The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-02-13
THAT wArrrnsoN LErrER.
Governor Hill Makes Another State
mcnt About IL.

mcnt About 1t.
New York, Feb. Ex-Governor Hill re.
turned to the Hotel Normandie at 1:30
o'clock this morning. He had been sup
ping with the officers of the Seventh
Regiment at the Hotel Buckingham. A
reporter met him and told him the gist
of Mr.. Watterson's statement that 1.-THE
letter was no forgery" The Governor
seemed entirely self-contained and lis
tened attentively. Then he said
II am very much surprised that Mr..
Watterson has given for publication the
statement an extract from which you
give. II Is strange, indeed, that letter
mailed three months ago has never
reached me. have only to repeat what
] said before, that have never received
that letter. If Mr.. Watterson says he wrote
that letter, and that II contains the state
mont which he says 1t contains, all | have
to say is that have the less respect for
Mr. Watterson.
80 far as the letter of which you speak
Is. concerned, prefer to say nothing until
i have read IL.
"rhe statement about the letter APP
peared first in q newspaper that has al
ways been antagonistic to me. l mean
the Baltimore Sum-
wattcrson's Statement.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Feb. 13.-Mr. Waiter
'LoursviIIE, Feb. FL wrote the let
ter to Governor Hill, and was COM
PEELED to do so by motives the sincerest
and most disinterested. There appeared
in many OF the great papers last Sunday
a sensational account of how caucus of
United States Senators had resolved upon
retiring Governor Hill from the Presi-
al e 4. n A. Il .I.at
rs the instrument of these Senators, and
of how I had dispatched him letter
potent enough to alter his plans.
whence this fantastic story emanated
cannot divine, but il was so absurd and
did such injustice to both Governor Hill
and myself that thought, as ! still think,
that there could be no objection on the
part of anybody to the publication of the
truth, which fatty contradicted it. was
induced to this by the circumstance that
Governor Hillhadseemed to have adopted
q course suggested by considerations alike
honorable to his character and creditable
| to his judgment, the more so, indeed,
| since the letter in question furnished him
and his friends impartial testimony to
| answer and refute most odious and
| widely circulated calumny.
81 confess that am surprised that the
| Governor should make such haste to dis
avow and disown course which, how
ever prompted, gratfed every Democrat
| in the United States outside the State of
| New York, removing him at once from
the field Of mere political scheming and
sclf-seeking and placing him in the front
rank of statesmen having the good Of their
country and party at heart.
| 81 am equally distressed by the repre-
sentation that Governor Hill should re-
| gard my plain but friendly words as inn
| pertinent and insulting. | did not so in
tend them. cannot help thinking that
the same words might be with propriety
addressed to him or to any Democrat in
the land, and / still hope that, annoyed
by o publication which annoyed me as
well, he has proceeded upon misappre-
hension of the facts of the case. can
assure him that neither in the writing
nor printing of my letter was there any
purpose to take an advantage of him, and
least of all to do him injustice.
II am no mans man and exist in no
mans interest. TO use his own happy
expression, ] am Democrat who
has passed lifetime in the service OF
never sought the slightest personal recog.
milton or reward. am only Inundated
by the reflection that this service was not
sufficient in the estimation of Governor
Hill to protect me against his displeasure
and, that in the harsh construction which
he put upon a genuine, and not forged
letter, he visits me with what I must re-
gard as unmerted suspicion"
The Hill-Watterson episode excites
nearly as much comment at the Capitol
to-day as did Cleveland's anti-silver letter
yesterday.
The opinion among members is di
vided. Some think that the brilliant
journalist went beyond the limit in hi.
attempt to reconcile the alleged differ
ences between ex-President Cleveland ant
Governor Hill.
New York Democrats, as a rule, con
denim Mr.. Watterson for his seeming bat
taste, but they do not appear to want to &
on record in the matter. af :
On the other hand there are many
Democratic members who are inclined tt
think that Governor Hill has made |,
mistake in characterizing Mr.. Watterson'
letter as Insulting" and "impertinent.'
The Hon. Asher G. Caruth, who repre-
sents the Louisville district in Congress, i
one Of these. He said to THE Critic re
porter:
II have always been great admirer Q
Governor Hill, but think he is littl
too sensitive.
"Mr. Watterson had no intention of in
Turing the feelings Of the Governor
Henry Watterson wasneverguilty of sucl
thing. as i73... ~. /. III. !
THAT letter was written with the best Q
motives, and / think the Governor upo
reflection willagree with me on that PROF