The advocate., 1890-08-27
CRAWFORD vs.. DAVIS.
The Ex-Governor Writes u Letter TO The Ad-
vOcateMr. Davis Replies.

The Ex-Governor Writes Letter 10 The Adj.
yOcate Mr. Davis Replies,
I'VE received the following from xGoycnor
Crawford too late for our last Issue. The COVER
nor must have feared we would not publish IT,
for II appeared In the CdpVdI on Sunday The
i7th inst-kD.
WAsmNGToN, d. c., August 10, $780,
TO the Editor OF THE ADVOCATES
This being the anniversary OF the battle
of Wilson's creek, the first great battle of
the war, in the west, have concluded TO
celebrate the event by replying 10 certain
charges preferred against me by John Da-
via, OF Junction City, and the editor Of the
Topeka ADVOCATE, wherein, among other
things, am likened unto Benedict Arnold.
The immediate cause OF this sudden out
burst OF savagery among the self-appointed
leaders Of the National Alliance, was let
ter written by mo and recently published in
the Topeka Capital, wherein took Occa-
sion TO tell the people OF Kansas something
about one L. Il. Polk OF North Carolina
This, TO TIE ADVOCATE, was red flag, and
70 John Davis 10 was treason most foul. II
WAS TO his mind flendish act of cruelty and
apOstasy. And 10 prove his assertion, he
prints letter written by me TO him, and al
40 an extract from m address delivered in
1873, and then closes with the sublime senti-
ment;
"Is there not some chosen curse,
Some hidden thunder In the stores OF Heaven
Red with uncommon wrath 10 blast the man,
Who owes his greatness 70 his COuntrys ruuP
"Hidden thunder" is good, "uncommon
wrath" Is better, but "his country's ruin" is
just little bit far-fetched, and 30 too IN
the Benedict Arnold comparison.
First-If you, Mr. Davis, had been with
me in the late war, and faced the bullets
and bayonets that faced while defending
the flag OF our country, against the southern
COnfederates of the traitor Polk, you would
not now insinuate such charge or make
such comparison. You may have been in
the army, for aught know, but the chances
are that you were not, because no man who
wore the federal uniform, and did his duty
as n soldier, would slander his cOmrade for
doing what he believed to be right. You
know what you say is not true in any es-
sential particular. presume you had in
mind, when you penned your scurrilous let
ter, my connection with the late greenbaCk
party. But to that your charge will not ap-
ply any more than If you had intended to
charge me with treason generally. And
you not only know what say TO be true,
but you prove IL in the strongest possible way,
by publishing my letter of 1874 and my adj
dress Of 1873,
SeCOnd-I was as honest in my purpose,
and did Co the extent of my ability every
thing within my power in furtherance of the
principles OF the greenback party as you or
anybody else. opposed the contraction of
the Curroncy-the national banking system,
aud the payment Of the government bonds
in coin, step by step and day by day from
1872 until the first of January 1879, when
the resumption law went into effect.
was in favor of the reconciliation and
free coinage of silver, just as honestly az
you were, and did perhaps as much TO bring
them about. Not only this, but also, ever
since tho state was admitted opposed the
voting and issuing of county and township
y bonds for railroad purposes. Can you say
b muchp
y When the resumption act took effect, as
you know, the greenback party ceased 10
exist, A few Of the spoilsmen fingered
around the grave 60 dispose OF its effects,
for what they could get at eAch succeeding
election, but the purity as a national organi-
Nzation went out, and nothing remained for
lts members but to either float in space like
the comet, or 10 return 10 the party Of their
choice.
Third-About the time the greenback