Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-10-04
CHAIRMAN GOULD WRITES
LETTER.
The Cha Ilenge to the Proprietors of
the journal" Renewed-Prepare
TO prove His Assertions.

GENTLEMEN: - Your square back
down in this mornings issue Of the In
dianapolis Journal calls for another
challenge from me, and | trust you
will place yourselves upon honest
grounds in the matter and no longer
evade the issue pending between your
paper and the X. of L. One month
ago, as secretary of the X. of L., l, act
ing under authority of that body, de-
manded of you the 1000 reward Offer
ed by your paper for proof that Ben
jamin Harrison, pending the strike of
1877, said that "$1 per day was enough
for any workingman,n and that "they
(the strikers) ought to be forced back
to work by the use of the militia" I
furnished you the statement of IL re-
liable, trustworthy members Of labor
to be honest and industrious men. l
gave the residences where they lived,
that any person might consult them as
to the accuracy of their statements, etc.
The proposition you had made was,
that the statements were to be submit
ted to committee of business men,
appointed my portion of the commit
tee and invited you to appoint your
portion. This committee was to take
sworn testimony from the men and de-
termin the value of the evidence. The
proof was not to be determined by any
person interested on either side of the
case. In face of this you took 1t upon
yourselves to say that the proof was
valueless; that the X. of l.. was an cir
responsible organization;n that its
members were "bums," "thugs,"
"beats," "brlbe-takers and perjurers;"
that to recognize its claims before a
municipal court" would be an Insult
to iustice.n This is the estimate your
paper has ever placed upon the X. of
l.. and trades unions. The X. of l.. is
responsible organization, and is re-
sponsible for the wonderful improve
ments recently made in our street car
service, which, according to statements
published in your own paper, is the
outcome ofthe car drivers strike, and
the $1,000 demanded of you was to be
used to defray the expenses incurred
upon that memorable occasion. In
stead of appointing your committee,
you ignored your own proposition, and
did not as much as answer my official
communication, which you receipted
for to the district messenger boy de-
livering the same.
Your paper subsequently declared
that if I would procure one affidavit
you would enter suit against affiant
for perjury, and allow the courts to de-
termine what Gen. Harrison said or
did not say. then wrote you accept
ing that proposition, but requested you
to answer my official communication,
which you evaded. Subsequently l
accepted your editorial as reply there
to, and furnished you the affidavit ac-
cording to your own proposition. Hav-
ing gone back on your first proposition,
accepted your second. 1 invited you
to sue affiant for perjury, and agreed to
prove in open court that benjamin
Harrison said everything charged
against him and much more, and this
proposed to do by Republicans stand
ing high in political circles. Instead
of suing aff1ant you have gone back on
your second proposition, and now you
declare you will allow the reward pro-
yiding the Democratic State or county
central committee will father the
charge; that you will place the reward
in the hands of a Democrat conditioned
Luat OIlaiELldH JcWctCi OoS'CooAy oASSA
in or Chairman Taggart will father the
charge. I desire you to distinctly un-
derstand that the national State or
county central committee Of the Demo-
cratic party is neither Of them the ex-
ecutive board of the X. of l.. who have
made and substantiated the charges,
neither chairman Jewett, Chairman
Taggart or Secretary Sheerin is even a
member of the X. of L. They do not
profess to make the charges, have moth
ing whatever to do with them, and
should they undertake to father the
claim, they will be given to distinctly
understand that the X. of L. can at
tend to their own business without
their assistance. You are hereby chal-
lenged, in accordance with your own
proposition, to enters suit against affiant,
and transact your business with me and
nobody else for what has been said.-
The X. of L. is responsible organiza-
tion and was so acknowledged when
you, Mr.. John G. New, intercedel to
have the general secretary of that Or
SANITATION resign his position to take
the stump in favor of the Republican
party. Prosecute, as you have said you
would, and we will bring sworn evil
dence from men now connected with
the Republican State central committee
that Benjamin Harrison said even
more than has been charged against
him, or the statements they have
already made will show them up as
peJurers.
At the Chicago. convention some of
the most reputable gentlemen In the
Republican party declared that Harri-.
son had said in their presence that in
his (Harrison's) judgment hanging was
too good for the strikers. The avoid
ing of prosecution, under the circunl-
STAGES, is asquare back down on your
part, and is conclusive evidence that
YOU yourselves admit Harrison's guilt,
and have been obliged to recall the re-
ward offered. / defy you,. / double
dare you to enter prosecution and let
the courts determine Harrison's guilt or
innocence, according to your own
proposition. BY pursuing the course
you have in the matter you have placed
yourselves before the people of this
country as towards, vilifiers and ac-
knowledged betrayers of your own i'm
stinct, possessed of not one spark of
manly principal and all ocean of una
dulterated bluff.
remain, sirs, yours emphatically,
EDWIN F. GOULD.
~->-s-