The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-06-06
no MpN. EUsTACR GIBsoN.
An Open Letter From state
Ireaaurer THOMPSON.

GRAfToN, w. Va, May "a, 1888.
Hon, GIBSON, Huntington, w Va:
DEAR SIR:I obtained at this
place eirafton) the Wheeling REa-
1sTER of the 25th inst, in which
found . Communication from You
dated Huntington, w. VA, 22d inst,
addressed as an open letter to Hon.
]. III. Jackson, Parkersburg, w. Va.
In that letter you took the liberty
of using my name and the names of
other gentlemen quite freely, and so
far as it relates to me, / thereby reply
to you directly. You state that
awhilst you were in Washington
recently you learned that in or
der to further his (Judge Jackson's)
candidacy for Congress, he (JacksoD
made arrangements with w. T.
Thompson, Treasurer of this State,
to riai 'anlate the delegations from
that end of the district in hist Judge
Jackson's) interest in return for
favors which lie (Jackson) and his
friends were to render nue. CThomp-
son9 in the matter of my candidacy
for recollection to the office of State
Treasurer" That part of your let
ter, Mr.. Gibson, is wholly untrue and
false, and if you do not furnish me
or Judge Juckson with the source
of your information, / shall not on
ly now, but hereafter, say it was
entirely gratnitous on your part.
The first time I ever met Judge
Jackson to know him was last fall,
at the first meeting of the State
Executive Committee at Parkers-
burg, and then only for a moment,
simply an introduction, that was all.
The second and last time was
about eight or ten days ago in my
Office at Charleston. The Judge
and the Governor come together.
Others We're in my office at the time,
and our conversation was general
and public, and their visit was
short. The only political signifi-
canoes that could possibly be at
tached to it is that Judge jackson
stated that in-as-much as you Glib
SOM had thrown wide the gate, and
had privately and publicly declared
yourself candidate for Congress,
he, Judge Jackson, was also can
didate. This was long after our
County Convention, after you had
returned from Washington. and
after you had privately and pub
licly announced yourself candi-
date. Judge Jackson never spoke
to me in reference to the CabelI
County Convention, or any other
county convention; he never even
asked me the names of the Cabell
delegation or how they would pro-
bably stand, nor could 1 have told
him, either, had he done SO. Touch
ing my reelection he never men
toned that to me nor / to him.
Therefore, so far as the conspiracy
of Judge Jackson and myself, tend
ing, as you seem to imagine, to dis
turb the harmony of the Democratic
party is concerned, you may, as its
self-constituted guardian, rest easy,
at least for two years hence.
You further state that "upon
your return home (from Washing
ton) you ascertained that SO far as
it could be, the arrangement (be-
tween Judge jackson and MYSELF
had been carried out in the selec-
ton of the Cabell Congressional del
egation and that it was openly
boasted that you (Gibson) was to be
eliminated from West Virginia pol
itics." As to that, / never heard
Judge Jackson's name mentioned,
nor did know, and 1 suppose no
one else, not even Judge Jackson
at that time knew, or even thought
of being candidate. But, Mr..
Gibson, there is one thing l do
know, and that is, there were few
individuals at that convention try
ing to work up a Gibson delegation
against the "G-o-l-den Rule" Gas
you now very graciously nominate
it, but not, however, until after you
had made some effort and failed to
break iD-they too failed, and hence
this racket" 1 heard no one
either privately or publicly aboast'
that you was to be eliminated from
West Virginia Politics" But since
you have mentioned the matter,
which, l doubt not, you did with a
view to elicit an expression upon
that subject, 1 for one will be
frank, and say that the Democratic
party in Cabell, Lincoln, Wayne,
and adjoining counties, was not
nnIy harmonious hn+ va,.x, s,,coass