The weekly true Democrat., 1908-06-12

d agrees to what is in II.
e (Signed) WILLIAM p. BOCGS
. Jacksonville, Fla, June 5. 1903
! DR.. w. r. Boggs, 325 Newman Street
: Jacksonville. Fla: My Dear DR.. Bogg
Il have not time to read your reply
: to my letter Of yesterday In behalf ot
: General Gilchrlst However, I have
/, read your note, and rest assured that
the entire correspondence will be pub
lished In full. | will have this done
In the Times-UnioD, and II you can
give me any paper which you prefer
please indicate in your reply.
Sincerely, ]. o. LAFONTISEE.
Jacksonville. Fla June 8, 190S.-
Rev. VIM. E. BoRgs No. 325 Newman
Street, Jacksonville, Fla: My Dear
Sir-I beg to acknowledge receipt Of
your esteemed favor OF the 4th In an
swer to my letter Of inquiry to you
Of the same date asking your source
OF information for the statement made
by the Rev. J. W. Bigham as to the
alleged $36O.000 sent into the State to
elect Gilchrist, he having given you
as his authority for the same. ad.
vised you at the time that the CORE
sDondence was intended for pUblica-
tion and your answer admits two
things.
1st That YOU did give Mr.. Bigham
the information.
2nd That you had nothing more to
base 1t on than the hearsay statement
OF Mr. --.
Now my dear sir. you take umbrage
that I denounced those statements as
untrue, yet your only justification is
that Mr.. - told you so In a casual
conversation; yet, you gave out such
statement as an actual fact, and II
Mr.. Bigham Is correct, this gossip |
caused fourteen ministers to sign and |
put out a statement to that effect |
which has not only been published in |
the newspapers but circulated freely |
on printed form throughout the State, |
and used and is still being used by /
Mr. Bigham in political speeches In |
the different counties in behalf Of Mr.. |
Stockton and against Gen. Gilchrist. I
admit a certain amount Of youth Il |
am 81 yearsIof age); respect age and
wisdom. and was taught TO have espe-
calling; but I neglected to learn that
either age or a ministerial cloak gave
license to sIauder, or to bIacken the
character Of the humbIeBt citizen. The
statement made by you In your letter,
that you had seen no denial by Cen
eral GfTchrist or myself seems plead
ed now I'm Justification OF excuse, but
one can hardly be called upon to deny
a charge before It rs made. Mr.. Big.
hams speech was made on the third
My letter denying II rs dated the 4th.
but even n a dfgnfied silence had
been maintained, would Il excuse you,
sither personally OF IN your ministe-
-iaf capacity, for putting out a state :
nent which was and is not true IN
tsen. and which II you had investi- :
gated you would have so ascertained7
Fourteen ministers Of the church, !
relying on this piece Of gossip fur
lished by you have Tent themselves to
/ public attempt to bIacken the char
lcter OF a man who is your peer IN !
every respect, morally and temper
ltely. though he does not wear a
clerical garb, and who took for his !
motto I'm the beginning: j
Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak
VO Evil" and has adhered to Il. May
ask which is worse, the corruption
" the ballot by money, or by the pro
Mitigation Of false statements. The
charge against General Gilchrist ema-
lating from you is denied and stands :
without proof. Your statement put out
o influence the vote Of the people, ad- :
nitted 20 be gossip by you, faces you :
n every precinct and county in the :
State. One Of the first lessons taught :
ne by the church was against Evil =
peakfng,T "Slander,"' Gossip" and 4.
Bearing false witness against my .
leighbor." You almost shake my faith, \
Is you must that OF every man, II =
our present actions are to guide your s
lock =
I reiterate again that the statement =
made by Mr.. Blgham which you now \
dmit you we're authority for Is absO-
utely untrue. | have asked for the 4
roof Of the charge and am met by 3
xcuse and referred to statement Of c
Mr., that he heard Il, etc, n
md yet you have caused or allowed to n
,e scattered broadcast over the State q
he bold statement, that the liquor In v
erests bad put up $96O,000 to elect 4
General Gilchrist; attempted to black C
N his character and inaugurate a cru I
ade by the ministry against him In 4
rider TO. influence the people Of the !,
State, stir up strife and elect another s
nan to ONCE. No court would liste y
or a moment TO such testimony, and (
ret as a minister you admit that be {
ore putting out this mOnstrous charge o
ION fallah To even ask q nueatlnn or n