The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-11
THE GoRDoN-NoRwooD CONTEST
Mr.. Norwood's Letter of April 80
Criticised.

-sA1' ANO4 WOOQ lSUL6T Oh ApIA OF
Criticised.
Editor Morning Ns0s. As a citi-
zen of the First Congressional
district l read with surprise the long letter
OF our Representive, Mr.. Norwood, to Capt.
w. W. Gordon, published in your issue Of
April so.
or course, public man has a perfect
right to spread before the world the full
record of his services to the State, when he
comes to the people asking for reelection
to office There may be question of taste
involved, but the right exists and is gener
ally recognized; in exercising it Mr.. Nor
wood is not open to criticism. On their
part too, the people have entire right to
set their own estimate upon such services,
and it may sometimes happen that the ideas
OF value of the respective parties are widely
at variance. So far neither can properly
complain of the other.
There are points in the letter, however,
that may justly be criticised as neither in
noceDt nor harmless in their character
Notably is this true of that portion of it in
which Mr.. Norwood poses as the defender
OF the poor man against the expressions of
the rich, and in which he sneers at Capt
Gordon as the poSsessor of wealth. Such
line OF argument we expect from commu-
nistlc orators. We look for it in the ut
society, but is 1T worthy of a man who for
years past has held one of the highest offices
in the gift of the people, an office that is
supposed to give room for craftsmanship
Mr.. Norwood seems to forget that he rep
resents the entire speople Of this district,
rich and poor alike. He forgets, too, that if
the possession of riches is a crime, then he
himself is a criminal at heart, for he mo
more nor less than every other man in the
Tn
Surely it is worse than folly, it is moral
wrong, on the part of a public man who
E1tOlUS better, to endeavor to array one class
of his fellow citizens against another, and
he who does it simply to advance his per-
sonal political fortunes is placing self before
the true interests of the commonwealth
Success may attend the effort, but it is
worth mans while to consider whether
success may not be dearly purchased,
whether such course may not deprive him
of the good will and good opinion of the
judicious and thoughtful.
1t has always been the boast of the South
ern people that among them man is valued
for what he IS rather than for what he
Gums. | am slow to believe that there has
been any change in this regard. man is
good or bad, capable or weak, in the eStima-
ton of the people of this district without
any reference at all to his worldly posses
Sions This is the standard by which Capt
Gordon will be judged, and those who know
him best are those most anxious to do him
honor.
Born and reared in our midst, he has been
faithful to every trust, whether public or
private. As a legislator his zeal and ability
have been surpassed by none; his acts in
that capacity have appealed to the man
hood of his constituents, not to the acct
dent of their fortunes.
am unaware of the extent to which the
fearful charge of being well-to-do in the
world may be true in relation to Capt.
Gordon, but this do know. What he has
is the product of intelligent industry in an
honorable calling. Know that he is rich
in that most highly priced of all possessions,
character; rich in honor; rich in integrity;
rich in a generous courage that carried him
to the front and kept him there in those
four long years of terrible warfare, when
Georgia, wounded and bleeding at every
pore, called upon her sons and they came
rushing to her defense from the seashore
to the mountains, ready and willing to die
in her behalf.
The man who was true then is true now,
and if he should be sent to represent us in
the next Congress the people will be proud
of him as an exponent of Southern char
acter in its highest, brightest type.
A MEMBER OF MERGERS OLD BRIGADE.