The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-28
LOOKING UP HIS FENCES.
REP. NORWOOD CHALLENGES
CAPT. GORDON TO DEBATE.

Capt. Gordon Declines a Joint Can
vass of the District, But Will Stake
His Congressional Candidacy Upon
a Popular Vote of Chatham County
His Views on the Tariff and Other
Issues.
The Congressional race is beginning to
get interesting. When Representative Nor
wood was here last week, he discovered
that somebody had been fooling with his
fences. He found stake gone in one place,
rider in another place, while in some
localities he found whole panels down.
Ostensibly his visit, to Georgia was to
look after suit in the United States Court
in which he was interested as counsel, but
when he took a survey of his Congressional
fences, and found gaps in them he
began to look about to see who was disturb
ing the surroundings of his Congressional
pasture. He took a little run up into Bulloch
county, and found that Capt William W.
Gordon had been there From Bulloch he
went into Scriven county, and found that
Capt. Gordon had been mixing with the
people there. While in Scriven he learned
that Capt. Gordon was then in Emanuel
county. This satisfied the Congressman
that Gordon was the man who had been
tampering with his fences and he at once
challenged him to public debate.
MR. NoRwooD's CHALLENGE.
oGEECHEE, GA, April "a, 1888.
Capt. ". w. Gordon:
DEAR SIR extend to you an invitation to
join me in a canvass of the First district in
which we shall address the citizens of each
county in joint debate, on an equal division of
time
We are opposing candidates for Congress
and from what l learned in Bulloch county,
yesterday, the people desire TO know our views
and positions on certain very important issues
in which they feel deep interest.
If you accept this invitation land / assume
that you will please reply at once to me at
Savannah, so notices can be given Of the times
we will speak in the several counties. If you
do not return to Savannah to-day, please send
your reply by Mr.. Stubbs. the gentleman who
brings this note to you. l remain, yours truly,
T. NJ. NORWOOD.
To this Capt Gordon responded terSely
and to the point as follows:
CAPT GoRDoN's REPLY
SAVANNAH Ga, April IS, 1885,
Hon. T. N. Norteood, Savannah, Ga:
DEAR SIR--Your letter of the oath April is at
hand, inviting me Ito join you in a canvass of
the First district, in which we shall address the
citizens of each county in joint debate on equal
division of time"
gress is in session and your duties require your
presence in Washington. / will see to il that
all who desire to know my views and positions
on important issues shall be fully informed.
We both claim to be Democrats. lam Cleve-
land Democrat, in hearty sympathy and accord
with the Presidents views and positions, especi-
ally those in regard to reduction of the tariff.
You write that "we are opposing candidates
for Congress" 1t will depend upon the citizens
of our county whether or not | will be a can
didate for the nomination in the Democratic
Congressional Convention. If the Democrats of
Chatham county express their preference for
you, will not be a candidate. If they desire a
change and wish to vote for me- will be q can
didate
To ascertain their wish so plainly that it will
be beyond all doubt or question, propose that
you and unite in a communication to the EX-
ecuttve Commute of Chatham county, and sug
gest to them that they adopt the plan which
has been successfully tried in other counties of
the State, and hold an election, so as to choose
by popular vote the candidate TO be presented
TO the Convention by the Democracy of Chat
ham county-the details of the election TO be
arranged by the Executive Committee, and the
expense to be equally divided between MS OF
course, il is possible that in such an election
neither you nor will be chosen. If such re-
suit should occur, l would cheerfully aid him
whom the largest vote indicated 20 be the ia
vorite of our citizens. Such an election would
concentrate the strength of Chatham, and add
TO the strength of Chatham's candidate in the
Convention. Yours truly,
WILLIAM w. GORDON.
CAPT. GORDON TALKS.
Capt Gordon was asked yesterday if Mr..
Norwood had returned any reply to the
counter proposition contained in his letter
and he said that none has yet been received
In alluding to his defamation to join Mr.
Norwood in debate, Capt Gordon said that
he fully explained his position in his letter to
MIR. Nowood. There are other gentlemen in
this county and in other counties in the dis
trict, he said, whose names have been mem
toned in connection with the nomination and
he thought that 1t would be premature TO as
sumo that himself and Mr.. Norwood were
the only aspirants in the field or
TO arrogate 10 themselves an undue
prominence as candidates. With this
view he said that he could not accept
Mr.. Norwood's challenge. He is not I'M
willing, he said, for the popular vote of
Chatham county to reflect the choice of the
county for candidate, and that, he believes,
is the best way to determine whom the
county wants presented to the nominating
convention. Itmight be Mr.. Norwood, him
self, or some other gentleman. A popular
vote of the county he believes would best re-
fleet the popular will in the matter. The o
is not a hall in the city, said Capt Gordon,
large enough to accommodate all the Dem
ocratic voters. AS result, hall is soon
filed cut and dried tickets are easily elected
by whatever faction can first secure the
hall, and on close vote a division is inn
possible. A popular vote is the fairest way
to determine the wishes of a county, and
until that is had he is unwilling to put him
self before the people in public debate
throughout the district when neither him
self nor Mr.. Norwood might receive the
nomination.
CAPT. GoRDoN's POSITION.
AS to the position Capt Gordon occupies,
he has no hesitancy in declaring that he is
in full accord with President CleN Gland, and
especially so upon the question Of tariff re-
form. he spoke in the highest terms OF the
b Presidents message npon the tariff
question, and he believes that policy
which is doing so much to cripple COM
merce, to increase the public burdens, and
to withdraw from and lock up at Washing
ton the rapidly accumula ting and largely
accumulated surplus, is pernicious policy,
and that it is high time that it should be
changed. Beyond this Capt. Gordon was
unwilling TO be quoted in connection with
candidacy for Congress until he should
hear further from Mr.. Norwood. Mean
time, it is a matter of fact, that the friends
of Capt. Gordon here are working for him
like beavers, and in the preliminary Skin
mish with Mr. Norwood they say Gordon
dealt the heaviest blow.