The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-05-21
VERY WARM WORDS
IN A HOT PoLlFIoA1 DEBATE
Down in Georgia Between General Gordon
and MSIor BAOOu--Tho Lie Passed With
AFrssdom that 10 sarprlslng-A Duel
BStWssa them iS Immipsat

AUGUSTA, Ga, May 2O.-There Is very
lively political war in this State. This
morning General Gordon and Major Bacon
arrived here on their their Joint tour Of
the State. The first speech was made In
Eatonton, where the chairman, Mr.. Nesbit,
introducing Major Bacon, said he had
right to run as often as he pleased, The
reference to his numerous campaigns net
tied the Major, who declared that he had
never seen such conduct among gentle-
men, "Tnen," said Mr., Nesbit, ''you are
not used to thesociety Of gentlemen"
The speech Of General Gordon made
reference tothe fact that Bacon had re-
signed the Rdjutancy OF the 9th Georgia
Regiment during the war. When Bacon
took the stand he was livld with rage and
declared, "Whoso asserts 1t lies; whr go
insinuates II lies; whose repeats It after
hearing me to-day that | ever resigned
any pubic trust In peace or in war, when
my services would benefit my people or
country, aud when was physically able
to serve them, lies" Yesterday the can.
didates met in Sparta, where General
Gordon repeated the charge that Major
Bacon had left his place In the army, aud
then referring TO the allegation that he
(Gordonl had resigned from the Senate
under suspicious circumstances said:
There was time when did not resign,
There Is record that Is unsullied, even in
the, estimation Of the gentleman who has
tried to bl4cken my name before you. Il
was made In time that didn't resign,
for my country needed me, Turning to
Major Bacon, who was sitting beside him,
General Gordon said will bs elected
and make you siCker than you were in
1862"
BACON IN REPLY.
Bacon replied under great excitement,
He said:
General Gordon has misgtated In one
particular. | studiousy avoided calling
MIN my friend, and siucs he lent himself
to my enemies to destroy me | absolyed
him from all friendship l have been de-
nounCed by Gordon as using ambiguous
language TO amply what | would not
affirm. said and 1 repeat in no ambl.
guous terms that Gordon abandoned his
seat in the United States Senate under
not consistent with bis
duty. Has he told you why he left II q
few weeks b,fore an adjournment other
than 70 say that he was great general
and l was only q Commissary2 Does he
not attempt TO produce by insinuation
the impression amOng you that resigned
my place as Adiutant Of the Ninth Geor-
ga Regiment under circumstances that
were discreditable to me2 Lfso, say the
man who says 1t, or the man who intl-
mates 1t, is guilty Of ialsehood. Even II
It c0sts me my life will hurl the false
hnnd into the teeth OF any man who
ttlirms 1t. Yet this man would stand be-
fore you and by base insinualion and haser
charges produce the impression among
you that | was false TO my duty.
IL he chooses 10 hear me proclaim II ut
terly false let him continue to offer TO in
sinuate 1t. shall stamp 1t o lie though
II costs me my lite. There Is nothing that
l have said about General Gordon that iS
not iruB--nOthing hGvB said that he has
refuted or that l have not proven by his
own words. l say TO you, my distin.
guighed competitor, will never say friend
again.
General Gordon--1 hope not.
Mr.. BACon-It does not lie in your
mouth, yon who placed boarded gold high
above official duty, 10 talk about nv neg.
lrct. II matters not whether | resigned
the adjutancy and went into the commis-
Dary, or whether had been In the com.
miSsary department from the first, II did
my whole duty wherever was, and any
man who says did not, or says that left
my position IN the army other than by the
commando oil tho sworn surgeons ol the
regiment, lies.
1t will thus be seon that the fight has
developed into one between the command
nggeneral and the commISary. Gordon's
great strength lies with the Confederate
veterans and he never misses chance to
call out the memories Of the war. NAtur-
ally enough, Major Bicon is quite willing
that there should be few such reterences.
FEAR OF A DUEL.
There Is no dlsputing Bacon's personal
courage, however, as Gordon has been too
often tested to hsveGny doubt Of his, such
meetings as these in Eatonton and Sparta
are almost certain to end in an offer TO
step over into neutral groundBin Alabama.
paisn. Gordon is more immtdlStely.
backed by Atlanta and Is friendly to that
city. Bacon ia supported by Macon and
the element which revolves theraabout,
The two gentlemen spoke here tonight,
going over the same ground and widening
the feud between themselves and sections
which they represent. The State DSmo.
cratic Committee tneets tomorrow in At.
lanta to ax the date for the Gubsrnatoial
Convention. An effort will bs made to
have IL meet In Augusta, as test OF the
Bacon and Gordon strength In the State