People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-20
THE OTHER SIDE.
MIR. W0RRELL EXPOSES HIS
CALUMNIATOR.
A GENTLEMANLY REPLY.
10 a Bass and GrOundless Charge
Made For Partisan
Purposes.

Several days ago the Chronicle
published and republisned letter in
which Mr.. Sturgis offered to bet ten
bales OF cotton to prove to the salts
faction of committee of partisan
Democrats tina he tax receiver OF
McDuffie county " as thief. The
Chronicle commented editorially on
this proposition of Mr.. Sturgis, and
claimed it furnished reason for
supporting Mr.. Black for Congress
and damning the Populists generally.
To-day the Chronicle publishes a
reply from Mr.. Worrltl. Although
she had grievously wronged an hon.
est man by allowing his character
assailed in her columns by disrepu-
table methods, and given editorial
sanction and support to the wanton
defamation, she did not have the
fairness to give as prominent display
to the denial as she gave to the &C.
cusation. She covered it with the
mantle Of silence as far as she dared.
This is Democratic.
Here is the way the calumniator
is nailed:
Thomson, Ga, Sept. IS, 1895.
Editors Chronicle In your is
sue of yesterday, the 18th, there is a
letter signed by a. E. sturgis which
makes some serious charges against
me, the tax collector Of McDufie
county, and the Populist party, to
which letter I desire to make an
swer in no uncertain way. Mr.. Stur-
gis is citizen of this county, and il
the readers of the Chronicle and the
public generally knew him as his
neighbors know him no answer would
be necessary.
Mr.. Sturgis, charges, first, that the
county did not owe one dollar and
had $500 in its treasury when the
Populists took charge. They truth
is in '92 the Democratic ordinary
borrowed $1,000, as he had done on
previous occasions. The Populists
took charge of the county offices in
1898, and as the revenues for 1892
were smaller than for any previous
year, by reason Of the advance of
State tax, and this $1,000 having
to be paid out Of this small revenue
left the county in worse condition
financially than it ever had been.
The records show this assertion to
be true and that the Populist are in
no wise responsible for what they
inherited.
AS to Mr.. Sturgis's charges against
me personally the records shows
such to be utterly untrue. Mr.. Stur-
gis and his committee had access to
my papers, books, and vouchers time
and again. The year 1889 is the
year that Mr.. Sturgis claims I had
collected tax for which / had failed
to account. At the March term,
1889, Mr.. Sturgis was member Of
the grand jury, and he was a mem
Der of the committee appointed to
examine my books and accounts for
the year 1889. Mr.. Sturgis as chair
man Of that committee made the fol-
lowing report, which was incorpora-
ted into the general presentments, to
wit: "Too much praise cannot be
bestowed upon our tax cole ctor for
his diligence in collecting the default
tax, as his balance sheet shows $780,
96 OF said tax for 1888 and 1889
collected at this term of the court"
In view of this report written by MIR.
Sturgis himself the animus of his
present attack can be readily seen.
hold and have exhibited to Mr..
Sturgis and the grand jury the
vouchers and receipts of the Comp
troller General and Treasurer of Nc
Dafie county showing clear record
with the State and county.
Mr.. Sturgis claims he can prove I
am a defaulter. Why has he not
done so before the proper tribunal {?
He complains that the grand jury,
to which he made his report, re-