The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-25
Hon. R. P. Hunter Answers Charges
Maae by "Fair Play
ALEXANDRIA, La,
Aug. II, 1856. !


TO letter in the Issue of the Tomn Talk of
the 18th inst, signed "Fair Play" Con-
corning myself he has to say: 'sNow a few
words i'll response to Hon. r. p. Hunter
and shall retire Nj. Hunter says ESQ
am told) that lie did all he could to secure
the appropriation for the overlooked snf-
ferers, and have 10 reason to doubt that
he did so. But there is one thing about
the matter that l cannot understand
Why did he display a telegram (scnt to
him personality in such way as to defeat
a measure for which he was using lis in
tlucnce and energies to secure favorable
action ?"
The telegram which he publishes for the
first time was in reply to one sent jointly
by Dr. Meeker and myself to Mr.. j. Gel
ger, immediately after we had had our in
tcrvicw with the Governor, informing
him Of what it was proposed to do and
asking him to give the information to the
papers. The message in controversy was
delivered to me early i'll the morning at
my room. Invent at once to the telegraph
office and sent in reply the message which
has been published. When the House met
or was abGut to meet / handed the tele-
gram, about which there has been so
much talk, to DIR. S. +. Meeker and never
saw it afterward My recollection is that
it was addressed to both of us jointly, but
as to this may be mistaken. l did not
show 1t OF mention its existence to any
one but him. Shortly afterwards there
came the reply to my message of that
morning, which has also been published,
and also one from Messrs. Bolton and Tur-
ner to the same effect. from which, the
Doctor and understood that the hill Sec
tions on both sides of Red river did need
aid. AS to Spring Creek we knew this
already from the petitions and letters we
had the day before submitted to the Gov
ernor. Neither he nor / RENTED any
part of the efforts we were making to Sc
cure the necessary aid.
About this same time-I cannot pretend
to give the exact dates from memOry-the
New Orleans papers, which were freely
circulated and read every morning in the
Legislature, contained dispatches from
Alexandria contradictory, or at least
greatly modifying the first accounts which
had been sent them by wire from Alcxan-
dria as to the injury and damage done by
the food, and my opinion is that the de-
feat of the relief measures was due to
these published kilograms from Alexand-
ria, and to the sentiment, which was then
the prevailing one in both branches of the
Legislature, that every other interest had
to be suborlinated and made subservient
to the necessity of keeping the appropria-
tons clearly within the certain revenues
of the State My opinion on the subject
may not be as good as that Of 'Fair Play"
who was hundred miles away on Spring
Creek, but give it for what it is worth.
He is at any rate wrong in another
statement of fact made by him. No ''res-
olution was offered and referred to the
committee with every prospect Of favor
able report, etc" TIE Senate, which just
ut this time had the General Appropria-
tion Bill under consideration. reduced the
item of 5000, $1,000 of which the Governor
proposed to use for relief to the Parishes
of Rapides, Grant and Winn, to $1,000, and
it was necessary to restore the item before
offering the resolution authorizing him to
so apply it. When the Senate amend
nents were reported to the House, made
the motion that the House "do not con-
! cur" which motion was carried and re-
suited in the appointment of q conference
committee. See House Journal, pages
5S4-5, 58S. The House committee was as
follows, viz: Messrs. Hunter, Williams,
Murdoch, Shields, and Kennedy, of Last
Carroll. The Senate committee was
Senators Jumel, Davey and Smith. Mr..
David I. Stafford, of this Parish, was
clerk of the conference committee, and
| was present all the time Of the lengthy
discussion over this item and will, as will
also the other gentlemen Of the commit
tee, contradict positively the statement
that read or displayed the telegram to
the committee or to any member Of it,
The House Journal shows that this con-
ference was held on the I'd day of July. !
had parted with the telegram on the day
of its receipt, three days previously, and
did not have it to read or display to the
committee, as l have heard that it was
charged did, and suppose that is what
"Fair Play" means.
| persisted and made so determined an
effort to have report from the committee
recommending that the item be restored
to it's original amount of 5000 that one Of
the House members reproached me fol
continuing the struggle after saw that Q
majority was against me, and charged
that if the whole bill failed Of passage anG
an extra session was made necessary
would be responsible for it. / was de
feated on the final vote, because as | be
lieve, Of the reasons above stated, and
only gave up the fight when it was appar
ent that an extra session might be the re
suit of further opposition to the final pas
sage of the bill as amended.
| / hope that explanation ll MAKE
''Fair Play" and Others understand" tn
seeming difficulty Of recOnciling my &C