French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-10-24
Mr. Britt Re3lies Again
Asheville, N. c., Oct. 10, 1918.
Hon. Zebulon Weaver.

MY dear Sir:
l have read your letter of Octobe:
16, declining my invitation to a join
debate of the Congressional issue IL
the district, and in view of the rea
sons which you assign, and of Ger
tain statements which you make,
feel it my duty to make a brief reply
Your reasons are so trivial, az
withal so insufficient, that it is { :
fcult to- deal with them in a straight,
forward manner You deny til
have twice urged you to agree Ii,s
me in a non-speech-making earn =,
in the district. This is asto 43as.
1t is hard to argue with one Who
treats the facts in this fash c1, ~.
first request was made to 81 O.,
June 80, and on the same day was
published in the Asheville Cilizen anG
the AsheVille Times. NJ second rs
quest was read to you a. liz one or
Mr., Fred L, Seely, in the p eGenc: 4
a number Of your friends, on iii:
! evening of July 10. 1 have copies o.
both these letters for the inspection
of any one who doubts this state
ment.
You assign as your reasons, your in
terest in the war, the state of the
public health, and the shortness OF
the campaign. 1 am myself tremend-
ously interested in the war, and i
took particular pains to state in my
letter that we would not commence
the debates until after the expiration
of the Liberty Bond campaign, and Of
course, no n ever thought that they
would be either commenced Or con-
tinued if they in any wise endangered
the public. health.
You say you will risk your election
on the fact that you have stood by
president Wilson in the prosecution OF
the war. So, far, so good. 1 have
myself stood Loyalty by him in that
behalf, and will do SO in the future.
But have you no other claim than THAI
you have hung to the Presidents coat
tail? Don't you think a man who
stands for a seat in the greatest legis-
lative body in the world ought to have
some merits of his own? Ought he
not to stand for at least something
himself? What important measure
bears your name? What have you
done?
W., 49, bSv-o pnitner made p
political speech o issued a public
circular. This is only another way OF
hiding behind what others are doing
for you. AS to the issuance of cir
I~culars, your friends are now sending
throughout this district a circular,
quoted from the Asheville Times OF
September 5, casting serious ref1ec-
lions upon the loyalty and patriotism
of the republicans OF this distric:.
Don't hide behind your management.
Back up what you do and fight i n the
open. Play the man. My manage
ment are making appointments TO-
me and sending out circulars, and l.
am backing them up. Don't play the
boy. You may not yourself have
made a political speech, but you kno"
that on last Thursday men of your
party, on your behalf, issued Liberty
Bond posters to the people OF Hay
wood county and got out a large
crowd, both republicans and demo-
Gratis, ostensibly to hear a patriotic
address, but really to hear Hon. VII
liam J. Bryan make a two-hOur
speech in your behalf, introducing his
remarks by saying that he had been
sent there to make a speech in your
interest. The crowd had gone there
under false representation that II
was to be purely a Liberty Bone
meeting and not a political meeting.
A like speech was made by Mr.. Bryan
at Forest City, in Rutherford COUNT
on last Saturday. You could not have
failed to know of these meetings, anG
they could not have failed to have hac
YOUR approval. Do you think this
high-class patriotism and fair cam
paigning. / must believe that Nj
Bryan was duped into this for, know
ing him as 1 do, l can not believe he
would knowingly. have been a party TO
4 thing so unfair and unpatriotic. Yor
| also know that it is understood h a
Chairman Warren, and others of your
party management purpose to have
the district flooded with speakers DC
fore the election, including Vice
| President Marshall and Congressman.
Helm.
AS to the election contest, you say
he courts have already held my cor
sentions to be false. I have no idea
hat you have the slightest interest II
the truth, but / want to submit a FEY
statements from the decision OF the
,,unrahra court in the case OF Britt w