Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-03-26

concerning different phases of the
work.
ACTING UNDER AUTHORITY.
From the foregoing it will be seen
that whatever work have done to eff
feet an organization OF the free coinage
Democrats. have done directly under
the authority of a State Democratic
Convention, and National Democrat
ic Conference, which had the indorse-
ment of the State Convention. and to
which that Convention sent me as a
delegate. The Republic says ! should
do something to serve the party. That
is what am doing, and am doing it
along the very lines marked out by the
party in this State, and under the di-
rect authority of it's commission. For
doing this arduous and difficult work,
which was assigned to me against my
wish, the Republic. as the organ of the
gold standard forces. maligns and
villifies me. 1t tortures its powers of
invention to find something to say
against me which it imagines may do
me harm. or which it thinks may result
in setting the free coinage men at each
others Threats. Its specific charges
that / am ambitious; that I want to
be boss; that want to knife Vest,
Bland and others; that hold secret
caucuses to concoct dangerous schemes;
that I committed the sentence of a
criminal to promote the ambitions of a
friend. etc.-are SO absurd and con-
temptible that am reluctant to notice
them in detail. Life is too short for
that. All now desire to do is to call
the attention of Missouri Democrats to
the fact that am being bounded for
a service I seek to perform under their
appointment and in obedience to their
direction. With this fresh in their
minds l am content to leave the issue.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion I want to say that dur
ing the two and half years this coin
age controversy has been the par
amount issue in our party politics, al
though l have taken more or less &C
tive part in the discussions challenge
the Republic, until it began those at
tacks, to quote single offensive ex-
preston from me about any person or
paper, and even under these attacks /
have said but little; on the contrary !
have strenuously avoided persouali-
ties. l have on several occasions pub
licly appealed to Democrats to elimi-
nate acrimonious personal controversy
from the discussions, and to settle the
issue solely upon principle. repeat
my challenge to the Republic to quote
a single expression of mine. prior to
this recent TRADE of abuse, Of
fensive in character and directed
against any particular person or paper.
l have spoken o: classes, but not of in
dividuals. have, like others, de-
nounced Wall Street, its practices and
purposes: I have. like others, de-
nounced stock gamblers, option gamb-
lers, and other combinations and infiu-
ences which deemed inimical to the
public interests, but I have made no
personal assault on any one, unless
some gentleman feeling the shoe pinch,
has himself made personal applica-
ton of what / said, and took offense
accordingly. Newspapers here and
there over the State have made per-
sonal illusions to men. This has been
done by papers representing all shades
of opinion. But / do not own any
newspaper, nor farthing's interest in
one. / sustain friendly personal rela-
tons with q number of editors, but /
can not control their utterances or the
policies of their papers. 1t is both I'M
just and unreasonable to attempt to
saddle me with responsibility for what
others may say or do. am entirely
willing to answer for what say or do
myself, and If owned or controlled q
newspaper, would be willing to an
swer for its utterances; but l protest
that can notsbe held responsible for
the course of others who are as free to
act independently as I am.
In view of those facts submit to the
candid judgment of Missouri Demo-
Gratis If these miserable and filthy at
tacks, instigated by influences as des-
perate as they are despicable, do not
deserve universal execration. AL
ready my name has been forged to. q
letter l never saw or beard of; al
ready have been charged with COM
muting a sentence to buy a priest to
the support of Sam Cooks political am-
bition; already I have been charged
with both committing, and contemplate
ing. multitude OF crimes, great and
small. II this is to continue suppose
am yet to be charged with burglary.
murder, treason, and all the crimes in
the calendar. 1 am surprised that the
Republic and its allies are content mere
~ to charge my offenses In general
terms. Since they have started on
this career. with the object of first de-
stroying me before selecting the next
victim, wonder they do not make
their indictments specific and prove
them. Perjury should be as easy as
forgery. Respectfully,