The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-23
SHARP LETTER TO ROLLINS.
CHAIRMAN SIMMONS WRITES TO
REPUBLICAN STATE CHAIRMAN.
In Regalri to the Declaration of the
Democratic Challenge for a Joint
Debate Between Opposing Candi-
datcs-Advisory Committee To Stint
Especial to The Messenger1

MONS
Especial to The Messenger.)
Raleigh, y. c., August 20.-Demo-
cratic State Chairman Simmons tonish.
wrote the following letter to Repuoil-
can State Chairman Thomas S. Ro.-
lins:
Your letter of August 18th, declInirg g
my challenge of July 9th for a joint
debate. between the candidates on the
state tickets of uor respective parties,
except between the opposing candida: IS
for one of the minor places on the ticket
has been received. Your letter p,.,s
your declination upon the ground tina.
some of the candidates of your party
are opposed to a joint debate. From
the text of your letter it appears tha :
this opposition extends to all your cam
didates on the state ticket except one.
l assume, as matter of course. thai
the candidates Of your party. who are
under the jurisdiction of your commit
tee whatever may be their personal in
clination, would obey a decision OF y5ui
committee as to a joint discussion, as
the candidates of my party are read.-
to obey the decision OF my committee
upon that question 1 must, therefor.
accept your refusal as acquiescence ~
you, and your committee. in the op ,.
sition Of your candidates on the stat ,
ticket to a joint discussion.
In view of the fact that your parry
held it's state convention first, and that
your platform makes divers charges
against the administra ton of state af-
fairs during the past four years by The
Democratic party, it is surprising, -
say the least, that the candidates nom-
mated by your party for executive an
administrative positions in the state
government should oppose a joint dis
cussion before the people of those
charges, and that>you should propose to
limit a joint discussion to the oppcsin
candidates on that ticket whose sole
duty will be to preside over the Senate.
You refer to certain arrangements
you say have been made between csr-
tain candidates for Congress for j1int
discussion. and to an unaccepted chal.
lenge made by one of the Democrat: g
candidates for elector at large, and
express the willingness to meet me to
arrange appointments for those discus
sionS. Under the plan of organiZa tion
of my party, and / presume the same
is true of yours, the state executive
committee has no jurisdiction over the
appointments for Congressional candi-
dates, that power being vested in the
district committee 1t has never been
the practice of our state committee to
make or interfere with those appoint
ments, and unsolicited interference now
would doubtless give offense to these
candidates and to the district commit
tees Under these circumstance there
does not seem to be any occasion for
further communication between us with
reference to those matters
Democratic State Chairman Simmons
has appointed the following as the
advisory committee for the campaign
the state committee having created this
committee: Lee s. Overman, Locke
Craig, L Banks Holt, W. /. Everett and
p. NJ. PearSau.