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The True Citizen.
W AYNESOOHO, GA., FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1882
“ The Survival qf the Fittest."
[ Communicated. j
In 1880 Burke county suffered from
too much politics. But for the Colquitt-
Norwood campaign the cotton crop
would have been gathered before the
rainy weather commenced, which cut off
in quantity and quality one-fourth of
the value of that crop. Last year both
the cotton and grain crops were failures,
so that few planters made any money,
and mo9t of them failed to pay out.—
The consequence is the county is poor,
for the planters are behind in money
matters. So far this has been a good
season, and the prospects flattering. If
the people will work, the recuperative
powers of the county are so great that
they will be able to reinstate them
selves. The gubernatorial and Con
gressional elections will be quiet af
fairs. It may be early in the year to
name the Legislative ticket, but to put
out a good one—to name men who will
fully meet the demands of the occasion,
to put out a ticket which cannot be de
feated, may have the effect of keeping
down excitement, and preventing a con
test in the election of these officers.—
The people do not wish a contest, and
the friends of the different aspirants
will not make an issne unless the as
pirants press them into trouble. This
is peculiarly a time when the office
should seek the man, and not the man
the office. I would name Dr. E. A.
Perkins, Judge II. E. W. Palmer and
Capt. P. D. Cox. Burke.
to foresee nothing but trouble and
perplexity as the inevitable result of
this wrangling within the party. If
the convention nominates him he
will be elected by a large vote and
majority if he has an opponent, than
our present incumbent received. If
they should not select him as the
Democratic standard bearer, we have
nothing to fear from hitn because he
will not oppose but affilliate with us.
If thi#> is not pure Jeffersouian
Democracy, where are we to look for
it ? Whilst writing a friend passes
my sanctum remarking to his com
panion—“Stephens is too old,”
One would suppose from these re
marks, of his feebleness, age, &c.,
that one must be a Sampson in
strength and an acrobat in activity to do
the office or people justice. There
can be no other possible objection
than this which is too weak for con
sideration. We want just such a
head as he has. We want just such
a heart and even should he not live
to fill his term of office, his example
will be one of such executive purity
that his successor for the unexpired
term would not dare deviate lrorn it,
had he even no higher motive
prompting him to a proper discharge
of his duties. For party peace and
success for our peace and interests,
for God’s sake let’s have peace.
D.
the
C OSS n TUT I ON— SPEER
VERST.
C 0 NT 110-
[ Comm unieated. ]
Waynesboro, Ga., June 5, 1882.
Dear Sir : I am no politician ;
but from the ill feeling already ens
gendered previous to any nomina
tion for governor ; I fear that there
is a storm brewing to the injury of
our party, and one too which will
seriously affect our agricultural in
terests. Under the excitement labor
ers will leave the farms and the
material prosperity which is now
apparently evident in store for tv,
will be dissolved like mists before
the sun, if some oil is not poured
upon the troubled waters of the
political sea. The Republican party
would storm hell to remain in the
government crib, and a taste from
the government pap bowl lias crazed
not a few of the Coalitionists and In
dependent Democrats who would
sacrifice principle and the interest of
our common country to get filled
from the swill-tub of iniquity. Lit
tle as the latter may think, they are
none so strong but that general dis
aster will more or less affect their
interests and totally destroy all future
aspirations upon their part. The
people under excitement may not be
cpahle of appreciating the political
volcano ahead ; hut woe ho to those
who precipitate their doom, for
when suffering comes they can easily
then trace effect to cause whereas few
* can under excitement trace things
from cause to effect.
Will not this apprehension of
trouble cause these to desist 1 Can
nothing he done to allay dissatisfac
tion ? If wo cannot ceineut the
parly bv plain truths oandidly and
mildly presented, agitation will cer
tainly avail nothing. If those journ
al:* protesting with vehemence against
Mr. Stephens’ candidacy could only
sec that they are doing more to dis
integrate the party than he has over
been accused of having done and
eouhl be prevailed upon to cease
their unjustifiable warfare upon him ;
we would have peace. When the
uberuatorial conventh n assembles,
t will act then for the best interests
f tiie country in its selection, so all
his quarreling is premature and can
lly do harm. Follow the example
he old stand-by—the Chronicle
institutionalist—which has ever
uneed wrong and accredited
it where due irrespective of party
ersou. But has bad fle wisdom
CONCEALING THK TRUTH TO DECISIVE.
Washington, May 81, 1882.—Editors Constitu
tion : 1 hesitate to address you this letter. It
would be perhaps more in accordance with the
rules used among gentlemen to iguore the publi
cations which you have of late made with per
sonal reference to me. It is in some sort, how
ever, proper that yon should be compelled to
publish the reply to your calumnies in the same
medium through which you gave them currency.
Surely you dare not supplement your defama
tion by a cowardly refusal to publish this de
fense. Convert.ant as I am w ith the unspeaka.
ble littleness of your conduct, 1 am fully prepar
ed for even this last resource of prostit uted
journalism.
You say, ‘'and we are perfectly willing to hear
from him.”
Now, listen to me. On May 2fith you charged
me with misrepresenting Mr. Stephens and with
using his name without authority. In express
terms you impute to me an “insidious attempt
to deceive and entrap.” On the 28th of May you
say my words were “more-than in. idious."—
“According to Mr. Stephens th >;/ -/ere,” you
soy, false in words and in spirit, “it is,” you
say, with well feigned sincerity, “indeed difficult
to restrain the indignation which is bareiy veiled
in Mr. Stephens’ word::.” These are your
charges, or some of them. They were all based
on my open telegram to Dr. Felton—on nothing
else, for I wrote nothing else. Now, “mark how
plain a tale shall put you down.” Before me
on my desk, appended to an Associated Press
dispatch, are a few lines over the well known
signature of Alexander H. Stephens. They
read as follows: “The above is substantially
true. What Mr. 8p« or telegraphed to Dr. Felton
was strictly true, though not by authority from
me. There is no issue between me and Mr.
Speer.” To an impartia. miiul tins would seem
conclusive. The evidence is undoubted—the
signature is genuine—the witness is your candi
date for governor of Georgia, he it said to your
credit. Where, now, Are the “insidious” words
—“according to Mr. Stephens’’—“false in words
and inspirit”—and oh, where “gentle shepherd,
tell mo where” the “indignation” which is ‘ re-
str it ed witli difficulty” and is “barely veiled in
Mr. Stephens’ words,”
Your efforts to prejudice mo in the minds of
the people whom I represent is deliberate and
most malicious, and yet your exposure here
made Is so complete, your nakedness, as you
stand l>e f oi'e the eyes of an amused and contemp
tuous public, is so ludicrous that 1 have not the
heart to be mad with yon,
Let us return, however, to Mr. Stephens
What is it that, lie says is “substantially true?”
I quote from the Associated Press dispatch : “I
(the undersigned) told Mr. Stephens that I would
telegraph them to recommend 1dm as the peo
ple’s candidate for governor. Jlis secretary fur
nished me some telegraph blanks and I wrote
die telegram in ids room, read it to him, and at
his suggestion altered it in two particulars."
What is it that lie says was “strictly true?" The
recital in the telegram, “I know positively lie
will not rejeet sucli recommendation, and th:
if elected ho will be the governor of all the peo
ple, without regard to party.” The statement 1
have now given is sufficient to conv^liee any can
did mind that you have grossly misrepresented
what was a patriotic and honest action on iny
part. I believed, and still believe, that Mr,
Stephens was of all men the best and most suit
able candidate for governor of Georgia at tills
time. Personally, it did not concern mo more
than any other oltUou of tiie State, who was to
be the governor. It did not affect my political
usplrutlons. I have been twice elected to Con
gress without assistance from the governor of
Georgia.
Is It patriotic and commendable ttiat you
should support Mr. Stephens, a id insidious and
treacherous that I support him? Is there no
patriotism in Georgia, save in the delegates to a
convention? I claim that I have as much interest
in the spite—In its future—in its renown—ostinr
other Georgian, and I have the same right with
others to support a candidate for governor. Mv
I'ldepeuduntlsm leads me to advocate tiie elec
tion of him whom I esteem the best. Your in
tolerance and spirit of proscription impels you
to malign me bocause I dare be Independent to
support your candidate. . Allow me to adinoulsh
you that a paltry warfare on individuals, direct
ed by Ignoble motives, is never successful In
those happy countries where the people are free
to act for themselves, and for each other. Your
object is to defeat my re-election. You will fail.
You have not even discomposed me, while you
are confounded. You have made many attempts,
in several ways, to injure me. You have failed
in all. You will continue to fail as long as pre
judice and partisanship are your motives, and
calumny your most potent weapon.
Emory SrEKH.
A WORD WITH A BLACKGUARD.
We print in another column a letter from
Emory Speer. We made the same mistake iu
asking him t< explain in our columns ills connec
tion with this telegram that any gentleman is
liable to make when he invites a man into his
house, and finds out as soon as lie opens the door
that his guest is a blackguard. And we shall
deal with Mr. Speer just as any gentleman would
be forced to do when lie lias been deceived in
that way. It would have been mors in accord
ance with the lules usual among gentlemen if
Mr. Speer hud first written his explanation, if lie
had oue, and then if the Constitution had failed
to do him justice, to have denounced it if lie
chose to do so. But the course of a gentleman
would make Mr. Speer hesitate any time, and he
has shown himself in his conduct in this matter
as unfamiliar with the conduct of a gentleman
as he is with the truth.
We admit that it would bo cowardly in us to
ask a man to explain iu our columns and then
deny him the right, but when a man comes on
the invitation we give and acts the ruffian, the
bully and the braggart, we will treat him as hl 8
conduct deserves, even while we give publicity
to his willful and malicious falsehoods concern
ing our course to him.
Now, Mr. Speer, we have listened to you. and
heard what you have to say. We have nothing
but your statement, and even you admit that
what you did was without Mr. Stephens’ author
ity. Why did you go to Mr. Stephens and get
his views on the Coalition? Uad Mr. Stephens
given you any room to think he would reject a
nomination from your friends ? Your telegram
was published on tiie 16th of May. Everything
we had from Mr. Stephens from that date until
you furnished the press dispatch a few days ago,
was positive and plain in its assertion that what
you said was on your own motion, and without
authority from him. Tills is what we called
“insidious. You knew when you sent the tele
gram that Mr. Stephens would not be a candi
date uuloss nominated by the Democratic conven
tion ; that he bol eved in correcting any errors of
tho party inside rather than outside the parry.—
Was it not “insidious” in you to conceal tills
fact? and can’t you lie as we.il by concealing
the truth as by writing a lie? We admit that
you are an expert in this business; that you have
no regard for the truth when it serves your pur
pose to omit the truth or write or act a falsehood.
What you are pleased to call a “patriotic and
honest action on your part” was an attempt to
deceive not only your friends but you enemies.—
It is to you the light type of honesty and patriot
ism.
You deceived the Congressional campaign
committee whqn you procured the insertion of
your speech on the Chinese question in their
public documents, and they told you so, and had
it stricken. You deceived Mr. Orr at Athens
about the appointment of postmaster. You de
ceived Mr. Mill by accepting every favor he
could grant you ufitil the poor man was stricken
with disease and his life was des, aired of, and
then you turned your back on him.
You have deceived your constituents by tell
ing thorn you would help them to have the tax
on whisky abolished, and now 4 1 umber as your
best friends in your district tnen who have shot
down poor, weak, Inoffensive old men.
You are not jailed upon to vote on a single
quest on that you do not have to apologize to
one party or the other, and that is your pattern
of “honest and patriotic conduct.” If we refuse
to believe your statements when they were
made you have no one to blame but yourself.—
If a majority of the people of tiie ninth district
want you as their lepresentative, vve have no
objection. We have said nothing about that
since your election. You certainly have done
nothing hut deceive tl/tn. If they want that
kind of a man to represent them, you will fill
the bill.
You took occasion without cause to write tills
Insulting letter, when you knew that the Ccnstir-
tutlon had never failed to do you justice. You
have been repeatedly assured that we would
always do you justice. It was a hal'd job. You
were dodging from side to side, and yotiirg
first witli one party and then with the other.
You v/cre a friend to the whites when talking to
them and against tho colored mau, and a frigid
to the colored man when talking to him, and
against tho whites. Not half of your inconsis
tencies have come to the surface, because you
have been skillful in concealing the truth. .
Wo have a letter from you to tho cd tor of
tho Constitution, signed witli your well-known
unhistorlc signature, under date of January 4,
1880, in which you say : “You were good enough
to tell me ou more than one occasion that if
your paper did me (E- Speer) injustice to write
to you and point it out," You did so, and we
corrected it as well as could te done. Under
date of March 4, 1880, we have tho following
tetter:
THE TRUE CITIZE
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY,
AT WAYNESBORO, C‘
-BY TIIE-
SULLIYAH
OTHERSfl
-:oOo:-
%
Independent in All Things,
Neutral In Nothin
-o:0:o
N
Not Pledged to Any Party,
Faction, or Individual
-o:0:o-
A JOURNAL FOR THE PEOPL
“Pray accept my acknowledgement for your
courtesy in publishing extract from Springfield
Iti'iwblimn relating to mein yesterdays Consti
tution. if I can serve you in any manner 1 trust
you will not hesitate to call on me. 1 atn dear
sir, very truly yours,
[Signedl Emory Speer.”
No longer than a few weeks ago we published
part of a speech by you. You wrote us that
full justice to you required we should publisl it
all. Wo promptly did so. We have numerous
letters from you on tills lino asking favor*
which wo granted when we could, and
which we refused when wo could no*
grant thorn. Were you deceiving us iu those
letters, or do you lie about us in tills lastlettery
Wo are prepared to believe that you were doing
so in all of tlmm.
Now, sir, wu have treated your letter as it de
served. Your conduct was insidious, even grant
ing (which we decline to believe on your unsup.
ported statement) that Mr. Stephens saw your
dispatch before you sent it. Foi in that dispatch
You attempted to make the public believe that
Mr. Stephens was in sympathy with tho Coalition
movement, when you knew positively that he was not,
and that while tolerating the in iorsement of the Coa
litionists lie would only run as a 'Democratic candi
date on a Democratic platform, pledged to abide the
action of the Deriiocratic convention. The Insidious
attempt to deceive the people of Georgia as to Mr.
Stephens’ true posh Ion is but a part of yutr eiti re-
political career. In conclusion, sir, having Invited
you into our house, and having discovered tfllR you
arc a blackguard, and having disposed of you as you
deserved, we now show you the door. Should you
have anything further to say to us you will have no
trouble in finding us at the front gate, ns we do not
wish to disturb our decent guests by branding you la
a more emphatic way witli your true name and
character.
—o:0:o
Devoted to the interests of the people of Burke county, their
struction, entertainment and advancement—a faithful and imparl
chronicler of all Burke county happenings—-a fair recorder of all imp<f
ant events elsewhere occurring—a sturdy advocate of correct Jefferson?
principles of government by the people and for the people—a just, upriglj
and honorable journal.
In all these things the CITIZEN hopes not to prove remiss in
dutv— it is a public institution, and every subscriber and patron is
stockholder— the Publishers are merely their agents, and their duties an<!
responsibilities are reciprocal—we think we can promise that the man
agement will do its duty, and if the public will do theirs, it will prove
immense power for good in the community.
-o:0:o-
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