Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-09-23
Jewett Replies to Sam Cook.

SHELBINA, Mo-, September 90
The people of Shelby county are not
in disputes arising between
Mexico people and I therefore ask
space in your paper to reply to the
unprovoked attack made on me by
Sam Cook. / would send this article
direct to the In~telligencer only / am
satisfied from it's careless attack upon
that its editor, In such a frame OF
mind, would refuse to publish it.
Now, Mr.. Cook, I desire to address
a few words to you direct. Your at
tack was surprising because l did not
NEEDLE or take part n your quarrel
with Bob White, and the only refer
ence 1 made to you vas compliment
tary; at least, I so considered it. /
called your attention last Wednesday
to the fact that you were returning
evil for good and making statements
that we're untrue, and I have waited
this long to let you voluntarily set
yourself right, and as you fail to do SO
1 want to set myself right in your
community, where I am little known.
say / did not NEEDLE in any quar-
rel you might have with anyone.
1 have not read a single article writ
ten against you and do not know what
the charges are, neither do / care to
known. When it was asserted that an
editor of a Democratic paper was dis
loyal to his party because he allowed
someone, through the columns of his
paper, to attack you or any other
Democrat, it became a broad matter
of principle which affected me, affect
ed every other editor and every DEM
ocrat as well.
The only points l made were in favor
of freedom of the press, the right to al
low criticisms of anyone and that per-
mitting such criticisms did not author
ize Democratic organizations or pa
pers to Jump onto a brother Demo-
crat.
Where was the offense to you IN
this, Mr.. Cook? If you did not agree
with my position you might have con
troverted it like a gentleman. This
you carefully avoided doing, but in
stead undertook to jump onto me
personally and make q false impress
ion on the minds of the people that
did not know me.
1t was solely to combat what con-
slider a heresy that the article headed
"More Charity Needed" was written
Why don't you take issue with its
position? Suppose I am all you say
and ten times worse, does that fact
answer my arguments or make the
position / have taken unsound?
have known you in other years
and under more favorable circum-
stances, and I am compelled to be
lieve that had you been at yourself
had you not been unduly wrought uI
over the criticisms of others, you
never would have made the unprovok'
ed and uncalIed-for attack you did.
trust by this time you have cooled
down.
Ihave said that many of the asser'
lions made in the IntelEigencer are MOI
true and I will now point out some o
these.
UNTRUTH NO. 1.
SIT is not surprising that the Shell
bina paper should devote a column o
unfriendly criticism of the Mexico
Bryan Club and the Chairman Of tn
State Democratic Committed"
There were but two-thirds of a col
umn in all, and that loaded, and no
one word of criticism OF "the Chairma,
of the Democratic State Committee
and all that was said about Sam Cool
was complimentary. I defy you te
point to one word of criticism of sucl
"Chairman." Your statement abov'
is therefore untrue.
UNTRUTH NO. 2.
"He treferring to the editor of tn
Shelbina Democracy was beaten full.
4 to l."
The records show it was not two t.
one or anything like 1t. At a primar.
in such a storm that not a fourth o
the Democrats voted and those mainl.
in the towns, I was beaten. In my owl
township, though a most desperate
effort was made by such as you to bea
me, I received more than two to one
and there are no stauncher Democrat
than those in Shelbina; true ever.
time. Were you never beaten, MI
Cook? II not, many other good Dem
ocrats have been, and if they are tru'
blue they bear 1t like men and do no
whine about it, nor do good Demo
Gratis twit the defeated.
II UNTRUTH NO. 3.
"The policy of combining the enc
mics of Hannaism and Fillyism in thi
State was bitterly opposed by the Shell
bina paper"
II The files of the Democrat are opel
for your inspection and If you can fin
anything that in any manner Justifie
your assertion I will confess myself
liar and you a gentleman. On tn
contrary, 1 always favored fusion.
Il, UNTRUTH No. 4.
In a roundabout way you assert tina
the Democrat denounced "the Bryan
Club for refusing to pull down tn
name of VIM. ]. Bryan" Now, Mr.
Cook, point out the sentence or wore
implying anything of the kind or con
fess your error.
WILL YOU ACT THE MAN?
Here are four statements made b.
you about me that r not true. Now
have you the manhood to comics
your errors and duly apologize? ]
your undue. excitement has cooled, yo'
will. Had you not been undul.
wrought up you never would hav
made such statements.
COOKS LETTERS.
You attack my record in the las
campaign, but you forget your letter
written to me then. I hold your let
ter of date Aug. 21st, 1896, commenc
ing: "My Dear Jewett-I want t
congratulate and thank you for you
splendid editorial in this weeks Dem
ocrat," etc. And I have other letter
from you along this line. Quite differ