Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-30
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON TALKS.
SAYS He s. Reasonably Confident of Sue
csss--An Alleged Misfit Letter.

fwashingtou Star, 2ath1
Representative w. l.. Wilson, OF West
Virginia, was in the city short time to-
day. He is in the midst Of very hot
campaign and ran over to Washington
for a few hours on business.
"There is no truth, =" he said TO n star
reporter who met him on the street,
Gin the statement made at the Republi-
can headquarters that $1,000 has been
sent TO nv district by the Democratic
Committee 10 help my election. Tho
facts is that the committee have sent
but $500 into the district to help pay the
ordinary expenses of the campaign.
That il all the financial assistance
| have had from them. l feel rcasona-
bly, confident of success. If the vote IS
got out there is no doubt of the Demo-
Gratis having a majority. But the Repub-
licans are making tremendous effort to
defeat me and are not stopping at any
thing they think will aid them in the
effort. My district is oyerrun with
Government employees who are doing
all the political work they can.
| do not see where Commission
er-of- Internal Revenue Mason could
put man In the district that he has not
done it. They are as hard Mt work
against me as they can be. Wherever
one Of the revenue agents IS needed Tor
campaign work he is ordered and gets
his 81 day while working on the cam
paign. He had one man stationed to
watch n single barrel of whiskey for one
hundred days at g day, so he could
be where ne could do campaign work.
LETTER OF COMMISSIONER MASON.
In this connection Mr.. Wilson showed
star reporter a letter addressed to MIR.
J. Il. Hall by Commissioner Mason.
The Mr.. Hall to whom it was addressed
is friend of Mr.. Wilson. and presumably
the letter was intended for Mr.. NJ. +.
Hall, the postmaster at PhilppL and
editor of the Republican newspaper.
1t is marked personal and is rs follows {:
elf it has not occurred to you / suggest
that you write very strong article Tor
this weeks Republican attacking VIII
son vigorously ON his pension record.
He lodged the vote on the last pension
bill. Say that if he does not feel inter
est enough in old soldiers OF his
district to vote on bill that was most
important to them-in fact the
most important pension bill ever before
Congress-then the old soldiers OF the
district should take enough interest IN
him TO see that he is not returned to
Congress that they should make 1t
personal matter 10 see that no vote OF
soldier or the friend Of a soldier is cast
for Wilson. In addition to this it would
be well to say, possibly in another para
graph, that this pension bill was the most
important measure before the last SEES
sion Of Congress that it takes $40, Co.,
600 annually out of the Treasury, and
will continue to do so for many
wears. and that with so important
a bill on Its passage Wilson should have
had courage enough to have voted one
way or the other that the people are
tired of sending men to Congress VINO
| decline 10 vote on important measures
/ like this for fear that they Will lose some
of their friends that they now propose
to send men there who have at least the
courage of their convictions and who Will
not dodge vote. Truly yours,
JoHN w. Mason"
| COMMENTING ON THIS LETTER,
Mr.. Wilson said
"Nasop's confidential letter 10 Re-
publican papers in my district that |
lodged the vote on the pension bill IL
false, as he perfectly well knew. The
conference report was sprung on the
House without notice and rushed
through under previous question.
was absent in Missouri ana the Con-
qrcssional Record shows that l was
paired with General Grosvenor, who was
absent in Ohio. More than fifty Repub..
licans were likewise absent and
paired, including the two Taylors OF
Ohio, Browne of Indiana, Thompson OF
Ohio, Boutelle and Dingle OF Name
Cutcheon of Michigan, Peters Oh Kansas
and others of prominence also Atkin ,
son, OF West Virginia. MASON Woulu
never accuse these Of lodging this vote,
but is suggesting this anonymous attack
on me when be thought 1t was too late IN
the campaign to catch up with the false
hood. Elkins statement OF my vote IN bus
Wheeling speech is likewise grossly pn-
fair. As to several he suggests Tue iaise
or suppresses the true so rs 10 complete
ly distort them. AS specimen nc
charges me with voting against ,he
original-package law, when he knew tha'
| voted with the majority OF my COZ
leagues Of both parties for tne nouss
substitute. in my Judgment a wiser ana
more effective bill than the one pa ~ u.
call attention to the fact that al 'nese
attacks are reserved until it is TOO Lat
in the campaign for me to eaten up WILL
them and expose their falseness'
The Story Diseredited In WasninS
Thy telegraph to the Dispa'cie.
WASyfIeGTax Dckobop m--lnt Gus