Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-25

II have neither the time nor lNcllH~
ton to enter into controversy, pu'
, your editorial In tuesday morning
paper. under the caption. Nhat MI
Wises' Course Indicates. is so W! =
of the mark and so at variance WIN
the facts, that ! shall ash your IN
diligence in this instance.
AN attempt seems to have peeh
made to make 1t APPEAR that ! SEM
challenge for II JOINT debate to the
Honorable William A. Jones, had
The letter to him published and IN
tentiUnally delayed mailing him copy
so he would not receive the chaileige
until could meet him at Gloucester
Court House on september 1th.
Now, mere are the facts. The 1T
ter to Mr.. Jones was written OIL
September 4th, the day il was dated,
II was rewritten on Saturday, Sep
TENDER 5th, wh'n inadvertently the
date was not changed. On leaving
the office that evening, | dropped the
letter in the mail box on the street
and at the SAM time | sent to your
Office a Copy for publication. sup
p2se the letter was taken from the
box Sunday morning by the carrier
and therefore, bore tle mark OF Sep
TENDER 9th, Sunday.
Il was scht duled to speak III
Gloucester on September eth. ! did
not know that Mr.. Jones would be
there and on reaching Gloucester
and learning that Mr.. Jones vas
there. even trfore | could see my
county chairman, informed Mr..
l.l i'm, in, ~
letter in question and | then explain
Ell to him the contents. Mr.. Jones
declined absolutely 10 accept the
challenge On the terms stated, offer
ing as his reason that he hal planned
n number of engagements. that he
did not care 10 be bound down Tor
the entire campaign. that prominens
men in the State would speak for
him. etc. Seeing that there was no
chance OF a joint debate under the
terms Of my challenge, l then told
Mr.. Jones that was willing to leave
1t to his sense of fairness not 10
quit after one speech that he might
fix any terms he desired for the
gloucester debate. the terms to be
reversed at the next debate. was
50 certain that the previous challenge
was modified TO the extent herein midi
Gated, that | Immediately wrote Mr.
Jones asking him the times and places
OF his appointments, especially thnS"
at which he wCull be willing to have
a joint debate.
MIR. Jones wrote me att getting
back to his home and receiving both
letters. Having discu",ed With You
in person at Gloucester Court House
the subject of that .ettn". did mt
deem reply in writing necessary.
!LiS seemed to me to confirm my LEA
of the terms for our debates. On
Monday, the fourteenth, went to
Eastville In Northampton County.
where | again requested joint de-
bate, the terms of the Gloucester de-
bate to he reversed. At Gloucester.
Judge Montague spoke for three
quarters of an hour.I followed for one
hour and Mr.. Jones closed in one and
three-quarterS hours. His time TO
close was unlimited, while l was Civ
en- no reply. At Eastville. Mr.. Jones
claimed that the Gloucester debate
was not one of the series mentioned
in the challenge. He and Judge Mon
taeue. who was pre- sent at the Glou-
cester conference, 10th insisted upon
this Again Mr.. Jones made the
terms for the debate ard refused a
joint debate unless complied with.
Here. was TO open in one hour
and fifteen minutes, he was 20 follow
in one hour and one-half and TO
close in fifteen minutes: th":e terms
TO be reversed at the ucxt joint :ie-
bate. Later, | found tnat Iurige Men
tague was to open with thirty m'n-
utes' speech. I had un..e 's'ood that
the original challenge va ceoi.ne!
as given and that We wer" to lave
rot less than two joint de- ties. be-
ginning at Gloucester ami reversing
the terms: otherwise. would not
have been willing for him to make
such terms as he die at Gloucester.
On Sept omber lSta wrote Mr..
Jones MY present plans cOntemp ate
a speech at Saiuda the Tuesday az
ter the fourth Monday. Spoitsyivania
Court House the first Monday. in
October. but further than that ! am
not able 10 say at this time"
AS have been the one to ehal-
lenge Mr. Jones. II has seemed logical
for me to try to accommodate myseh
to the places at which Mr.. Jones de-
sires to speak rather than prepare
campaign. which would likely miss
him throughout the district aid ask
him TO some TO those places and
speak with me. I should be glad at
any time tc furnish Mr.. Jon wifh .
list Of my appointments and siad
TO advertise that We speak together
al any place where ] SPEAK
Il hope this will SHOW more clearly
what nv course indicatas.
Il remain,
Very truly yours.