Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1909-07-16
CHAIRMAN COFFMAN'S REPLY
TO DIR. HOFFMAN.
Edinburg, Va, July 6, 1909.

6'i cNAg -
To the Republicans OF Shen andoah
county:
| There have appeared in the county
papers a number of articles criticising
the actions of the Organization and
Especially the County Chairman. To
the uninformed these articles would
appear TO come from Republicans, but
this is not the case. They were writ
ten by men who, doubtless, have not
cast Republican vote in our county
elections for number of years.
want especially to pote the article
signed by S. j. Hoffman, appearing
in last weeks Sentinel and HERALD.
DR.. Hoffman has made some misstate-
ments, not from ignorance, of course,
which | will notice later. To the
charge of ignorance, or the ability to
discriminate between right and wrong
at all times, plead guilty, and no
doubt quite few Republicans in the
county are not exempt from this
charge. Several years ago | voted
for DR.. Hoffman for the exalted posi-
tion of Representative in Congress
from the 7th Congressional District.
Had | exhibited the intelligence as re-
! quired by him it Is evident that |
would not have made that mistake, for
it looks to me that DR.. Hoffman was
about as we'll qualified for this posi-
tion as | am for County Chairman.
AS to the 'call off" of the Conven-
tion called for Edinburg, June 18th,
DR.. Hoffman maliciously institutes
that the "call OFF, was made in order
to practice some fraud, and some say
typewriter notices were mailed from
| Woodstock on June 9th, etc, when
the fact is, the notices were printed by
Mr.. E. L. Hisey on Saturday morn
ing, June 9TH, and mailed by Mr.. Geo.
L. Irwin to all the pricinct Committee
men and precinct Chairmen on same
day. He would leave you under the
impression that the State Committee
did not order a Convention at all, by
placing the name of the town after it.
The State Committee ordered county
and city committees to call conventions
or mass-meetings for the purpose Of Sc
Iecting delegates to the State Conven-
ton. He further states that quite a
number of the committee have at yari-
Gus times received no notice of meet
ings. Every notice sent TO any one
member has been mailed TO erery MEM
Der, as can be proven by postmasters
and carriers. He says number of
the County Committee were seen in re-
gard TO the call off and they made no
such ruling and further down says
"Coffman' sgrossly ignorant, &c, or
is trying TO make the impression, &c,
that the State Committee is response
BILE for his peculiar actions. What a
mix up. What does he mean anyway!
| He SAYS in 1907 Coffman held meet
4 ing of has committee, seven members
being present, &c. Nothing could be
farther from the truth. The fact is,
nearly the entire committee was pres
ent besides a mass-meeting was call
ed at the same time and place and
quite a number of prominent Republi-
cans we're present. The question OF
holding a convention was discussed
by all present and it was decided not
to hold a convention, not by his Com
fmittee of seven, but by a majority oi
, the County Committee OF Republicans
OF Shenandoah county who vote the
Republican ticket. l want TO state
further that though the first call was
lirregularly made, entirely by mistake,
| il would not have been called off had
not a threat been made to declare ii
irregular by one of the Doctors close
. friends.
Now, whatever the motive that in'
: spired the Doctors article, his facts
? are most egregiously garbled and dis
torted, AID the undersigned willfully
and maliciously slandered There is
! nobody who has had better oppor
= tnity than the Doctor OF knowing my
, true character, and II | uld trus
him TO tell the truth, | would not fea1
. apy criticism he would make.
. But, Republicans, instead OF trytrs
i. to make history to order, as the Doc
j. tor has, let us review few incidents
. in the Doctors history, with whici
;, you are all cognizant, TO see II cal
: account for the motive of his attacks
e. oo the people who should be his peo
: ne and the representatives OF tn
marty that he says is his party.
To begin back few years, the Dem
r ocrats held every county Office in thi
!. county except the county clerkship
l. and ali the district Offices except Il
,. Madison District. A new era sprunl
, ND and the Republican party by nomi
;, mating candidates of integrity an
:. ability, and by conservative polio
r. gradually gained ground until the
+. held every county Office aud nearly al
h the district Offices.
!. Then DIR. Hoffman wanted to b
Z, county clerk, which place was held b
a man who as clerk had no superio
II and few equals in the State. He an'
l. toe Doctor each asked the people 10
the nomination, and went into the Cor
l. yention promising both by inferenc
J. and by positive avowals to abide b
). the action OF the convention and SUI
loort tie nominees. The old clerk. %