The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-19
WHAT MYSTERY IS HRRE7


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WHAT MYSTERY Is HERE7
We have received tho following 70.
n,alsahle eta somewhat mysterious COM
munlcation,
Draper Puaslsi County. vn.,
February 10, 1904.
sir,-1n your Issue OF tho 18th you pub-
l1ditor Of Tho Tlmea. Dispatch.
!lshed III yo,ir editorial column an nrtinls
headed "senotor 81. Glars Explanation =
You preface your romarks by saying
that IT lis q ,nnttor you have no interest
article eulogistio Of Mr., Pollock. and
ask Il he ia TO Be made to suffer be-
cause OF a personal matter between Som
ator st. Clair and the Board OF Edu-
cation. You further ask II Justice Is a
moro excellent thing than senatorial dis
courtesy suggest that before you so
zealously undertake to espouse the cause
Of matter which you declare Is OF
no personal lnterestito you. Is 1t not due
to Senator ST. Clair and to tho Senate
that both sides should be heard? No
harm can result to any one by the
Senate making such Inquiry as It may
deem proper. There Is another side to
to know nothing about. and which will
place the, mater in Indifferent light.
In reference tofwhat you say as to this
being pers onal matter between Sena.
tor st. Clair and tthe Board OF Ed,caton.
] win say there are other personal mat.
tiers involved In this Issue. which af-
feet the rights OF others. and who are
entitled to be heard 1t does occur to
me that as an act Of simple Justice, you
should await developments
Very respectfully yours.
i5f$ JAMES w, PAINTER.
First ,$of all, The nes.Dlspatch did
not say "had,5no interest in this mat
ter" on the $eon trary. We feel ana have
expressed the keenest interest in 1t. We
said that !. we had no interest In Mr.
Pollock personally 4 we shaSYe never seen
HIM and know him 6nly. ny reputation.
If Mr. Darst had ss9s, dominated and
rejected under nthe same circumstances.
our interest IN the ease woMld have been
the same sand we should have taken
exactly the same position. It is not a
matter OF personal, preference, but mat
ter of principle. ~ s.
Again, our correspondent asks II It
is not due to Senator st. Clair and to
the Senate that both sides should be
the first article we sbesought the Senate
to speak out and let Its side OF the
case be. known. we asked why Mr.. Pol.
lock had not been confirmed, and urged
the Senate to give sthei9reaspn. Sena-
tor st. Clair made a reply through tho
public print arid Jsaid that 1T was pure
ly a personals meter between himself
and the States Board Of Education He
made no charge whatever against MIR.
Pollock, and did not say that there was
any objection to him. Thereupon we
said that Mr.. .fs Pollock should not be
made to suffer on account Of q quarrel
of n purely personal" nature, between
a member o. the Senate and the Board
OF Education.
In conclusion, our correspondent says
there Is another side to this question
which we are supposed to know moth
ing about, and which will place the mat
ter In a different light; and so It oc-
ours to him that as an act Of simple
justice we should await developments.
What is this mystery? Surely The
7 Dispatch has not attempted to
cover up anything, but to bring out
all the facts. II there Is a side to the
question which we do not understand,
If there Is any hidden mystery In con-
nectlon with this appointment and its
rejection by the Senate. In the name of
justice and In the name OF publicity,
lot us turn on the light land this mys-
terry explore" II there Is something
which We do! not know, 1t Is not due
TO any neglect on our part. for we have
Underworld. to ascertain the facts and
have begged the Senate to state them.
Our correspondent may understand this
mystery at which he hints, but there Is
no mystery. In the letter OF General
James Macgill; of Pulaski. grand COM
mander Confederate Veterans OF Vir-
ginla. which we printed In yesterdays
paper. General Macgill calls attention
to the fact that both the Senator and !
Delegate who are opposing Mr.. Pollock
are from Giles county, and that Mr..
Pollock has the endorsement OF the coun-
ty officers of Pulaski, all the members
Ct tie bar aht q large number of the
leading c4tlztns. lie says also that Mr.
Pollock is an ex- Confederate and has
the endorsement OF salla his old comrades
who knew that he was an applicant for
the position. General Macgill has moth
Ing to say against Mr.. Darst, Mr.. Pol
locks opponent, he does say that Mr..
Pollock Is in every way qualified to
fill the position and that there Is every
reason why tho Board OF Education
should have appointed him and why tho
nomination shold have been confirmed.
If there is anything else to be known.
let 1t be forthcoming.