The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-02-28
E. |. GREGORY
WON'T ACCEPT
TURNS DOWN CHALLENGE or p.
6. hopkins ANb GIVES
GOOD REASONS.
DOES NOT FEAR RESULT
Bet The once Belongs To Ten
Counties, Not Te MaUry
Alone.

8. Hopkins Of Columbia, In which Mr..
Hopkins offers to allow their candi-
dacy for representative from the Sew
enth Congressional district to the Ma
tIonal Convention to be decided by the
Republicans Of Maury.
Mr.. Gregory expresses no fear that
the outcome would not be In his favor.
bat advances some strong reasons why
the proposition can not be. accepted.
The reply In full is as follows:
Mt Pleasant. Tenn, Feb. %, 1908.
n s. Hopkins. Esq. Columbia,
Tenn. Ny Dear Sir:-I have received
your communication of the Goth inst I,
which also appears in the press, in
which you propose, in substance, that
you and l settle the question Of rep
resentative to the National Republic
can Convention from the 18th Congress
SIGNAL District by leaving 1t to the
Republicans of Maury county, in mass
convention.
This proposition / must and do de-
cline. | could assign many reasons
for doing so, but must content myself
by saying that / do not consider that
the matter of choosing a delegate for
the ten counties of this district be-
longs to you and me, nor does 1t be-
long to the Republicans of any single
county, but to the Republicans OF al
the ten counties of the District; and
while | am entirely confident of re-
ceiving the support and endorsement
Of the Republicans of this county, I
think it would be arrogating to my
self right that does not belong to me
If l were to ask the Republicans Of the
other nine counties to permit the Re-
publicans of Maury county to select
representative for them.
Another and very important reason
is, that, as l understand 1t, you and /
represent directly opposite interests
In our party organization. am a
well-known, pronounced and outspoken
supporter of the present party organ
ization In the state and became a can.
didate for District Delegate to the
National Republican Convention at the
solicitation and earnest request of
those OF my way of thinking on this
question, in this and other counties of
the District. You, on the other hand,
are looked upon as being ON the other
side of the fence Do you sincerely
think that the so-called Evans Repub-
licans in the other nine counties would
be willing to submit to an arbitration
by the Republicans of Maury county;
or any other one county as to whether
they should be represented by one
holding the same views as themselves
or one standing for the opposite OF
their views on question of party or
ganization and management?
III you do entertain such views, you
win pardon me If say that fear you
are not in full touch with the senti-
ment OF the members of our party
through the District.
THE position you assume, in en-
to place the contest for del
egate on the ground of personal con-
test between you and me, is hardly
one. The contest is between
the party policy that l stand for and
the opposition to that policy.
Il regret that you have seen At to
conduct this correspondence through
The press. All the newspapers but
TWO published in the district are of
he opposite party, and these Demo
cratic newspapers seem anxious to
promote strife between the factions
which unfortunately exist in our party.
think 1t is to be regretted that what
night be converted into material for
reating further dissensions among us
hould be furnished them by you and
ne.
my candidacy for the honorable po-
ition of delegate to the National Re.
ublican Convention from this District
) being urged by good Republicans in
very county of the District. and l am
OF therefore In position to take steps
hat might result in my withdrawal
Tithout the consent OF these members
the party, or without giving them
n opportunity to select another In
~ stead. ! became a candidate at
leir urgent request and against my
wn inclination. But having become
candidate shall leave the question I
my selection to the Republicans OF
10 whole District in Convention as
'mbled. feel quite confident that
that Convention / will have the sup
'rt CT the delegates from the good ii
,unty OF Maury. q