The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-22
A SAMPLE OF HIS QUALITY.

by his own acts and words, he rem
ders explanatory comment compare
lively useless. The public record of
Mr.. Stevenson A Williams, his per-
sonality as it is known to those who
do know him, the impression he
makes upon the audiences that hear
him and see him face to face, and the
substance and temper of the speeches
as they appear in cold print-these
constitute all the advocacy he needs.
One instance serving to show how the
character of the man is manifest in
his utterances is furnished by the way
Mr.. Warfield, in speech at Fred
erick some days ago, made to Mr..
Williams connection with the bond
of the late Stevenson Archer, for
many years State Treasurer under
Democratic administrations. This is
the way Mr.. Williams met the charge
in his speech at Frederick on Thurs
! day
The question Mr. Warfield has put
! to me as to whether have sought to
avoid moral and legal responsibility
on the bond of a public official is a
proper one. | do not consider it as a
| personal attack He has a right to
put it. 1t is proper for the people of
Maryland to judge of my actions in
| that matter.
! He refers to my being one of the
| sureties of my uncle, the late Steven
son Archer, who was Treasurer of the
State of Maryland. The facts in that
connection are these: The late Col
E. H. Webster, the late Henry W.
Archer, Messrs. Murray Vandiyer,
J. Thomas G. Hopkins and Joseph
! M. Street were sureties with me on
! Mr.. Archer's bonds. The State
brought suits and judgments were
entered against us after trial in the
! Circuit Court for Baltimore county
! We defended them on the ground
that the State Treasury officials, the
Governor and Comptroller, had been
guilty of negligence with reference to
Mr.. Archer's accounts, in that they
had accepted us on several bonds af-
ter the default occurred and had led
us to believe that his accounts were
right when we executed the second
and third bonds The case went to
the Court of Appeals, and that court
in affirming the judgment of the
court below and holding us bound to
pay the money, said in substance,
with reference to our defense, that
while it was an equitable one and
entitled to serious consideration at
| Of ha 81 .
not one of which they could take no
tice On the strength of these views
and remarks of the court the matter
was laid before the next General As
sembly, which relieved us one-third
the judgment which had been recov-
cred against us. These are the facts,
and | do not believe that there is any
fair-minded man with full knowledge
of all these facts who will say that
we snretiesd in taking advantage of
the Legislative relief so given us,
were guilty Of seeking to avoid the
force of any moral Obligation On
the contrary. know it was the gen
eral sentiment at that time, and so
expressed by the public press, that it
was wrong for the State to require of
us sureties the payment of money the
loss of which would not have occur
red but for the neglect of the Treas
ury officials. Would not Mr. Warfield
have made this defense and accepted
this relief for the Fidelity Company
had it been surety in our stead?
The man that said this is every
inch man; aad if he is elected Gov
! ernor will be every inch Governor
Mr.. Williams reply, in the same
speech, to Mr.. Warfield's complaint
that the Republican candidate had
injected personalities into the cam
paign, was hardly less characteristic.
1t was absolutely direct, clear-cut,
manly. He said:
When a candidate deliberately holds
/ his opponent up to the people whose
suffrages he seeks as unworthy of
their support because of the aims
and purposes of his party associates,
and finds his challenge accepted and
a willingness to abide by compari-
son, he should not make wry faces if
it is necessary to take a dose of his
own medicine. You cannot avoid the
comparison by saying that personal
attack Is mace upon MIN when the
only matter discussed is his own pub
lie record while public officer, his
relation to his party associates and
the obligations under which that rela-
ton has placed him.
What / have said in reply to Mr.
Wartield with view to acquainting
the people with the aims and pur-
poses of his associates and of his con-
nection with them and now reiterate,
is this: TIE late Governor Hamilton
during his administration was so an
noyed by the conduct of the Demo
cratic Senate that most of his reforms
came to naught. Not merely was this
the case with reference to his reforms,
but his appointments were held up
by that Senate; the vote by which