The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-09
Justice 10 Our Guests.

Editor Of The Times:
As Senator Hill has seen NJ in speech
in the United States Senate in eulogy or
our late lamented Senator Barbour 10
turn out Of his way" Cusing his own eX-
preston. as applied to others TO attack
Hons. George Frederick Williams and
John De Witt Warner to whom he sar-
castically refers as two young men, in
discreet and oVerZealOus and anxious for
notOriety." and charges them with speak
ing i'm this city attacking Mr.. Barbour.
impugning his motives. and misrepresent-
ing his position" | think these gentle
men should be properly defended. II |
mistake not (and if l am in error Mr..
Jackson Guy will kindly correct mel,
these gentlemen were here by invitation
and hence were our invited guests. Tney
were certainly not a hostile foe. invading
our fair old mother State with tongues or
venom against her representatives, but
fellow Democrats, speaking by right TO
Democrats concerning the proper person
10 carry the party banner in the presi-
Dental campaign.
The heat OF the preliminary canvass
last year magnihed an incident con-
nected with the visit of these gentle
men into undue proportions and promi-
hence ! was present at the Academy
gathering. and heard the speaker, includ-
ing, Of course, the remark OF Mr.. VIII
lIams. which seems destined to go into
history since reference 10 II has gone
into the Congressional Record. l do not
undertake 10 give the exact language, but
! can readily reproduce its substance and
its context Mr.. Williams had said that
when Cleveland was made President he
had an idea that the people had chosen
him to be the head OF the administration
and not n thousand politicians scattered
throughout the land; that the secret or
the organized warfare against his nOmi-
nation was the fact of this Independent
spirit on Cleveland's part having allen
ated the politicians. incidentally and with
apparent good humOr, he added Tin sub
stance): IF your senators Tor possibly
representatives. are engaged in this
warfare, I'll bet dollars TO dOughnuts they
couldn't run the offices to suit them
selves when Mr.. Cleveland was Presi-
dent"
The audience made n good-natured
demonstration, and neither the remark
OF the speaker nor the responsive echo
seemed to indicate n particle Of malice.
Williams remarked gOod-humoredly, Il
must have struck something"
Now, this remark was rather imperson-
al than personal. 1t would have been
made I'm any other state. That audience
was certainly not inimical 10 our own
highly-esteemed Senator. In good truth
very much doubt II they would have re-
garded as a serious personal reflection a
direct statement that our representatives
were piqued with Grover because they
regarded him as too independents, my
self however. not herein meaning TO al
firm this as n factor Is II not quite
Dossible for men TO be In such position
and vet preserve a full measure OF IN
tegritv? But Mr.. Williams explained the
animus Of his remarks satisfactorily TO
Major Daniel universally esteemed ana
honored. as was Barbour, ana II Is
strange that Senator Hill. who seems so
conyersant with the circumstances or
this so-called ATTACK" was III such
dense ignorance OF this fact.
II must have been overshadowed by
his greater recollection that "a strong
friend and supporter had LETT MN IN an
hour OF need, a most critical hour ana
whose death may possibly nave chahseu
somewhat the whole political history oil
the country" but II is unfortunate tna'
a United States Senator. in an ostensible
eulogy of a dead brother Senator shoulu
rake up old feuds and cast a sneer upon
fellow Democratic colleagues.
II is due Mr.. Warner 10 say that he
made no reference at all 10 our Senator'S
and IL Is none the less due our Senator'S
both the speakers In question ana the
Richmond public, 10 end these chickering's
originating in the heat of a preliminary
canvass and now augmented into UNDUE
proportions. Let us have peace" w.
Richmond, Va, Feb, s. 1898.