Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-13
SAYS HE WROTE 1T.
EEERY waTTERS0N ACKNOWLEDGES PBNNING
NOTE TO GOVERNOR HlLL
And Saws BE is Not Ashamed Of It, and That he
DOES Not See Why the Newly Elected
Senator Should Designate 1t as
Forgery and as lnpertinsnt

Louisville, KY. February l2.-On
returning 10 this city this afternoon MI.
Watterson, in response 10 request OF
the Associated Press and in answer to
some hundreds of kilograms which have
come to Louisville in the last twenty
four hours, gave the following state
ment for publication:
LOUISVILLE, KY, February II.
wrote the letter to Governor Hill,
and was impeled to do so by motives
the sincerest and most diSintcrested.
There appeared in many Of the great
NEWSPAPERS last Sunday sensational
account of how a caucus OF United
States Senators had resolved upon retir-
ing Governor Hill from the Presidential
arena. of how | had been selected
as the instrument of these Sena-
tors. and of how had despatched
him letter potent esough TO alter his
plan. Where this fantaStical story
emanated cannot divine, but it was so
absurd and did such injustice 10 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 ilatly
cOntradicted it. was induced To do this
bv the circumstances that Governor
Hill seemed TO have adopted course
suggested by considerations alike honor
able to his character and crcditable TO
his Judgment; the more so, indeed, since
the letter in question furnished him and
his friends impartial testimony TO ans
wer and reiute most OdiOuS and wilfHl-
~ circulated calumny.
| confess that am surprised that the
Governor should make such haste to dis
avow and diSown Il course which how
ever prompted, gratilied every Democrat
in the United States outside the State
of New York, removing him at once
from the field OF mere political and
self-Seeking man and placing him in the
front rank of statesmen having the good
of their country and party at heart.
am equally distressed by the representa-
tion that Gov. Hill should regard my
plain, but friendly words as impertinent
and insulting. | did not so intend
them. cannot help thinking that the
same words might be with propriety ad-
dressed to him or to any Democratic
aSpirant by the humblest Democrat in
the land; and still hope,
that annoyed by 4 publ
cation which annoyed me as well,
he has proceeded upon misapprehcn-
sion of the facts OF the case. can AS
sure him that neither in the writing or
printing of my letter was there any
purpose to take az advantage OF him,
and least of all TO do him injustice. |
am no mans man, and exist in no mans
interest. To use bis own happy ex-
preston, Il am a Democrat" who has
passed a lifetime in the service OF prin-
cipleS and policies from which / have
never sought slightest personal recogni-
tion or reward. | am only humiliatcd
by the reflection that the service was
not sufficient in the estimation OF Gov
ernor Hill to protect me against his
displeaSure and in the harsh construc-
tion which he puts on 4 genuine and
not on Il forged letter, he visits me with
what must regard as unmerited suS-
ptcion.
(Signed.) HEvEY WArTERsoN.