The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-04-01
Mention The Constitution.


10, 1894. 1 deferred the day upon which
my resignation should take effect, be
cause it is desirable to postpone the new
election until after the city election in
Augusta in December and after the county
elections all over the district in January.
Watson's Quotation Not Correct.
This plainly shows that l referred to
these elections reasons for fixing the
date of my resignation-not with any refer
ence to the time of holding the special
election for congress. But your quotation
is not correct. Here is exactly what L
wrote as one of those reasons. VIZ: III Is
desirable to postpone a new election as
long as possible to let feeling subside, ana
i'm view of a municipal election in December
and of county elections all over the dis
trict in January You omit from your
quotation the words as long as possible
to let feeling subside.'
your arguments may be fairly summed
up from your own recapitulation thus:
wanted time for the municipal election in
Augusta to pass; l wanted the January
election to pass, and l wanted a new cleo
tion law and all these have occurred. Now
i'm the first place. il will plainly appear
that l referred to those events as reasons
for naming the time when my resignation
was to take effect, and not for fixing the
time of the special election that must
follow.
Again, IL il be admitted for the argu-
ments sake that those events had any
reference to the time of the election. the
most that could be claimed would be that
the election to be postponed until
after they had occurred, not that l had
agreed to have it within thirty days after
the 4th of March, as you now contend. In
November last. If you could have assumed
that you would be candidate at the spe-
cial election to be held, | could not. You
have altogether failed to properly under
stand or appreciate the situation and my
relation to IT. If a candidate was under
obligation to do what you now insist upon,
which L do not admit you must remember
L am not now "a candidate.
1T must appear, upon moments re-
Election that il would be grossly improper
for me to assume that ! will be nominated,
and act as If il had already been done.
The nomination belongs TO the party of
which / am only a private member. You
seem to think that l had committed myself
to another trial of political strength
by making another race with you. ] have
never had any such thought. What i have
done was simply to give back the Office TO
the people, to whom the Office belonged and
the nomination to the party, to which it
belonged. 1 make no claim that either be
longs To me- and am perfectly willing that
another should bc nominated if my party
sees proper to Go so.
AT the time of my proposition and your
acceptance i'm November last the
law conferred upon the governor the au-
thorty to order the election. Under the
law at that time he could not do so in less
than thirty days from the vacancy, which
was plainly to occur on March 4th, That
law you knew, or were presumed to know.
If you misconstrued il no blame could rest
upon me. Neither of us had any right to
assume what the governor would do. If we
chose to speculate as to his course (and we
could do nothing moTc) neither could be
held responsible for the conclusion of the
other 1t distinctly appeared that it was
contemplated a new election law might be
passed, and it's effect at the time of
the election could not have been fore
told.
AS reported-and l have no doubt. cor
rectly-in a recent public address in this city
you expressed disposition to put the past
of bitterness ana strife behind you. In this
disposition / fully share ana viii continue
by precept ana example, to promote it
among the people in any way / properly
can-n any sphere / am called to act. If
this is a right disposition il would seem
that the farther the election is removed
from such a past the better it would be for
all concerned. If. however, l thought the
feeling between the two political parties
called for such action as you propose while
you may feel authorized to act for your
party, l cannot assume to act for mine
for il has conferred no such authority on
me. l must, therefore, adhere to the con
clusion stated in mine of the 22d instant
Il think the public will Cheerfully consent
to excuse us at least for the present from
further appearance. The governor alone has
the authority 10 call the election and fix
the time of holding IL. He has not asked
our advice. / have not abandoned my pro-
fession, from which public duties have
called me for several years and / have no
thought of doing SO. Life is short, and |
must, therefore, decline further CORE
spondence on this subject. Yours respect
fulIV JlT.ArIs