OCR Text |
Show WATTERSOM SAYS I ! ISSUE IS WHiCH 1 1 ONE HAD "LIED" m J H i WASHINGTON. Jan 29. H 4- Colonel Henry Wattorson, lu Hl , a statement iEBued tonight and H i intended to bring a "distaste- -t- H ' -f ful oplsodo' to an end, bo far H -f as ho was concerned, declared -t- H j 4- that the issue between him 1 1 and Governor Woodrow Wilson Hi -t- was solely as to which ono had H "lied." j H 1 CoJonol "Wattcrson said the "had H I engaged conclusively to show" that H ' Governor Wll6on bad lied and charge M ' tl:at the Now JerBoy oxeoutlvo "dared B not face the facts." H Colonel Wattcrson declined to mako H publlo any proofs In his possession. H. Ho denied that Thomas F. Ryan evor H bad boon approached for campaign H I contribution for Governor Wilson, but H " states that tho matter had been talked H 1 ovor with G-ovcrnor WllBon and that H 1 the latter had "expressed tho fear" H i that If the hnowlodgo of a contrlbu- H ( tlon from Mr. Ryan got abroad it Hj 1 might do more harm that good. H Colonel Watterson's Btatemont, nd- Hl I 1 drosBod, "to the Democrats of tho H , 1 United States," In part follows: H I 1 ''The time limit Bet upon my stay la the national capital being about to Hj 1 expire, and Governor Wilson having Bs, refused my offer as to tho Issue of H . veracity he has raised between us to H 1 submit proof of the truth of my aver- H mont to party associates competent Hj to Judge both of its character and H I tho expediency of its publication, T H rv j' shall bring this most distasteful epi- H 1 Bodo to a closo as far as i am con- H cerned. H j "Tho claim that T must rush into HJ print with, this proof emanates either H from tiie pervorse or the malignant. H j I have it, all ready under proper su- H . pension to produce it, and can be H askod in reason to do no more. H "If I should publish it, tho very men who arc demanding that I shall would bo first to accuse mo of a rcck- Hi eBB disregard of what they would call U f party prudoncc and private rights The m t nolo issue Is whother I have lied, H L' Goomor Wilson says I have, or ho R has lied, which I havo engaged con- h cluslvoly to show He dare not face H tho H i "In the oarlv summer of 1910. I was H passing a week end with Colonel B George Harvey, an old friend, at Deal H Beach, his homo in New Jersey There- H I arrived for dinner Dr. Woodrow Wll- H ecu, then president of Princeton, and H Hon. James Smith, Jr., lato a senator H Dr. Wilson I had never met before. Hl The talk at table was mainly about H ) tho prospective nomination of a Dem- H ocratlc candidate for governor of Now H Jersey. Drawn into tho conversation, HH 1 ventured tho opinion that if nothing H more than a govcrnshlp was in sight H it would be a sacrifice for Dr. Wilson H H to quit his exalted station at the head H-J (5 of a great university and get down H fc into the bull Ting of politics to strug- B 5 gle for preferment so ephemeral and H " uncertain. H , "That probably was wat Colonel H i Harvey, who seemed urfder some spell H J wrought by Dr. Wilson had plannod. H , i Mr Smith' declared that ho wanted H "t" nothing for himself, only to see the H ' state redoemed that no ono but Dr H Wilson could redeem It. and the like. H j In due season, Dr. Wilson was notn- H inated and elected. H "Tho presidential campaign, to H'v which the gubernatorial election had Hl v. served as a prelude, bogan. In a H ' manner I had been dragooned, I will H r not say decoyed, into tho service of H Governor Wilson and Colonel Harvey. 1 The succeeding 10 months brought me H into confidential relations with Gov- H ornor Wilson Lettcia passed bctweon Hl us Upon his Invitation and on his Hi business I visited bis home in Princo- W ton. Ho was good enough last wln- ,'' ter to co mo to the steamer to see mo h ' off for Europe. ,1 "I found him a man of polished man- t , ners, scholarly attainments and un- HH . dcnlablo talents. H A "On my return from abroad, the B ' governor met me In New York. Again B ' in November and December wc forc- '1 gathered there. In short, nothing was 'wanting to the most cordial and un- restrained Intimacy. "The fortnight Immediately preceding preced-ing the Interview at the Manhattan club, of which I have Iwon at palna to sav as Iittlo as was needful, to do Justice between man and man, and men and men I had done what I could In the interest of his campaign I was met on my arrival la Now York by a most urzent appcnl for money from a gentleman of distinction, closely associated as-sociated with, If not actually directing direct-ing tho Wilson organization, and In answer to this I wn3 ablo at onco to Bccure considerable money. The meeting meet-ing at tho Manhattan club was designed de-signed Btill further to push forward and perfect the work of organization. BIbo why and for what was tho governor gov-ernor there? "To conUno and mislead tho public he ha6 latterly adopted a policy of alternate sllonco and sneering. Giving Giv-ing tho Ho direct to my statomont that I was aBkcd to help tho financial end of hlB campaign and declining my offer to submit tho proof of Its truth to a body of gentlemen and Democrats Demo-crats equally concerned, with ourselves oursel-ves for the well being of tho party, he thinks to cloud the issue and c-apo c-apo Its menace by turning upon the lr" responsible chatter of a literary bureau bu-reau which claims to live off tho im-maculato im-maculato contributions of subscribers having wings, harps and haloa, and which has been for weeks flooding tho country with ovcry manner of falsification. falsi-fication. "Tho Ryan story, which has made Buch an impression upon the unknowing unknow-ing and unreflecting was, as far as It related to Colonel Harvey, a Ho out of whole cloth. Though Governor Govern-or Wilson knows this, he has allowed it to circulate without contradiction Tho attempt which followed its exposure ex-posure by mo to mako it appear that I have intimated that application was made to Mr. Ryan, is cut off the same cloth and Is characteristic of tho duplicity du-plicity which attaches Itself to tho entire proceeding of the governor and his publicity agent. "Tho suggestion of Mr. Ryan was eagerly caught up by theso agents. Fancy a political promoter refusing money from anywhere or anybody But when I spoko to Governor Wilson Wil-son about it, ho said some uncivil things of Mr Ryan, expressing a fear that If tho knowledge of such a contribution con-tribution got abroad it might do more harm than good an opinion with which Colonel Harvey promptly concurredand con-curredand the matter went no fur-thor fur-thor "Certain it Is that Mr Ryan never heard of tho matter Neither I, nor anyone else, spoko to him on tho subject. sub-ject. "Tho effort of the Wilson promoters pro-moters to rovlvo it and bring It to tho front Hlmply Is an unprincipled attempt to divort tho public attention from tho fact that Govornor Wilson has been rattling around as a hero because of his indignant rojection of Ryan, tho truth being that Ryan was never pressed upon him at all. "His courageous repudiation of Harvey which haB put such a feathor In his cap was of a piece with this Whilst Governor Wilson was receiving popular applauso because of his sacrifice sac-rifice of private friendship to public duty, he was grovelling at Harvey's feet after pardon for tho shamoless and heartless treatment he admitted having bestowed upon Harvey at the Manhattan club. If he poseessed a spark of honorable sensibility, he would at once demand and require the publication of the subject letters ,he wrote to Harvey when ho was mado to understand Tand realize that he must square the adcount of ln-gratltudft, ln-gratltudft, or tako the consequence. "Meanwhile let me say whilst tho governor's tardy repentance may placate the forgiving Colonel Harey whll6t It may even satisfy the susceptible sus-ceptible Mr Bryan I refuse longer to follow a man whose nomination would, In my judgment, be a disaster and whoso election a calamity. He who could show himself so disloyal to private friendship cannot be trusted trust-ed to be loyal to anything "Within a single year Governor Wilson's radical change of base, his re-alignments and re-adjuatments, personal and political, his offenses to sorao and apologies to others, have been exactly concurrent with hlB selfish sel-fish alms. There seems no abasement Into which he is unablo to descend with equal facility and grace. May God protect Democracy from such a leader and such leadership. "Tho niche vacated by Governor WilBon I shall not undertake to fill. I hold nothing In reserve, am backing back-ing no othor aspirant, advancing no other interest. I shall go to ray wlnt-or wlnt-or home in Florida, beyond the reach oven of the telegraph, sure that in this matter, I havo done my Guty alike to public obligations and private friendship, an'd having not a caro beside." be-side." Wilson Refuses to Talk. TRENTON, N. J., Jan 29. Governor Govern-or Woodrow Wilson refused to mako any statement tonight In roply to the one Issued by Colonel Henry "Wattcrson "Wattcr-son Tho governor said he first would read the matter given out by Colonel Wntterson carefully bofore deciding whother to make any reply. "At any rate," ho Eald, "I shall not issue a statement tonight " oo |