The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-02-01
SHOULD WILSON
BE NOMINATED.
DISASTER WILL Be RESULT
As Indicated in Correspondence Be
tween Colonel Watterson and
Senator B. R. Tillman.
Continued from page one.

Continued from page one.
to be groomer of presidential candi-
dates, expert or otherwise, but I desire
your good opinion and wrote with that,
as we'll as the truth of this matter, in
mind.
am with you, senator, in wishing a
democrat and not pseudo-republican
for our presidential nominee 1t was
no less from a sense of party duty than
of justice as between man and man that
| made the statement to which-upon
a total misapprehension of the facts
you take exception.
/ have been aware for nearly week
that recognized spokesman for Gov.
Wilson were industriously circulating
the story that the real reason why Gov.
Wilson broke with Col. Harvey was
that Col. Harvey had tried to bring
Thos. F. Ryan into the governors cam
paign. But, until you gave credence
to the story, it could not be invested
with any responsible authority. Its
origin was mysterious, its circulation
surreptitious. Consequently there has
been up to this time nothing either to
deny or recognize.
Now, senator, know of my own
knowledge, that that story is a lie
made out of whole cloth. If any per-
son ventures to question this assertion
l have in my possession proof conclu-
sive which hold myself ready to place
before your honest and truth-seeking
mind.
l do not accuse Gov. Wilson of origi-
mating or circulating this invention,
manufactured to make a hero of him
at the expense of the friend who has
most effectually served him. / do not
assume that he is aware of the bastard
ly work being done by his alleged
agents, but the fact remains that Gov.
Wilson knows as we'll as do that the
story is false. He may or may not feel
that he owes any obligation to Col
Harvey. That is matter of which
he must be the judge. But / do insist
that he owes it to his own honor to re-
pudiate that story and to disavow those
who are striving to inject the calumny
into the public mind.
At Gov. Wilson's instance 1 had un-
dertaken TO assist his accredited man.
ayers in raising the considerable sums
of money needful to the prosecution of
his campaign and in this my efforts
were not wholly unfruitful. AS the
business proceeded the name of Thos.
F. Ryan not unnaturally came into my
mind. He is democrat He is a Vir-
ginian. He is my friend. Knowing
him to be disinterested man, having
40 axe to grind, / hoped that | might
induce him to help out what l believed
4 worthy cause Gov. Wilson's man.
ayers were delighted with the sugges-
ion. Col. Harvey had nothing what
,ver to do with it, and, as far as l am
aware, knew nothing whatever aboutit.
Through this unhappy affair / have
,een an unwilling witness-in its con-
equenees, somewhat of an innocent
misunderstanding been up to the hour
f the Harvey incident, sincere be-
lever in Gov. Wilson. He is a man of
bility In some ways he might prove
candidate of availability, but fear
hat if he became our president, we
night discover all to late that he pos
esses personal peculiarities which
7ould prove disastrous. We want in
he white house man of broad mind,
S well as polished intellect, of heart
rateful and kind, no less than daring.
| remain, with great respect, your
bedient servant,
HENRY WATTERSON.
Hon. b. II. Tillman. {