The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-04-20
LIRELINe JUDGE MCPHERSON.

Inc Des Moines Register and Lead
er in a recent issue sought to disered-
1t Judge Mcpherson by quoting
Eugene V. Debs in an editorial article
charging him with INDUCING with two
other federal judges in junket to
Mexico. which ended in debauch and
shooting scrape. The matter came
to Judge McPherson's attention while
ne was holding court here in Keokuk
and he at once made righteously
indignant denial of the accusation. as
follows:
heokuk, Ia, April 1910 the Edi.
LOT: have just read your editorial
OF Yesterday setting forth part of a
speech recently made in New York
City charging United States Judge
Phillps, Pollock and myself with max
ing trip TO the Republic OF Mexico
ostensibly for fishing. but which in
Iact was debauch Intended with an
alteration resulting in a shooting
scrape
AS you know. that speech was
made by an ex-convict by the name of
Eugene v Debs, and is low given cir
culation by you in the form OF an edi-
torial.
This story is a lie and your editor.
iai Is libel. Yours truly,
SMITH MCPHERSON"
mat Is exactly tie kind OF reply
the accusation merited. Anything less
pointed and forcible would NOT
have penetrated the calloused hides
OF his traducers. The comment OF the
newspapers of the state. as far as
heard from, irrespective of party. is
favorable TO the Judge and his treat
ment OF the matter The Burlington
Gazette, a Democratic paper. says in
commenting on the incident:
Any one who knows Judge McPher-
son knows that Debs lied. bur unfortu-
ftately everybody doesn't know him
ana might be inclined to believe the
story. Al any rate the Des Moines
paper was in little business giving
prominence to the libel and thereby
bringing the name OF one of the best
men in Iowa into discussion.
a
THE Register and Leader is manly
enough 70 state that Judge McPher-
SON statement viii be accepted as
conclusive. but il is cheap enough TO
defend its editorial by the statement
mat Mcpherson should have denied
I the story upon lis first being circr,.
lated Ia this connection the c,azef+e
would Ike 10 ask If il is necegear- fof
public man 70 deny the every ai1ega-
tion OF blatherskites and blackgIa-ds
ana whether or not the reputation he
enjoys among his own people Is not a
sufficient answer
The Hawk-Eye 81 the sama ,itv
finds it dffticuliy 10 imagine ne. 80.
purpose The Des 2foines molder 81 nro.
gfessiTe Republican thought desired Is
serve N hashiag over tfe Dobs 5;bef
IN us editorial columns II Caacli,das
Az all events that paDe- had e.II.
co down upon itself reh1yge s,ca
me nudge which o'ight 10 BE- a Jesscr,
J 20 IN rs future attitude for,ard
those public men with whom # 49,
not agree There Is TOO m,,eb 80,
iess hDeriy taken with HE good rzt4A
ot leaders whose honest oplbinr 4jf.
leFs with the upIift class oY raagaztz,a,
and newspapers. Great and eeril,,s
wrong is being done 5g such Unfair
: InetnOdS.
!.
a The Register and Leader aceAn,s
4 the correction as true but its comment
mat Inc Judge should have made bfs
uehlal sooner does NOT relieve Il al
: the injury 1t has done an Towan !,
s national standing
r Introductory 10 its comment an The
incident the Iowa City Republican Re.
calls its first acquaintance with Judge
|. Mcpherson It was when the later
: was candidate for the RepubIican
e domination for attorney general SOME
thirty years ago. Governor Kirkwood