The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-11-12
CARD FROM SAM HOLDING.
He Replies to Mr.. webster's Speech at
the Court House.
To WIN. J. WEBSTER:

bhc NOuTb hOusc'
To WIN. J. WEBSTER:
hope. sir, | am within the limits of
that liberty about which you so eloquent
ly discoursed last night, when undertake
TO address you a public letter upon the
subject of your remarks
1t has been my lot, on some occasions. to
oppose you in public print on public ques
tons, and it is my pleasure to state that on
these occasions you were a fair opponent
and met the issues of the controversy with
out distractions, or evasons.
But, sir. permit me to say that in this
municipal contest, upon which you I'M
dertook to address the citizens of Colum-
bia, you strayed widely from the issues
and wandered deeply into distractions.
Bnt do not dispair, bat that you may yet
be brought face TO face with the issues
joined, for II it is within my power, you
shall not finish this letter without know
ing the practical questions which are now
agitating the people of Columbia.
So far as | was concerned, it was alto
gether unnecessary for you to have apollo
gized FOR addressing the people of this city
upon questions affecting their corporate
welfare, for while it is true that have the
advantage OF you in possessing the right to
vote in the approaching election, | claim
no exclusive privileges for myself nor for
the citizens of Columbia, but extend to all
citizens OF our county who are equally inter
ested in the good order and development of
our county capital, the liberty of public
utterance upon questions affecting our
well being.
1t is dangerous for an impulsive nature
to address an audience too much in SYM
patty with him, for their enthusiasm is
apt to be'rsy him into utterances which
his cooler judgment repents. 1t is this
cause, presume, which led YOU into that
broad, but unworthy insinuation, that the
lawyers on the side of the Reform move.
ment we're there because the money was
there. 1t is true, as you stated in this con-
nection, that generally speaking, where the
money is there may be found the lawyers
also. But there are some honorable excep
tons to this rule; for at this particular
! juncture find some of our prominent law
yers, who are now vigorously supporting
the Reform ticket, spending their time
and energy, without money and with.
out price, in supporting the cause
of the people of Columbia and Maury
county against that gigantic monopoly,
the Cumberland Telephone Company, and
more than that, some of them have de-
clined profitable employment by this mon
oply in its war against our people. And
in this connection beg to remind you of q
fact which, if you will leave your theories
long enough to consider it, may furnish
you an application for your remarks In
denouncing monopolies and the money
power, and expressing your fears that
these forces might coalesce with the fanat
icism abroad in the land, and thereby play
havoc with the rights and liberties of oul
people, you seemed to have been uncon
scious of the fact that the very head and
front of the so-called Peoples Ticket wa,
the agent and servant OF that twin brother
of the Cumberland Telephone monopoly
the Western Union Telegraph Company
How idle do our fears seem now!
But, sir, grant you that this is beside
the issues joined in this contest, yet
trust that 1 may escape your censure in
this particular, for surely it is not expected
of me to keep 10 the issues'while reviewing
your speech.
ALLOW me to state before going further