The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-11-01
HON.A. W.SKINNER
Replies to skinner Called
Down" in indicator.
Says Recent Developments Show
That # He Had Favored Negro
Supremacy RatIiff Would Have
Supported Him With More
Fervor Now Than He Did,
EDITOR STAR:

he NlnQlCatOr OF last week
contains characteristic personal
onslaught for which its editor has
become famous, and which | sup
pose he regards as necessary to
bolster up his failing political for
tunes. Under the caption, Skin
ner Called Down he proceeds in
his usual style to criticise some re-
cent letters to the STAR refuting
the charges against the Democratic
party which the Populites have all
along been recklessly making.
Now, it is well known that Mr..
Ratliff is nothing, if not personal
in politics, and when cornered. all
ways resorts to that kind OF ,ac-
tics. Personalities in politics are
not only a confession OF weakness
and a concious inability to meet
the arguments of an opponent, but
in this instance seems to be a futile
attempt to sidetrack the issues in
volved IN the present canvass on
the eve of the election. Mr. Rat
lift did NOT answer, nor can he an
swer a single argument contained
in the article that he was pretend
ing to critcise. His reckless as
sertions and more reckless histori-
cal statements cannot be tortured
with or without figures into any
thing resembling an argument
Only one point in his TRADE de
serves notice, and that is in refer
ence to the effect of the Act of
1873, the unconditional repeal of
the purchasing clause of the Sher-
man law. He quotes me as saying
that the repeal of that law was all
night, and then quotes from Sena-
tor George to prove the dire con-
sequences entailed upon the peo-
pie by the repeal of that law, and
then assumes that Mr.. Skinner and
Senator George does not agree.
The readers of The STAR will
remember that | said that the great
wrong was the failure to follow up
that repeal by legislation correct
ing the "greatest crime of the
ages, that is, restoring silver to
It's original place in our monetary
system as a standard money metal
and giving i. free coinage at the
mints.
Senator George in his Winona
speech did not condemn the repeal
of the Sherman law, but showed
most conclusiyely the disastrous
results that have followed the fail
ure to repeal the act Of demoneti-
cation of 1873. OF course Senator
George in common with the great
mass of Southern democrats, OPP
posed the unconditional repeal Of
the Sherman law; but favored the
repeal OF that law if followed by
appropriate Legislation respecting
silver.
Your readers, Mr.. Editor, will
please pardon me for one or two
personal illusions. Mr.. Ratliff
states that | am running a post
Office under Cieveland's appoint
ment, and therefore sees things as
Mr.. Cleveland does. This state
ment is correct with this exception,
/ have never asked; expected, or
received any appointment of any
character from Mr.. Cleveland or
any one connected with his admin
istration. And further, some time
since Mr.. Ratlif reproduced IN the
indicator letter written by me
and printed in the STAR criticising
the financial policy Of Cleveland's
administration and highly com.
mended it.
The insinuations, inuendoes, &c.
contained in the indicators arti-
Gle are of course, unworthy of no
tice, | shall not reply in kind but
allow Mr.. Ratliff to maintain a mo-
nopoly Of that sort of discussion.
| am truly sorry that Mr.. Ratliff
has cotton SO desperate as to set
up such a howl. He reminds me
of an anecdote told of a man who
was travelling in Texas in the early
history of that State, and getting
out of money concluded to turn
preacher. He wandered into
colony of people and announced
himself as a minister Of the gospel.
The people were delighted at the
thought of a preacher in their
midst, and turning out built a