The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-04-07
An Open Letter.

An Open Letter.
CAPEGIRARDEAU, NO., APRIL >, 1900.
To the Editor of the ''Daily STAR"
Warrensburg, Mo.
Sir:
My attention has been called to an
article entitled ''Cape Girardeau
Hospitality" in your issue OF March
9th; and as citizen of Southeast
Missouri; as citizen of Cape Girar-
deau, and as one of the delegates
from this city and school to Warrens-
burg three years ago l denounce the
author of that article as slanderous
falsifier.
The wonder to me is that some nf
the candid and conservative citizens
Of Warrensburg have not hastened to
correct the wrong and injustice done
your city and school, and the respect
ability of your delegation to ours.
Fortunately for us the good name,
the culture and hospitality of Cape
Girardeau and her people are we'll
known AID appreciated throughout
this state. For years she has been
the pride. and stood as the metropolis
of this rich and prosperous portion
of our Great State. Her schools are
we'll known, and have attracted
favorable attention throughout th'-
entire length of the Mississippi Val
ley, and some OF the men educated
in her midst have grscsd the highest
places of honor, not only in Missouri,
but ic the states of Illinois, Iowa and
Louisiana. She has been the CRATE
fal recipient Of rnaay educational, re-
ligiCus and political conventions in
the past; and two gears ago she was
hOnered with the State Bankers AS
sociation of Missouri. In most, if
not on all, these occasions, her hes
pitality was gessrously and kindly
commended By the visitors in forsn of
resolutions. Ner am ( willing, now,
to believe that your article is approv-
ed Of by any Of the delegation from
,ahe Warrensbu-g school, except Mr..
Crawford and Professor Donnel;y.
But have said that your article
was not only slanderous to our city,
school and people, but that il was
FALSE in its rectal of facts. Ithss been
said that ''eor1parisons are odious.
You have made it so in this instance.
For here are ft,e facts and l give you
Warrensbure people and records as
witnesses to verify it. You said:
'''It has been customary in there con-
test" entertain their dele
gates free: ard in the contest which
was held here delegates from the
Cape We're entertained free, besides
being driven about the city" THIS
Is NOT TRUE. 1t is false in toto. 1
accompanied my son: r. B. Oliver,
Jr., and bic mother, as part of the
Cape Giraraeau delegation on tha
occasion and your accommodating
hotel proprietor will tell you, as his
register of that date will show, that
we stopped with him, and Upon leav-
ing your city paid our own bills.
Messrs. Dauss and Houck and Profess
sor Wood, the other delegates, put
up at the othe- hotel and paid their
own bills upon leaving. Nor were we
driven about the citv.
WE DID NOT EXPECT TO HAVE OUR
HOTEL OR ANY OTHER BILLS PAID BY
YOUR PEOPLE OR THE SCHOOL. We
did not go to you as lot of mendi-
cants; we went as the representative
of a proud. independent, seE-relliant
school, engaged in the lofty work of
educating young people to be SELF
RESPECTED and SELF-SURPoRTING.
We went as your equal-to contest
for the mastery in elocution and in
oratory.
Generous and hospitable invitations
Dy COURTEOUS sdIullleS Oh w 2fFeQS-
burg, were given to the young con-
testants, to lunch or dine, at the noon
hour, on the dag of the contest; and
Professor Wood, President Dobson
and several other Professors, Mrs.
Oliver and myself were royalty enter
at the same hour, b. that
most charming and estimable hostess.
Miss Osborne. These social amenities
did much to inspire the belief that
your school was surrounded by and |
filed with candid and truthful people |
who would sCoRN TO misrepresent and |
slander a competitor.
Further on you say ''the contest |
came off and with their" 1.-THE Cape |
SCHOOL, .sthe usual cry of fraud in !
regard to judges, etc." THIS IS NOT
TRUE l am told by the young men
here. whose duty it is to know, that
no charge of fraud was made by this
school, but that the charge was made
by the Kirksville school. 1t seems