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Show DEMENT AND THE REPORTERS. The Surveyor-General Telegraphs That He Still Has Truth and Honor on His Side. Since the wires have brought from Washington the account of the statements state-ments made before the Senate committee by several newspaper reporters, the sensation sen-sation created by General Dement's first reported interview has been fanned into a genuine flame of excitement. Knots of men were grouped on the corners and all along the business streets discussing the Bubject, and it was exceedingly rare that a word of favorable, comment was heard for the Surveyor-General. The excitement became so manifest last night among a number of Federal officials and other prominent gentlemen here, that the Tribune telegraphed General Dement to know whether he would make a statement in reply to the dispatch concerning the reporter's interview with the Senate committee. The following answer was received, which would seem to further complicate the vexed question : Washington, February 4 To the Tribune: In response to your kind request for a state-" ment, I desire at present only to reiterate my statement before the Senate Committee. I am confident that I shall soon be able to show that this is but an infamous plot organized or-ganized for the sole purpose of defeating my confirmation to the Senate. It is an unequal fight, but I have truth and honor on my side, and these are sure friends, though they may be a little slow sometimes. Tell my friends to be patient and to trust me just a little longer. . . : ; . .R. S. Dement. , Quite a number of officials and others have been asked, since the above dispatch dis-patch was made public, as to then opinions opin-ions on the subject, and the majority have said : "I think Dement has got his foot in it," or, "Dement is in a devilish bad box;" and these were among the most charitable of the expressions, too. |