Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-03-21
Reply to An Old Republican.

! am afraid our friend who signs himself
A Old Republican," is not quite as well
posted in regard to certain facts hs a man
should be who begs space in a newspaper in
which 10 air himself. In the first place, as |
understand IL, the County Court Clerks Of
ficeof Washington County is neither an asy-
lum for poor folks nor u hospital for sick
folks, but an Office whose intricacies, with
the growth of the varied business in the of
flee, requires a high grade of business intel
ligence, and l defy any man, be he lawyer,
preacher or A Old Republican," to find a
better kept set of books from the time the
Office was first established down to the pres
ent time than Doc Leads are. If the office is
to be rallied off for the benefit of some poor
Republican, why not give the prize ticket to
Doc Leah, who Is a much older man thai his
opponent, more experienced, and has more
than twice as large a family to support. He
Is em%inently qualified to give perfect salts
faction to all who have business in his office,
and does so pleasantly to all, be they Repub-
lican or Democrat; and / defy and challenge
A Old Republican" or any other man to
present a respectable ex-Federal soldier who
will go to Doc and say that he ever charged
him or any other ex-Federal soldier or SOL
dier's widow one cent for making out and
putting seal on his or her pension papers.
1t has been charged that certain parties
handling pension claims have charged dou-
BILE the fee allowed by the Government, but
Doc Leah never charged his legal fee, much
less an excess. So far as Republicanism is
concerned-why Doc Leah was lying on the
cold ground, with a belly rest, fighting for
the principles of Republicanism, while Jas
per was at home in a warm feather bed,
sleeping the sleep of the innocent and sweet
ly dreaming of fatty corn bread, sausage and
rye coffee, and "not a wave of trouble rolled
across his peaceful breast" for he was nei-
Their old enough TO vote nor fight. 1t seems
out of place for any man to plead poverty
and a large family for Jasper. He only has
three children, has as nice a little home as
any man in Jonesboro, with chickens on a
thousand hills, hogs in the pen, butter and
eggs to spare, and all kinds of vegetables for
summer and winter use; and | contend that
no man is poo who is in the full vigor of
young manhood and tips the beam at 235,
avordupois, and has an industrious wife and
three children to support him while he lays
in wait for an office to open its mouth TO
him and take him in out of the wet, as the
big fish did Jonah. And again, if Jasper
never received one dollar of public money,
what was he doing in the United states Mar
shall's Office in Knoxville so long? As to
Jasper not kicking when Doc beat him, l
would like to ask San Old Republican"
what right he had to kick? There were 1856
other Republicans in the county who did not
Kick. And l would also like TO know by
what right this is especially Jasper's time
any more thai any other qualified voter of
the county. Such argument as that is all
slush. Any and every man has a right to
aspire to office If he wants to, but he has no
right to get some one to plead the baby act
forhim, and say "that's mine, this time"
Why, bless you, Pap and Jim and many 9TH
ers may want the office this time, but they
have discretion m discernment, and have
%deciphered the hieroglyphies on the imagi-
nary wall of the County Court Clerks office,
which reads thus: "Doc Leah will be the get
there Eli man this time.r l have been a Re-
publican voter and fighter for Republican
principles for the last twenty six years, and
have known Doc longer than that, II have
had during those years business trans
actions enough with him to know that you
will not be voting for an experiment, but for
a gentleman who has done honor to the Of
flee and to the men who elected him, and he
will continue to do so, and even more per-
fectly If reelected. Go to the primary cleo
ton on Saturday, the oath, and vote for "Old
Doc" If you don't, may the good Lord pity
you and hold mercy in reserve for you.
Yours in brotherly love,
YOUNG