Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-19
INGALLS, AND HANCOCK.
THE NOTED KANSAN lNDuL GES IN
THE SOUL OF WIT,

And Answers Col. Anderson with Peculiar
BrevIty-Commcnts on the Senator's Late
speech-Will Push the Tariff BilI-A
Congress Of Celebrated women-SIattera
of Interest at the Capital.
WASHINGTON CITY, March 19.-"What dc
you think of Col. Anderson's open letter to
senator Ingalls, in defense of Gen. Hancock's
loyalty to the Unicnr inquired representa-
tive OF the United Press Of Gen. Charles Ii.
Grosvenor, Republican representation from
Ohio.
"'fhe letter Of Col Anderson" said the
general, has the ring Of a generous comrade
in defense of n dead comrades reputation,
and honor him for it. l do not quito under
stand what was in the mind of Senator In
gals when he permitted the word other to
stand in his speech can explain how it
may have been spoken, But do not concede
by any means that the senator intended to
class Hancock as an ally of the southern Con-
tederacy' in any sense which could
reflect upon Gen. Hancock's 10y
atty to the Union or his valor in war.
Hancock was one of the few greatest and
truest soldiers of the war, and think Sena-
tor Ingalls, feels so, and has said so. From the
standpoint of politics, and in the light Of post
bellum affairs, Hancock had a political record
which is legitimate subject of criticism, but
ms soldier Hancock stands upon "a pedestal
above cursory or unfriendly.- criticism, and
when the hour for personal denunCiation of
ingalls, has passed am sure he will put him
SELF right on the record"
A number of other prominent Republicans
were SEEM but there appears to be great hesi-
fancy among them about being quoted on the
subject
Colonel w. W. Dudley of Indiana, ex-com-
missioner of pensions, expressed the views of
n great many others, when he said II think
Senator Ingalls, was stung in the heat of de-
bate into the expressions which he used, and
that he employed language which impaired
more than he really intended to say and ex-
pressions which he will modify. have such
an admiration for the senator both as citi-
zen and statesman, that | would hesitate to
misconstrue any inadverteut remarks made
by him"
ingalls, has been very closely pursued by
the press tiend since Andersons letter came
out, the object being to ascertain when he
was going to reply thereto He put the news
gatherer off until Friday, when he announced
that Saturday night he would furnish his re-
ply to the press. The consequence was that
Saturday night there was throng of eager
reporters and correspondents at Ingalls, resi-
dence to obtain the coveted paper, of which
he had prepared anumber of copies, and this
is all he had to say:
WASHINGTON, d. c., March Il, 1SsS-CoL FIN
LEY ANDERSON, New York: SIR:-I have the
honor to. acknowledge the receipt of your favor
of the 18th inst, Respectfully yours,
JOHN J. INGALLS,.
The press people were at first deeply dis
gusted, but finally concluded that the face
tious and sarcastic Kansan meant it as a little
joke. Commenting on the matter, The Wash
ington Post says: 1.-THE brevity of Senator
Ingalls, letter is accounted for by three rea-
sons-by the estimate in which he holds his
correspondent; by the constitutional privi-
lege which protects him from outside &C
countability for what is said in the senate Tor,
to put it the other way, the constitutional
provision which forbids member of congress
to discuss congressional debate outside the
halls of congress-; and, thirdly, his fondness
for playing just such a little joke as in this
case he played on the newspaper reporters
and the public"
AS Senator Ingalls, does not discuss the mat
ter by letter with Colonel Finley Anderson,
it is not likely that he will discuss it in let
tor to anybody else, neither will he of his
own act reopen the debate i'll the senate, but
if any prov0cation is given in the senate he
will no doubt seize the opportunity to supple
ment his former remarks
- "Since the delivery of that speech, not less
than two weeks ago, letters have been coming
to the senator by the basketfuls, some of them
full of hostile criticism and denunciation,
many of them anonymous, and containing
nothing but simply the name which best ex-
presses the writer's opinion of the senator.
In one or two the writers have solemnly
pledged themselves to lick the senator Out