The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-03-19
WANTS REAL JOINT DEBATE.

Natchez, Miss. March II, 1915.
Hon. Theo. G. Bilbo, jackson, Miss.
My Dear Sir: beg to acknowledge receipt Of
your letter Of the 9Th inst, q copy of which appear
ed in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Let me convince You that / thoroughly under
stand your motive in writing this letter and thor
oughsy understand the position in which you find
yourself.
When you returned to the field after the Christ
mas holidays you learned just what ! knew you
would learn, to-wit: That you are a defeated man.
Realizing that defeat is staring you in the face, you
are endeavoring to create some sensation with the
hope Of saving yourself.
You do not want to meet me in debate-and
you know it. Let me remind you when / announced
at Woodmen Springs, turned to you and invited you
to come with me before the people, assuring you
that ! would say no word that would embarrass you
and that | would discuss the issues of the campaign.
| said that / owed it to the people and that you owed
it TO the people to go together before the people so
that the voters might have the best possible oppor-
tunity to discuss the issues of the campaign. You
evidently thought at the time that you could demol-
ish me on the stump and consequently you assured
me that you would go before the people with me
from Yellow Rabbit to Vinegar Bend, aye even to
the end.
In accordance with the agreement made, you
know that we met in joint debate three times and
you know further that you-spoke first on one occa-
sion and | first on the succeeding occasion by agree
ment. You know further that there was nothing
unkind that ever passed between us. You know
that our relations are cordial, and so far as | am
concerned, | have nothing but the kindest personal
feelings for you. You know further that after we
met in joint debate in Lauderdale Springs that you
refused to meet me in joint debate any more.
Not only then did you refuse to divide time
with me, but when / spoke at Jacken, l looked you
in the face and repeated the agreement which we
made to go together before the people, and then in
vited you to make an agreement with me to meet
in every county in the state at times and places that
would be fair to us both and satisfactory to you. l
explained that we could publish a notice of our
speaking dates to the world so that all who were in
terested might come and hear the issues of the CAM
paign discussed by us.
You further know that I, on that occasion, used
these words to you: Il invite you to make this
agreement beg you to do il, and / dare you to do
it, and while | am not a prophet nor the son Of a
prophet, / want to look you in the face and say that
there is not a log chain in jackson strong enough to
pull you into this agreement"
You failed and refused to accept this challenge
and from the beginning of this campaign you have
endeavored to create the impression that there is
some agreement between myself and other candi-
dates for governor in regard to defeating you. Your
letter is simply another effort TO give color to this
idea. You know, or you ought 10 know that l am
not a party to any such agreement.
If you will investigate the facts, you will find
that recently, at least, you and each of my oppo-
nents have been more diigent in your efforts to de-
feat me than you have in your efforts to defeat any
other man in the race. Publicly and privately you
and the other candidates for governor devote more
attention 10 me than to any other one of the candi-
dates. am reliably advised that you frequently
state in your speeches that am the man whom you
have to defeat for governor. This is another indica-
tion that you have correctly estimated the situation.
Had you undertaken to write a proposition that
would make joint debate impossible, you could not
have eclipsed the effort you made in your letter to
me-. You certainly do not expect anybody to take
you seriously in regard to the proposition you made.
In your letter you propose that you shall select
four men and / one to arrange the dates. That you
should make campaign speeches as often as you de-
sire, but / can make only one-fourth as many speech
es as you do. That l should lend color to your un-
lust claim that there is an agreement or combine be-
tween others and myself to defeat you.
There is one thing that your letter makes clear
to me and that is this: You are at last realizing that
meeting me in debate and you are endeavsring to
display an apparent willingness to meet me and at
the same time eyade meeting me.
Referring to the statement concerning the
crowds which l have addressed recently, beg to say
that / am reliably advised that l have spoken to
crowds than you have. In fact my informa-
ton is that your crowds have not only been small
but distressingly undemonstrative
As TO my consulting Judge Powell and Gov
ernor Brewer, before answering you, will say that
fho eacf fLa4 RI, r u;lahln ia obtain fhp S,tnnort |