Evening star., 1898-06-22
Parfisanship VS.. Patriotism.


Star concerning Mr.. Bailey's leadership of
the House democrats the following COM
munication from Representative Henry of
Texas has been received:
To the Editor of The Evening Star
In an editorial attack upon Mr.. Bailey in
your yesterdays issue you state that "he
has been defeated three times in three
weeks" and you instance the vote on the
bill allowing soldiers to vote, the Hawa-
ian resolution and the attempt to bind the
participants In the democratic caucus. You
not only fail to state all of the facts, but
you misstate the important ones in respect
to each question. You say in reference to
the vote on the soldiers bill: He fought
the right of soldiers to vote, and more
democrats supported the bill than sup
ported him. The Record does not SuS-
tain your assertion, and 1t shows that
more democrats voted with Mr.. Bailey
against the bill than voted with the re-
publicans for it. You instance as his Sec
ond defeat his effort to poll the demo-
cratic vote against Hawaiian annexa-
tion.' The truth is that while Mr.. Bailey
was opposed to annexation. as are sew
enty-five per cent of the democrats in the
House and ninety-fve per cant of the
democrats in the country, he advised
against any effort in the democratic eau
Gus 10 bind ali democrats in the House to
vote against the Hawaiian resolution He
did this not because he thought it wise for
democrats to vote for the measure. but
because it has not been customary for
many years 10 MAKE tne 3ctlOn OF the
democratic caucus binding; and he insisted
that while the rule ought to be changed,
the change ought to BE- made when no i'm
portant question was pending. Your third
instance of his defeat is his effort last
night to bring everybody into camp for
future service under the swish of the
party LASH You say that failed but you
ought to have said that it failed because
his opponents sat in the democratic eau
Gus and refused to vote in order to break
quorum. He was supported by a large
majority of the democrats in the caucus,
as well as by a large majority of the
democrats in the House.
r. L. HENRY,
June -, 1898 Tth Dist. of Texas.
The Star would not Intentionally mis-
state facts. important or otherwise. to the
detriment of anybody, and it readily re-
examines the statements to which Repre-
sentative Henry directs its attention, with
the purpose of making any correction
which Truth and fairness may seem to
uuire.
The Star alleged that Mr.. Bailey had
failed in his effort to poll the House
democracy against the bill allowing SOL
aiers in the field the right to vote, stating
incident and detail of that failure
that more democrats supported the bill
than supported MIR. Bailey. Analysis of the
final vote on this bill shows that out of
mustered 40 against the measure: that of
the 19I votes for the bill 80 were cast by
anti-republicans. and that of these affirna-
tive votes by the opposition 3S were
straight democrats, ) fusion populist-demo-
Gratis. IL straight populists and silyerites.
Whether the Bryan fusion democrats may
be broadly classed democrats, whether
the democratic vote in this case is IS or
43 to ~, and whether, if there is any error
in The Stars figuring upon the extent of
Mr. Bailey's defeat, it is an Important
one. may be safely left to the reasonable
decision of Mr.. Henry himself.
Secondly, The Star alleged that Mr. Bal
ley had failed in his effort to poll the House
democracy against Hawaiian annexation a
score of the democrats refusing to follow
him This is the absolute truth and is not
denied by MIR. Henry, who merely contends
that Mr. Bailey did not attempt to use the
caucus in support of his effort, which
failed, to poll the House democracy against
annexation.
Thirdly. The Star alleged that Mr. Bailey
had failed in his effort Ito bring every body
into camp for future service under the
swish of the party lash" Mr. Henry ex-
plicitly admits the fact of this failure, and
explains why and how it failed.
Ihe Star is unable to discover any founda-
uon for the allegation of Mr. Henry that it
misstates the important facts in respect to
each of the above questions.
There is neither personal animosity nor
partisanship in The Stars questioning of
the wisdom of certain acts of the leader of
the House democrats. Its appraisement OF
Mr. Bailey personally is high, and 1t is
equally ready on proper occasion to criticise
the course of the leader of the House re-
pubiicans, for whose personal ability it also
entertains d profound admiration But
partisan opposition war measures during
the period OF actual hostilities is in The
stars opinion, impolitic, no matter BY
whom 1t is urged, and tends to certain dis
aster; and the worst enemy OF the democracy
would, in its opinion. be the man who
should most vigorously sustain Mr. Bailey's
apparent effort to apply the party lash to
individual democrats, who IN this crisis out
patriotism above partisanshp and serve
their party best by serving their country
first
Annexation of Hawaii is urged by the ad-
minlstratlon as war measure; but some