The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-08-09
GIBSON FOR CONGRESS,
He Replies to the Statements
of His Opponents.

!
vass to begin whole year in adj
vance of the ordinary time. l do
not believe the welfare Of the party
will be promoted by long contin-
ued strife for the nominations; and
have, therefore, refrained from
making any utterances, or publish
ing any statements, calculated to
stir up strife at this early day.
My opponents, however, do not
seem to care for the welfare of the
party, but TO care only for them
selves; and so they have begun to
fight all along the line. Their prin-
cipnl bombardment is upon me. l
have submitted to their attacks for
about month. without making
any reply. Not being hurt, know
ing that it is not the thunder that
kills but the lightning. was con-
tent to remain silent. Besides, !
am getting accustomed to being
abused and misrepresented. That
is one of the penalties inflicted up
on men in public life.
Nevertheless, some accusations
have been made lately that l de-
sise TO refer to. One is that l
served in the rebel army, and the
other is that l was never in the
Union army.
OLD DEMOCRATIC ISLANDERS.
These are a couple of old, stale,
democratic falsehocds started sew
enteen years ago, and again and
again answered. My Union record
from 1853 to the end of the war was
published in the Republican twice,
once over thirteen years ago, and
again over twelve years ago, in re-
futation of these same Democratic
ISLANDERS. Some Of my young re-.
publican adversaries We're, perhaps,
too young then to remember my
answers to these falsehOods; and
perhaps they don't know that they
are using democratic ammunition
in their efforts to blacken my re-
cord. II seems to me that a good,
true Republican would be ashamed
TO use ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to strike
down fellow republican; and if
they are not ashamed of it, be-
Iieve all good, true Republicans
will be ashamed of them. e
Besides lie men who make these
charges know well enough that
there is absolutely no truth in eth
er charge; they know that both
charges are absolutely false and are
exactly the reverse, Of the truth;
but they own newspapers and are
anxious to defeat my nomination
for congress and they hope to be
able, by means of these false demo-
J ratio charges, to deceive and mis-.
lead few people.
In answer to the charge that !
was in the rebel army, / will say
thatI entered Hobart college, at
Geneva, in the state of New York,
in September, 1858, and remained
there, except during vacations, un.
til June, 1862, when l graduated
[ was at Geneva when the rebel
lion broke out, and was an ardent
outspoken union man from tie
very start, and made many speech
es in favor of the union cause
while yet school boy. / never
drew a disloyal breath, or uttered 9
disioyal word, or did disloyal deco
in my life. After graduating a
college, in June, 1862, l returned t.
Maryland, where l was born ant
where my father was living, AM
remained in Maryland and il
Washington city until March, 1865
!. at no time having been nearer tn,
rebel army than Washington city
AS to the charge that l never wa
in the union army, will say tha
l served in the commissary depart
ment of the union army from abou
March II, 1868, to August 4, 1S6:
t being with the Army of the Poto
mac a large part of the time, an,
all the time doing my duty as be
became loyal man and a faithful
subordinate; and received the com
mendation of my superior officer,
| In January, 1866, l came to Knox
vile and have been here, or i
, Campbell county every since. Nov
let Mr.. John G. Houk tell the peor
lie what sort of a "war record" h
has.
NOT ASHAMED OF HIS RECORD.
, l have never boasted of my arm
) record, for l have always deemed
an humble one; but / am prou
that was on the union side in tn
great war for the unions life, an
that filed one mans place in tn
union army, and those served ur
der say / filled it well. My "record
{ was fully disclosed to the Gran,
Army Post here, and after due con
sideration was deemed satisfaC
: tory.
4 The men who are repeating thes
3 democratic attacks upon my arm
record were babies, or were nc
born, when the war was going on
and it is safe to say that if any
body besides me was an opposir
candidate for Congress-, it would &c
matter how bravely and honorabl
he served in the union army h
would soon find himself charge
with being deserter, or a bun
mer, or a coward, or "coffee COO
er," or a hospital lounger, or wit
some disreputable conduct. To b
falsely accused and villified seem
20 be the fate of any man who run
for Congress in this district. Judg