Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-07-04
FARRIS TO MAFFITT.
Interesting Contribution to the Mis-
souri, Democratic Silver Con-
troversy.

LEbkANON, A1o-t ooh~ ="
j. w. Farris, of the Laclede County
Democratic Committee, to-day wrote
and mailed to G. G. Maffitt, Chairman
of the Democratic State Committee,
the following open letter:
"Hon. G. c. Maffitt, Chairman Dem
ocratic State COMMITTEES: Dear Sir
I am in receipt of your letter on the
subject of a State Convention and the
blank certificate prepared by you for
a return of the vote of the County
Committee. AS the Democrats of this
county in a mass convention, regu-
larly called by the County Committee,
and held ON the sth day of May, de-
cIared in favor of a State Convention,
and the same was CERTIFIED to you,
l shall decline to take further express
sion of the party or its committee on
that question. 1t seems to me a little
remarkable that at this late day, after
seventy three counties in the State
have acted on this proposition through
convention and committee meetings;
after more than sixty counties have
Joined in a call for a Convention in
dependent of the State Committee, if
that body refuses to call it; after six
ty-three Chairmen have emphatically
voted for a Convention, and after
formal requests addressed to you, to
crafty your W personal desire,
have been called for through the
| Planters Hotel conference and a ma
jority practically in hand, should now
require as an entire new proceeding
| that the committees shall be recon-
vened to act upon a question which
has been passed upon. You can not
contrast this position with the demand
now being made on the State Com
mittee to reconsider its action. The
committeeman in the counties knew
the sentiment of the party and voiced
that sentiment by their action. The
| State Committee at its meeting June
claimed to be ignorant of any gen.
| eral sentiment in favor of a Conven-
ton, and assumed a willingness to
Csilly Oub lhC WILL VI JIG panty AAoS
will has been abundantly registered
in favor of calling a State Conven-
ton, and the most r%ecreant public
servant can not be oblivious to that
demand and longer enjoy the conf
dence of honest people.
GAS / intimated to you in our inter-
view that my rule of action was to be-
lieve all men true until they proved
the contrary, and thought the State
Committee had amply shown by the
u%tterances of its majority that no
State Convention would be held, your
statement to me, if sincere, would
have removed such conclusions, 80
far as applicable to you, for you adj
mitted to me that you were now con-
WINGED that a majority of the party
| wanted a Convention, and that while
you thought it bad policy if majority
| of the County Chairmen requested it
you would call the committee togeth-
er and vote for a Convention. You
| also stated a number of counties that
had sent you the proceedings of Con-
ventions and committees, and that
you would accept such action as the
| demand from such counties. If you
were candid with me in these state
ments l cannot understand the object
in now calling for a new expression.
1t looks to me too much like trifiing
with a sacred trust, like playing upon
the supposed credulity of a people
wise enough to give Is lessons on the
relations of master and servant, or, if
you prefer, employer and employee.
If, to the contrary, you were insin-
cere, and therefore untrustworthy in
your propositions to me, my first
criticisms were justified, and the party
en- mosse should move to get rid of
your management at the earliest OPP
p%ortunity, and look with suspicion
and rigid scrutiny upon all of your
acts while its official head. I regret
that the conditions seem to require
this plain statement, but l am a plain
man and do not desire to be mlsun-
derstood, whether the communication
be friendly or otherwise. Very re-
spectfully, j. w. FARRIs."