The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-11-29
AN UNPRoFIrABLE CoNTRo.
VERSY.

Congressman Padgett and Mr.. Lloyd |
Cecil, this paper has nothing to do. !
Both men are our patrons and friends.
Our dealings with Mr.. Cecil have been
limited but pleasant Our acquaint
auce with Mr.. Padgett has been longer
and our relations rather more intimate
but there is nothing on either side, of
prejudice or friendship to prevent the
Herald from calm, fair discuss of
the facts of the case. We hs no
grudge, old or new, against Mr.. )ecll
We are under no obligations of any
kind-fnancial, personal or political
to Mr.. Padgett Our relations with
him for twenty years or more have
been such as to enable us to speak
with some degree of personal know
ledge of his habits and character, and
yet not so close and binding as to en-
barrass us in presenting the facts of
this case.
Mr.. Padgett is the congressman from
this district. His home is IN the
suburbs of this city.---And it is ex-
pected, no doubt, that some comment
will be made by his home paper con-
corning the charges made against him
by Mr.. Cecil in the circular he re-
Gently issued and circulated through
the mails and by mis- own hands.
In - bnf al rn,11or ~
to us, is deliberate one, and to break
down the character OF the man at
tackled That of itself is a serious
thing to do almost cruel thing to
do A man S character, like woman s
virtue, is priceless beyond all cOmputa-
ton. To ruthlessly destroy it is worse
than to murder the body. For, what
man of character had not rather lose
his life than his good name!
''Who steals my purse steals trash !;
twas mine, tbs his, and has been
slave to thousands; But he that filches
from me my good name, robs me of
that which enriches not him, but
makes me poor indeed -
Now the question is what is Mr..
Padgett's true character in this com
munity, where he was born and reared
and livesT Mr.. Cecil cannot make
that character for him. Whether it be
good or bad, he has made it for himself.
Mr.. Cecil is not even the most compe-
tent man to testify to it, or to promul-
gatessit to the country at large. Be-
cause, in the first place, Mr.. Cecil is a
very bitter enemy of the man he ac-
cuses, and highly prejudiced, even a
most incorporate witness against him.
AMI in the second place, Mr.. Cecil,
who lives in a remote part of the
county, does not know him as init
mately and we'll, and cannot judge
him as truly as those who come in
daily contact with him.
Let us inquire of those who know,
what Mr.. Padgett's true character is.
How does he stand at the bar? ASH
the lawyers. And without the fear of
successful contradiction we state that
the almost unanimous reply will be
that no man at this bar stands higher.
Higher for what? Not for legal know.
ledge merely, but for integrity Of
character, honesty of purpose anC
fair dealing between man and man,
That we say is his general character
and standing at the bar. Could z
shyster, guilty of cheating his clients
obbing the widow and defrauding the
orphan. have a standing like that
among such men as compose the Co
lumbia barr
In moral and religious circles how
does he standY And be it understood
that when we speak of his standin &
we refer to the present; to-day, sine
his accuser has done his best t
dethrone him. He is, and for year
has been. an officer i'll his church; h
enjoys to the utmost the love- con
fidence and esteem of his pastor, an,
his official brethren. Against thei
testimony shall we take the unsup
ported word of Mr. Cecil that he is
"hypocrite?' More than this may
said to his credit, however; he mum
bers among his warmest supporter
and best friends, earnest workers an
official members of other denOmina
tiCns, and very large majority o
them at that. How is il that thes
men are all so blinded to those mea
motives which Mr. Cecil can discer
from afar off
Upon great moral questions, such a
the whiskey habit and gambling evil
how does he standI Upon this poir
we speak of our own knowledge
coupled with the testimony of Others
He is strictly sober in his habits i
public speech and private talk he OF
poses the whiskey traffic and the gamt
hing hell, and he votes open and abov
board Just as he talks.
In politics what is heS All can
paigu canards to the contrary nOtwitf
standing. he is and always has been.
Democrat. True enough. he ran wit