The Pensacola journal., 1908-10-25
TOM WATSON
CLEARLY WRONG
Reports of What Has Been
Accomplished Made by
Officers.

Editorial reference was made in the
| Times Union several days ago TO an
interview with Col. J. ID. Calhoun, sec
retary of the board of trade, which
had appeared in the Times Union. In
| this interview Colonel Calhoun effect
| lively disposes of a false statement
given widespread circulation by Thos.
z. Watson, the populist candidate for
president. intended to injure the dem
ocratic candidate for the presidency
in the estimation of the eX-Confeder
ate soldiers. The interview is as fol-
lows:
Nails the Lie.
Noting in the news columns of the
press in the dispatches that Thomas
Z. Watson is still repeating the stale
and exploded charge against w. j.
Bryan that he was and is hostile to
Confederate soldiers, il occurred to
the TimeS-Union correspondent al
Tabpa that there was in this city d
most excellent opportunity TO verify
! or diSprOVe the assertion J. d. Cal
houn, secretary of the Tampa board OF
trade was born in Georgia and served
four years in the Confederate army
| belonging TO the Sixth Alabama regi
ment, and for the latter three years
TO the artillery service, in Waddell's
battery and battalion. Some years
after the war he went to Nebraska
and lived there. twenty-five years
mostly engaged in publishing news
papers and taking an active part in
democratic politics. He was resi-.
dent of Lincoln, Mr.. Bryan's home
town, and the owner and editor of the
only democratic paper in it at the
time of Mr.. Bryan's first candidacy
for congress.
II SO happened that when Mr.. Bry-
ans earliest announcement OF his can
~didacy for the democratic nomination
for congress was made it was in the
Herald, Mr.. Calhoun's paper, and the
editor was from that time forward
perfectly familiar with Mr.. Bryan's
campaigns and conduct.
1T is not necessary" said Mr.. Cal
houn, ''to go into the details of those
campaigns. but in fact the charge of
Mr.. Watson is maliciously untrue and
is absolutely without foundation. 1t
is true that III the first democratic
congressional caucus in which Mr.
Bryan participated at Washington his
first choice for speaker o. the house
W. Mr.. Springer of IllinOis-not be.
cause Mr.. Crisp was a Confederate
soldier, but because Mr. Springer was
his lifetime friend, man whom he
venerated and loved, a man worthy
the honor by his character and past
services to the country. Mr.. Crisp
was chosen, and he had no more Ioyai
friend and supporter than Mr.. Bryan.
as is attested by their subsequent per
sonal relations and the esteem and
friendship mutually existing between
Mr.. Bryan and the surviving family OF
the former speaker.
But it is more to the point TO show
the relations between Mr.. Bryan and
the eX-Confederate soldiers who lived
in the district and were his cOnstitu-
ents. OF these there were a good many
because of the proximity of Nebraska
to the border line and the attractions
it offered for immigrants Immediately
after the war. Those eX-ConfederateS
went over by hundreds, and | must
say that the people of the then new
state made no difference between
them and people from other states
They were just as cordially welcomed
as the union veterans from northern
states. / happened to be one OF
them.
MIR. Bryan Was Loyal.
''Mr. Bryan's second election to con
grcSs was coincident with Mr. Cleve-
lands second election to the presi
dency in. 1892. According to political
usage from time immcmorial the coli
greSsman in harmony with the ad-
miGistrauOn was considered entitled
to name the postmaster OF his home
town. Mr.. Bryan recommended me
to Postmaster General BiSSell aud Mi.
Cleveland for the appointment in Lin
coin. and / may add without immod-
esty that in doing so he had rhc al
most unanimous support of the demo
Gratis of the district and state Mr..
Cleveland absolutely refused to make
the appointment. while Mr.. Bryan in
sisted to the last moment, only finally
yielded TO an imperative message from
Mr.. Cleveland that he must recon-
mend some other man than myself
within forty-eight hours or he would
designate another man. After consul
tatiOn with me. and with my full con-
sent and approval, Mr. Bryan named
another of his friends.
Another of Mr.. Bryan's recommen-
dations TO Office was W. B. Morrison
a former MiSsourian and ex-Confeder-
ate soldier who was appointed and
confirmed TO the Lincoln land Office.
A number of the smaller postoffices
in the district were filled on Mr.. Bry-
ans recommendation by men who had
been soldiers in the Confederate army
Almost every ex-Confederate in Ne
braska was an active democrat. and
without exception they were warm
friends and admirers OF Mr.. Bryan.
The feeling was mutual. The infa-
mousIy untrue story invented or cir
culated by Tom Watson has not a
shadow of foundation in fact. Never.