Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-09-20
DANIEL ON O'FERRALL.

OuO loGlof W IuO COitOi W oAo ANo"ot "
Lynchburg, in reply to Gov. O'Ferrall.
1t is lengthy communication and treats
in detail of the political matters on
which the two differ. The letter be-
gins:
81 shall not answer in detail the
voluminous letter of Gov. O'Ferrall.
The game Is not worth the candle. The
ignorance of current political matters
it displays is made the base of it's reck
less assertions, and its happy-go.lucky
style is fit accompaniment. A vast
portion of it is consumed to make it ap.
pear that I was inconsistent about the
State debt and other obsolete issues of
campaigns long bygone. No public
interest attaches now to these stale
thigs. They have been passed on and
disposed Of. l am not sufficiently inn.
pressed with the gravity of his observa-
lions upon them or upon me in con-
nection with them to deem them wor-
thy OF notice.
1.-THE people of the State have too of
ten Endorsed me FIR me to feel anxiety
for reopening vi t1a ended political
causes in a1ich I participated, now
long since strica ca from the docket.
"Neither do I feel that I need take
lessons in consistency, fidelity, or graft
tude from even so shining an illustra-
ton of those virtues as my volunteer
censor and profered teacher.
I'm recent interview he condemned
me by name as to my course at the Chi
cago convention of 1896, and evidently
his at me when he arraigned the lead
ers of the Roanoke convention in Ian
guage as unbecoming as it was baseless
and unjust-peculiarly unbecoming
ny those he sought to pull down.
"The attack was utterly 'unfounded'
in fact. 1t was 'unprovoked' because
not elected by any c'iicism of
mine on its author. That be believ-
ed it was a serious and injurious assault
on me is shown by the manner in which
its remnants are renewed, and attempt
ed to be fortified"
The Senator writes more about the
charge that he voted for the Senate
resolution, approving Of sending the
troops to Chicago to defend post roads
and mail routes, and about his connec-
ton with the committee on resolutions,
a, Chicago, SAYING in part:
II left the Chicago convention in ses-
sion, and before the Vice President was
nominated, and embarked for England
on legal business. l returned home in
September. Scarcely pausing at home,
| made my opening campaign speech
on September s, at Danville, and l
promptly and fully answered the
charges that had been made in my alb
sence, and which are now revamped
by Gov. O'Ferrall. If I did not hear
my critics across the water, answered
as soon as I did hear; but it seems
strange that those who could hear the
criticism, times without number"
could never hear the answer.
1.-THE Governor asks me some trivial
questions" the letter continues, ito
which l reply in bulk that I was not a
member of the committee on resolu-
tions; that I never attended, even as q
spectator or auditor, single one of it's
deliberative sessions; that never saw
it in elaboration, as it held its meetings
at the Palmer House, while 1 stopped
at the Sherman; until, indeed, it mad
finished its platform, completed it's
work, and bad come up to the conven-
ton hall to make its report.
"Whie the convention was in session
the committee, or part of it, was get
ting typewriter copies of the platform
made up in an ante-room. Mr.. Carter
Glass asked me to go where it was and
request some verbal alterations in the
platform. I went as requested. 1t was
too late to do anything. The work OF
the committee was done. Inever heard
of the plank alleged TO be an 'indorse-
ment of Altgetism, or anything that l
can recall on the subject. Indeed, hur-
ry and confusion reigned, as the MEM
bers were fastening to report, and the
convention impatiently awaited it. l
was not there, having been chosen tenn
porary chairman of the convention.
There was no agreement that should
take Mr.. Glass's place on the committee
at any time, only he insisted at first that
if l we're not elected chairman, the
movement being then in course, he
would wish me to do so. But the con-
tingency never happened, and / never
participated in the framing or drafting
of the platform, nor cav it until the
whole matter was accomplished.
1.-THE Governor says 1 did not notice
the charge that there is in the Chicago
platform "a couched expression of de.
termination to 80 organize the Supreme
Court as to secure reversal of its de-
cision upon the constitutionality of the
income tax Az he did not make it in
this form before, l could not so notice
it; and 1 have never regarded it in any
similar form as anything more than a
weak campaign canard. I do not think
there is any such expression 'couched,
or otherwise 10 the platform. What
are the facts? The Supreme Court,
by the vote of five judges against four,
ruled that the income tax provided in
democratic tariff bill was no.
notwithstanding in this
manner its own uniform decisions
through hundred years-decisions of
successive courts, decisions which the
most eminent judges of America had
made, with John Marshall at their
head. What could be more destruc-
tive of confidence, order, vested right,
settled law, and true conservatism ?
1t was radical and revolutionary; and
its effect was affecting. The country
was astounded. 1t created deficit in
the Treasury, and more debt and more