The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-09
Letter From Hon 3. Barksdale.
WAsHrxeros CRY. Nav 81. 1856.

personal interest could induce me to
abandon, Col. Hooker, in his electioneer
ing speeches, arraigned me for having
voted, in 1884, for what is known as the
Bonded Whisky Bill" His motive,
if he had any, was to prove that my
vote had untitled me for further service
in Congress, Notwithstanding my party
and the people of the district had
already pronounced a different verdict
by a unanimous nomination and over
whelming election. In arraigning me
however, he suppressed the fact that he
himself, so far from being impeccable
and infallible, had voted, on two sepa-
rate occasions, for Bonded Whisky
Bills" and, therefore, according to his
own logic, merited the condemnation
that he was invoking on my head. In
his answer he admits that he voted for
these bills, and founders through jun
giles of complicated sentences to justify
himself. As my object was not to arraign
him, but to defend myself by showing
that he had set me the example, | will
not pursue him further on that subject,
except to state, as an evidence of his
utter bewilderment, that, in attempting
to inculpa.e me for my conduct in the
18th Congress, he undertakes to tell how
Mr. Morgan did vote, and how Messrs.
Barry and Catchings did not vote, on the
same question and at the same time,
when they were not even members OF
the body
2. Another count in Col. Hooker's in
dictment was that | had favored "rota-
ton" and opposition to third term
A "third term" for what? Representa-
tive in Congress, his hearers would have
naturally inferred, as that is the Office
we are both seeking. To this / replied
that he was evidently aiming wide of
the mark; that | had never urged the
dismissal of any Democratic member of
Congress on the ground of rotations"
that the files of the newspaper which |
had conducted for many years, and in
which / had defined my position freely
on all questions, might be searched, and
no language of mine could be cited in
verification of his statement; that my
words did not support it, and that my
acts, which speak louder than words, alb
solutely contradicted it; for, as delegate
to the Kinds County Convention of 1880,
| had voted for his nomination for the
fourth term, and had given him my sup
port for the fourth term after the nomi-
nation. Like the cutie fish, which dark
ems the water TO elude observation, he
darts off from the Congressional ques-
ton, and states that he referred to my
appreciation of the course of my friends
who supported me for Governor in 1873;
in opposition to the "third term What
has that to do with the office of Repre-
sentative? If in the chapter of improb-
able events, | should be elected Gov
ernor. and should seek it third time,
there would be some pertinency in the
point he is striving TO make. But the
two offices are different; their functions
are different; the fundamental law for a
long time, and the custom of the State,
have been different. The argument, so
to call it, in which my distinguished
competitor INDUCED for the dele;tation
of his intelligent audience at Port Glib
son, was disingenuous and misleading.
Incidentally, while showing by my sup
port of his nomination for the fourth term, in
1880, that he had attributed to me posi-
ton which | had never taken as to Con-
gressmen, stated that had learned that
he ibid not reciprocate the compliment to
the party which had crowned him with so
many distinctions by voting for its nomi-
nee for Congress in the 18th District, in
1882" To this specific charge he replies /:
If it is meant by this to state as fact, or
insinuate or infer, that | did not sustain
the nominees of my party in the canvass of
1882, then it is simply untrue. l made
speeches in many parts of the State In the
canvass Of 1882, and on Saturday before
the election in 1882, coming on Tuesday
following, |, by invitation of the execu-
tive committee of Madison county, spoke
at Canton, that being one of the counties
of the district in which Mai. Barksdale
was candidate for Congress. Returning
to my home at Jackson by the Il o'clock
train at night, was seized with violent
illness. Ny illness alone kept
me from the polls.
My statement was that Col Hooker did
"not vote for the Democratic nominee in
the 9TH District" There were no 'non,inees"
in the It'll District, and no other candi-
date for any office whatever, but the Dem
ocratic nominee who was opposed by Mr..
James Hill, the Republican candidate.
/ said nothing about his supporting '-the
nominees" elsewhere. My statement was
specific as to his not voting ''for the NOM
inee in the 9TH District He admits it /;
and pleads that sickness" kept him away
from the polls. | do not assume to Judge
of the sufficiency of the alleged cause, but
his equivocal answer to the interrogatory
in the discussion before the
Whether he would vote for his
if the latter should be NOM
nated-Eis refusal to address the District
Convention, though .courteously invited to
do SO, after the nomination was made-his
failure to make the slightest allusion to
the Democratic nominee or the Congress
sional canvass in his speech at Canton (the
only one he delivered in the District),
though there was no other election pend
ing-all coupled with his non-appearance
at the polls, were condolences sufficient to
suggest the inference that he was not pre-
vented by Providential cause from vot-
ing for the Democratic nominee
The foregoing are really frivolous
matters upon which have wasted more
time than they deserve, though they
were the wool and warp of my distin-
guished competitors discourse They
are not practical issues upon which an
election for Representative should turn.
As for the Bonded Whisky Bill" it
has had its day in court. Following in
the footsteps of my distinguished COM
petitor, voted for it; but it was mere
question of economy and expediency
and not of fundamental principle. There
must be a finality to such an issue. The
judgment of the people, the sovereign
tribunal of the country, has been pro-
nounced against it, and, bowling to their
decision, if it should again present it.
self, / will record my vote against it.
But there is an issue clearly and dis.
tinctiy joined between Col. Hooker and