The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-04-01
uRusT LssAuLT

uHueT lRSlWT I ONE OF The newspapers Of this state have Joined
- with the Memphis CommeNaEAppeal in
making q most uncaled Tor and unjust assault upon Senator Money for
visiting Cuba with a party Of senators and representatives as the guest Of
the New York Journal Our contemporaries have asserted that Mr. Money
went to Cuba as the hired reporter or agent OF the Joumal-that be was
uegIectIng his duties as Q. s. Senator, and therefore deYotlng time to this
"yelog journal" which belonged 70 bis constituents Now, knowing the
truth about this matter as We do, this strikes US a decidedly unjust and
unfair Tho truth about the matter 49, MI Money did not go to Cuba as
the agent or reporter Of the Journal, nor did he receive one dollar for It,
And we know whereof We speak when We say so. He went because he
wanted to know the truth about the condition OF affairs in Cuba.
lie was invited to go with a party OF senators and representatives upon the
terms set forth By Senator Thuston "a republican senator who was a mem
Der Of the party ina speech delivered before the senate on March 24th
Some three weeks since, three senators and two representatives in
congress accepted the invitation Of a great metropolitan newspaper to make
a trip to Cuba and personally Investigate and report upon the situation
there. Our Invitation was from a newspaper whose political teachings /
have never failed to antagonize and denouBce. and whose journalism I have
considered decidedly sensational But let me say, for the credit Of the pro-
DHetor Of the paper IN question, that believe the Invitation extended to
US was inspired by his patriotic desire to have the actual condition Of affairs
the facts would no longer remain In controversy or dispute.
I'VE we're not asked to become the representatives Of that paper; no
conditions or restrictions were imposed upon us: we were left free to con-
methods, take our own Time, and decide for ourselves upon The best manner
OF laying the result Of our abOrs before the American people. For myself /
went to Cuba firmly believing that the condition OF affairs there had been
greatly exaggerated by the press, and my own efforts were directed in the
first instance to the attempted exposure Of these supposed exaggeratons"
1t strikes us that the statement Of Senator Thurston should satisfy the
unund critics Of Senator Money, and convince them that they have done
him a serious injustice, Instead Of neglecting the interest Of his constlt-
uents and "working for a yellow journal, " as one editor stated, he was per-
forming Rmost patriotic uty-making sacrifice for humanity and the right
While wounder@nd and can account for the Commerclal-Appeals attack
upon HMM Moneys support Of silver and Carmack against Patterson and
gold Is the real reasOn-but we cannot understand the motive Of some Of the
state papers that have criticised him, hr. Money Isl man who thinks for
himself, and often his Candor Is cruel when dealing with an adversary.
Such a man will always have enemies; but his btterest enemies will not
dare charge him with cowardlce or dishonesty. Believing that the papers
that critclse him accord to him honesty and courage, it lis strange to US that
they would not wait toknow the truth about the matter before making the
charges against him which they have. They prefer to credit the state
ment Of paper unhiendly to him, and uufiendly because OF Mr.. Moneys
devotion to and fierce defense Of the democratic platform than to believe
him who has always been true to Mississippi and her people in every emer-
goncy, We can not understand why some Of our editors will dothis. Butt it
is not alone In MI. Moneys case that they do It, twas a common
thing some years ago to hear people say that they had confidence in the "hon-
eIy OF Old Grover" "Od Grover differed from GeOrgeand WalthaT, Money
and Williams, but they had confidence in "OId Grover" These men, who
had proven their devotion on the battlefield, In private life, and in the halls
oteongress, were putaideas unworthy ofbeief when Contradicted by some
mercenary or filthy fetcho Of the "Old Grover" type But we suppose 1t has
6eent he caseto aIltime. tits a manifestation, probably, Of the evetast-
ing disposition humankind to find fault