Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-10-30
Joseph Allen on Hon. A. P, Harmon.

Mr.. Cover
l read in the issue Of the
HERALD Of the 10th inst. the com
munication of the Hon. A. p. Ham
mon, announcing himself an indie
pendent candidate for reelection to
the Assembly for the 3D. Assembly
District also your comments on the
same and should have deemed it
unnecessary for me to say anything
In the matter had not Mr.. Harmon
preferred against me charge of act
ing with duplicity towards him and
held it in justification Of his own
anomalous position at the present
time as an independent candidate.
Mr.. Harmon says that few days
before the assembly convention was
held | promised him, that | would
not come into the convention to OPP
pose him in any way. This CONVEX
sation was held about a month before
the assembling of said convection
and before our Primary meeting was
heyq. | had no reason to suppose
that / would be chosen a delegate
and consequently could not promise
him either support or opposition as
a delegate, and | certainly had no
intention of offering myself as a
candidate. | made no promise to
Mr.. Harmon at all, but simply
told him that | was not aware that
the town Of Clifton had an candi-
date to offer. | did not tell Mr. Ham
mon this with view to deceive or
mislead him as he insinuates. | act
cd i'll perfect good faith and my
friends who presented my name in
the convention will bear me out in
the assertion that until three days
before the convention was held | had
no intimation that any such thing
was contemplated, and sit was only
about two hours before the conven-
tion assembled that | consented to
become a candidate and then reluc-
family. But / am unable to perceive
how this matter could have affected
Mr.. lannon's interest in the con
vention in the least. If / had not
got the nomination Mr. Uammon
certainly would not Out Of eighteen
votes in the convention Mr.. Harmon
got only two and those were from
his own town, town that cannot
be relied on for the union, and in
which Mr.. Harmon last year failed
to carry his own party vote. OF the
tour candidates before the convention
Mr.. Hammon's chance was the least,
his nomination by that conven-
ion was impossible in fact it
was by mere accident that Mr.,
Harmon received the nomination
the year before. The town Of Cliff
ton thought that Mr. Utt deserv-
cd a denomination, and instructed its
delegates to vote for him in the
convention, had they been present
and done as instructed Mr.. Utt would
have received the nomination. Mr..
Harmon getting only six votes out
of eleven in that convention. If
anything could he held to Justify the
practice resorted to by Mr.. Ham.
mon at this time surely Mr.. Utt
would have been justified in SO doing
a year ago. | could not advise Mr..
UT to do this at that time, nor do |
believe that Mr.. Harmon is acting
with that prudence that has usually
characterized his actions by attempt
ing to divide the party strength at
this important crisis. TO defeat me
would be a small matter if his own
election was secured thereby; but
the latter alternative is impossible.
Mr.. Harmon Is afraid the Rail
Road interests will s1fcr thro' my
inexperience and ", .aboring I'M
der the same disadvantages last
winter, he boasts of the magnificent
results he was himself able to accom-
plish | have no wish to ride into
the legislature on Rail Road hobby
but can assure the people Of this
assembly district that am fully alive
to the importance Of the movement
and shall do all in my power to as
sist il whether elected or not But
this matter is in the hands of the
people, the success or failure Of the
enterprise exists with them. 1t
they manifest spirited disposition
10 assist, it will succeed, if not it
will fail notwithstanding all the cf-
forts that may be made in its favor
by the Legislature.
In concluion allow me to say, that
should the people of this district be
pleased to ignore the action OF the
convention that nominated me for
the ASSEMBLY and elect Mr.. Ham
mon | can assure them that no one
will more readily acquiesce in that
arrangement than myself except
probably A. 2. Harmon himself.
Respectfully Yours,
JosEPu ALLEN.
CLIFTON, Oct. oath 1866.