AV." he would have given the names of the
other two prominent Populists who attended
that mythical conference. He couldn't say
they were prominent without having their
names and had he mentioned the names he
would have injected some little importance
into his curiously worded accusation against
“Mr. AV.”
You will observe that Congressman Burke
has not made oath to anything and has been
so cunningly cautious in wording his letter
that he couldn't be reached by a libel suit if
one were thought worth while. Unless I am
utterly mistaken in the character and intelli
gence of our people the Hardwick charges
will recoil upon him, and if he persists in
making them he will not only ruin himself,
but will greatly injure ex-Governor Smith's
candidacy. It will astonish me greatly if the
intelligent public fails to attach the proper
significance to the fact that Pussy Foot Bill
Howard made his appeal for help to that
stand-pat Republican who was selected by old
Joe Cannon to whitewash Hog-face Jim Sher
man and those other scoundrels who attempt
ed to bribe the blind Senator from Oklahoma.
Congressman Burke acting as chairman of
the Investigating Committee in Muscogee is
doing his level best to save a lot of crooks
who ought to be in the penitentiary instead
of in Congress. And it is the most natural
thing in the world that Burke should devote
a spare minute to the noble work of trying to
help two such creatures as Pussy Foot Bill
and little Tom Billy from having to check
their political baggage for a trip up Salt
River.
