Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1903-08-29

hands of me a reply which l will en-
leavor to make as brief as justice TO
myself will permit. On July court
Law charged him with lodging a
7ote on the Mann Bill and proving
to his trust by not being
present when the Bill came up on Its
inal passage. In his reply, he plead
adj the pressure Of private business,
INT added he voted for all the
amendments to said Bill" In his let
ter of last week, he modifies that
and further adds that
some OF those amendments were de
signed to improve the Bill, others
were made in order to destroy its
effect. or with the hope Of bringing |
it into public ridicule." And yet Mr.
Matthews confessed July court, as
we'll as in his recent letter, that he
supported every amendment that
was offered, and now admits that
some of them were designed to bring
the Bill into public ridicule. think
the gentleman has unwittingly told
the truth; he desired to appear as
supporting his liquor friends in the
county whom he had offered money
TO treat in his former election and ex-
oected TO need their services again,
and vet he could not afford to offend
his temperance friends at home whom
he had, doubtless also, promised 10
support the Bill, therefore he voted
with both sides. This attitude is en-
tirely characteristic Of the gentle
mans whole life and is to-day the
cause of his undoing. l have per-
sonal knowledge of the fact that his
temperance record is not satisfactory
to the temperance peopleand his vac
cillating and wavering attitude has
merited the contempt OF vast num-
Der of that large body of influential
citizens in this county who,are known
as the Anti-Saloon League. For the
most part this League is composed OF
honorable and influential people oil
our county who are fighting for the
welfare of the whole people. In the
eyes of such people, Mr.. Matthews
/ has been weighed in the balance anc
found wanting. While parading his
temperance views, he has quietly
support ed amendments to the Mann
Fill that would destroy it, or brinf
| il into ridicule." While processing
love of Justice and Of right, he failed
to vote to unseat Judge Campbell TO
| cowhiding an aged and decrepi
minister of the gospel whose onl.
= offense given that judge was tn
r charge in his paper that Campbell
was prostituting his high office T.
; the base purpose of aiding and abet
: ting the whiskey ring in his county
l. am not so Informed, but possibl
e the pressure of private business
again came to his aid and gave hir
! an excuse for not taking a stand 10
+ ustice and right as against brutalit
5 and corruption in high office.
: wonder if the members of the Legit
o lat ure, who championed the cause
= Judge Campbell, made deal wit
u Mr.. Matthews? Let Mr. Matthew
n answer. might say in way OF pa
Il renthesis, that Hon. B. T. Gunte
It though a member of the Senate br
l. short week, voted to stigmatii
ir that cowardly attack upon this age
minister of the gospel and aided
l removing from Office that man WI
II had thus disgraced his high CALM
d If the private business OF Mr.. Ma
At thews is SO great, as to interfere
1t materially with the duty he ow'
ID his constituents, would it not be we
Or to let him remain at home that
s. might better attend to the one ar
De not so abuse the other? When Ell
c. tered this campaign, it was my pu
ut pose to conduct it on high ar
er honorable plane, and no man n
Is heard me lift my voice in disparag
ne ment of the personal life OF my o
pouent; and 1 trust l will not
IN sufficiently provoked to depart fro
IL that purpose now. Being unable
be meet those charges face to face wi
ne the people and in my hearing as
lie challenged him to do over and ov
ne again, he replies by attacking Il
is private character. His political re
on ord is public property. l have
of dealt with it. l invited him to e
to anime my public acts and condu
in any and every business relati'
since l have arrived at the age OF
IS. majority and disclose, if he can, al
va act unbecoming man OF honor.
d. 1 can well understand why he ca
IN not COIu pIcllSHU my PNoANAN~ ' -
ne cuses me Of insincerity for coming o
mt frankly and stating my platforI
rk This method of warfare is entire
of foreign to his nature. A prom
ire here and pledge there and vic
ad ton of both being entirely comps
le- BILE with the gentleman's idea
ed politics-a mere bagatelle and ad
fascination to the game. l ha
promised to support temperar
legislation, if am member OF
III next Legislature, and l ask the pie
les thinking people of this county II
me could afford to violate this promi
me Just entering as am the thresht
he of life and expecting to live and
ur, here, the county of my birth and
Elk. best place on Gods green earth.