The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-02-26

Aa3S cCboatiOA III EJoiitiCoi CHStep, IT,
Gently, has been the publication of let
ter alleged to have been sent by Henry
Watterson, of the louisville Courier
Journal, to Gov. Hill, Of New York. 1t
was assumed that Hill received the letter,
| although Watterson had had no acknow
leGgment, and that it Influenced him to
accept the Senatorship from his State and
practically withdraw from the Presiden>
tial field, leaving Mr.. Cleveland master
of the situation.
The following is the text Of the famous
letter, now the political sensation of the
time, which appeared exclusively in the
Baltimore Sua1of Wednesday last
'Colnier-Joasiral ONCE, Louisville, Nov. FL 1890
My Dear Sir: take leave to address you this
have never sought or held office, and who could
not be induced to do SO; but who deeply
you to hold the key to it, Outside OF the State Of
New York there is well-nigh unanimous de-
nand among the rank and file OF democrats for
the nomination OF Mr.. Cleveland. This is TOO
strong for the party leaders and managers to re-
sist- think have some influence i'll Kentucky.
But on that point should be overwhelmed in
State convention. II you should come to ma
tional convention with'a New York delegation
solid against it you would be overwhelmed. You
are posverless to prevent it, But you can defeat
the election Of the ticket.
I There are democrats in every part of the
Union who believe that you did this in 1855.
know that to be false ! know exactly what
happened, and have steadily defended you in
public and in private But it will cling to you as
long as yon live-even as the bargain intrigue
and corruption story chung to Clay-and will
meet you in every national convention, if it be
not dissipated by some act on your part great
enough to blot it out. In default of this, if you
have any hope OF the presidency, it will defeat
my Judgment is clear that, if you could recon
Gle it with your Jud gment and feeling t9 make
peace with Mr.. Cleveland and to take delega
ton to the national convention in 1892 to put
him in nomination. you will save the party and
place yourself upon an elevation you can never
attain if you fail to do it. You would be receiv
ed by the'country with enthusiasm; be accepted
at once as Warwick, and do not see how you
could be kept out of the succession. On the other
hand, even if you succeeded in defeating the /
sinister and dangerous ground, with stormy I
future before you.
''These are plain words, and Ihave no relations
with you which give me the right to offer you /
counsel. They may be disagreeable words, and |
Rave no desire to obtrude upon your privacy
a democrat who has some knowledge of the I
country at large, and has given some proof of t
Intelligent devotion TO the party interests to
ignore ceremony and to send them to you.
In conclusion, let me say that shall, in an; any
meanwhile, am, most sincerely, your friend,
HENRY WATTERSoN.
.,The Hon. David B. HILL
This letter Gov Hill and his private
secretary say was never received. 1t is |
ntinated that Watterson wrote 1t under
high pressure and forgot to mail it. Or
probably the office cat got hold of it and I
caused tito mysteriously disappear. AT any
rate the case stands that Watterson says
he wrote and mailed it and Hill says he |
never saw or heard of it until it was given
to the public through the public print,
at Watterson's suggestion. This condi- |
ton of things has brought from Waiter
son the following statement
LOUISVILLE, KY, Feb. 12.-On returning to this
city this afternoon, Mr.. Henry Watterson, editor
of the Courier Journal, i'll response to a request
hundreds OF kilograms which have come to /
Louisville the last twenty-four hours, gave the !
following statement for publication:
s'Loassuille, Kg., Feb. FL wrote the letter to
Governor Hill, and was impelled to do so by
motives the SncereSt and Most dSintereSted.
ssTnere appeared in many of the great news /
papers last Sunday sensational account OF how |
upcn retiring Governor Hill from the presden- |
tial arena, OF how had been selected as the IN
stfunlent Of these Senators, and OF how | mad
dispatched him letter potent enough to alter |
his plans gance this fantastic story en,anated can
not divine, but it was absurd, and did such IN
Justice to both Governor Hill and myself, that
thought, as still think, that there could be no
objection on the part of anybody to the publica-
ton OF the truth, which fatty contradlcted it,
| was induced to this by the circumstance that
Governor Hill seemed to have adopted course |
suggested by considerations alike honorable to
his character and credjtabie to his judgment, |
the SO, indeed, since tile letter in question
furnished him and his friends impartial testi-
mouy to answer and refute a most odous and
widely circulated calumny.
Il confess that am surprised that the Cover
nor should make such haste to diSayow and dis
own a course which, however prompted, gfat1f-
Ell every democrat in the United States outside
of the State of New York, removing him at once
from the field of nsre political Schemlng and
self-seeking and placing him in the front rank
of statesmen having the good of their country
and party at heart.
II am equally distressed by the representation
that Governor Hill should regard my plain,
did not 50 intend them. cannot help thinking
that the same words might be with prol,riety
addressed to him or to any democratic aStlreEG
by the hubleSt democrat in the land, and still
hope that, annoyed by publication Which an
noyed me as well, he has proceedec UPON Il mis-
apprehension Of the facts OF the case. can as
sure him that, neither in the writing nor print
ing of my letter, was there afaY iui Csc to take
an advantage of him, and least of all, to do him
injustice. am mans man and exist IN no
mans interest. To use his own happy express
time in the service of principles and policies
from which have never sought the slightest
personal recognition or reward. am Only
Inundated by the refectiO that this service was
not sufficient in the eStim alton of Governor Hill
to protect me against his displeaSure, and that
in the harsh construction which he puts upon a
genuine and not forged letter, he visits me
with what must regard as uninerited suspicion
HENRY WATrERs0N"