Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-04-12

To the Republicans of Hardin County.

Hardin county, Tenn, subject to
the action of the Primary to be
held on Saturday the 2Sth day of
April, 1894. | was Republican
candidate for Trustee in the year
1892, and withdrew in favor of
comrade Patterson, in compliance
with an agreement made with him,
and | respectfully ask that you
do me the favor to read this state.
ment, and of course make your
own conclusions in regard to
the matter. AT various times
during the canvass of 1892, | was
solicited by the Chairman of the
County Republican Executive
Committee and other Republicans
to withdraw from the race in favor
of comrade Patterson, and as
earnestly solicited by other equally
as good Republicans not to do so,
as | was before the people as a
Republican and not as an indie
pendent, and l never have been
a candidate for any Office only as
a Republican, and my record as
such is open to the world for
inspection, and l challenge any
man to impeach it. AS much as
any Republican, l desired peace
and harmony in the party in our
county, and with an endeayOr to
secure the same | wrote to Mr..
Will j. Watson and other Repub-
licans who had solicited me to
withdraw in favor of cOmrade
Patterson, that if he would return
the favor by agreeing not to be a
candidate for Trustee in the year
1894, should / be candidate be-
fore the Republican convention
or primary, for nomination as
Trustee in said year that | would
withdraw and do all | could to
secure his election, which promise
| honorably complied with, and
as an evidence that there was
such a proposition made by him
to me and, that Mr.. Will j. Wat
son proposed that comrade Pat
terson and myself meet at Wat.
sons Office for the purpose of
making some arrangement that
would result in there being but
one Republican candidate in the
field for Trustee, l would refer
to his letter to me under the date
of June 10th, 1892, which / read
in the Court House at Savannah
April I'd, 1894, and which is now
in my possession, and the author
ship of which invite him to deny.
The conference proposed by Mr..
Watson was held in his office
sometime in the latter part OF
June 1892, or thereabouts, there
being no one present but Mr..
Watson, comrade Patterson and
myself, and there made the same
proposition to comrade Patterson
that | had previously made to him
through Mr.. Watson and others,
viz: that if he Patterson would
agree with me not to be a candi-
date for Trustee of Hardin County,
Tenn, in the year 1894, and would
assist me to secure the nomination
and election to said office ia the
year 1894, that 1 would withdraw
from the race for Trustee in 1892,
and do all | could to secure his
election, and whether comrade
Patterson so understood the
agreement or not, l hereby assert
that he did at the time and place
mentioned, in the presence OF
Will j. Watson who listened to,
took part in, and heard all the
conversation between us,-make
such an agreement, and Of which
there is abundant proof. This
matter cannot be set aside by say
ing Oh Dick is hard of hearing
and misunderstood the agreement,
as | fOresaw just such a cOntin-
gency, and provided for it by
having a witness present, that
witness being Will j. Watson.
l understand that comrade Pat,
terson claims that he only agreed
that he would not be candidate
against me, provided l secured
the nomination, but to suppose
that would make such an agree
meDt, after going to the trouble
and expense of making a partial
canvass, is certainly giving Inc
credit for a very low grade Of in.
telligence and while / do not claim
that I am very smart, think my
friends will admit that | am no
fool.
Mr.. Watson, who was the only
witness to our agreement, has
repeatedly stated to me that he
understood the agreement, in
substance, as l state it to be, and
that he so construed it, and al.
though | have urged him, for the
purpose of clearing up this mat
ter, to make a statement under
oath in regard to the same, yet
he refuses to do so, and excused
himself by saying that he was out
of politics and did not wish to be
drawn into controversy. | am a
member of the Knights of Honor,
a grand and noble order across
whose portals politics is not al
lowed to enter. | am a member
of the Lodge at Savannah, and
Mr.. Watson is a member of the