around Mr.. Holman
seat so great that the Speaker raped ne q
order before the confusion ceased, and for
several days il was joke I'm the House that
George Wise and john combined could moi
silence the irrepressble Holman. Thl'
NAV refresh the gentleman's memory, and
il 1t does not. will undertake % establish
my version OF the matter by Hon. ". ;
Holman and at least fifty representative
who remember the scene, for | made
memorandum Of facts at the time.
| pespectfulIx ,IeUN =. WISE,