The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-08-14
A Reply to Our Criticism,

M. c. III. Tromsdolc, Editor Ouachita Tcle-
9iaph:
NV DEAR SiR-The last issue of your
valued Journal contains an article which 1
cannot permit to remain unanswered. 1t
is so exclusively personal and so wounds
me that have concluded to ask that you
give insertion in the Telegraph to this let
ter TO The end that all who read your
STRUCTURES may SOC what ! have to say in
reply.
The cordial relations heretofore sul,sst-
ing between us {! beg you to pardon this
perSonaliSm) indHce mo to believe that you
have allowed your zeal for Judge Gunby in
tho hot discussion now SpriHging up to be-
cloud your natural fairness and jusiica to-
ward personal friend, ana that when you
shall have permitted your ardor To cool
after tho heat and burden of the Congress-
ional day, Your own better selfwill declare
that you have done mo gross Unjust ice.
However this may he in tho end, am
convinced that NOW ynn feel that You arc
right and that / am wrong.
You mistake pride for conceit. Every
true man, whose nature is pitched on u
high key, has an intensity and fervor
which is at times mistaken for IA sense OF
ceit, and whether he spring from the
"pedagogue's chair.' rs you are pleased to
refer to mo. or whether he comes from an
humber sphere rs is the fact in nv
own case, l see no reason why nature
should deny to him that higher feeling
which no cdict Oft the Creator has ever COM
mandod should belong only to the elect
from whom tho peaagogue, in you revised
version, is forever excluded.
If ii hc true that | have assumed the rol,
OF teacher in tho case of Mr.. Gunby il is
equally true that there is no divinity in free
America which doth hedge Judge. and
that the Shreveport Times has II fail, per
feet and sufficient right to criticiso him or
any other candidate tor an official position,
and this too, whether the gentle man fac cies
1T or not Am I graudioquent here or am
right?
You speak OF the "lunny notions" of the
iimos. tako it that you refer to the land
grant ISSUE and to the granting of federal
aid to education. These "funny notions
are shared by large number of tho people
in your own district, IL fact which will be-
come pateut TO you when the various
parishes select delegates to the Congress
ionat convention.
The Times newspaper has u right to talk
part in the Congressional canvass in the
ruth district. 1t is its duty to do so. 1t is
read by hundreds of people in that district
and it would be false 10 their interests to
Withhold its views. newspaper issome-
thing other than II mere register of news :;
it is teacher, ami. if rightly conducted, a
teacher of powerful influence. You vii,
admit IT'S much, L know, and Your better
Judgment tolls you that any man who re-
fers to tho "iutortorence" OF the Times in
tho affairs of the Fifth district as .sinsoIentv
has moro passion than sense.e
The Times, you are pleased TO say, is "im-
potent" 1t cannot DO when you devote
two columns of your last issue to its views.
No, you arc mistaken. The Times is not
"impotent," nor is the Telegraph. You
did not mean what you wrote, believe me.
In conclusion, you must permit me 4 few
words of an exclusively personal character.
haye priced your good will and kind
wishes in the past. i have written this let
ter partly to maxi an effort To restore our
former cordial relations, but, il To regain
them, must sacrifice my pride of nature
and cease to speak of Jud 20 Gunby save in
terms of praise, though | regret it, yet i
prefer to lose your good will rather than
my own SELF respect. Yours truly,
Cuas. Med. PucKsrrE,
Editor Shreveport Times,