Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-08
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Editor Of the COurier:-In the com
munication of Mr.. Dudley, appearing
ing in the daily COURIER Of May Sd,
although til charges are not of very
damaging nature, l feel that therl
are one or two misstatements that
ought to be corrected. And in do
ing this / shall not allow myself K
be drawn into personal controvers,
with Mr.. Dudley. Nor shall l imi
tate the vicious example that has beer
set in our county politics of using thu
party machinery to avenge private
wrongs or crafty personal dislike
There has been too much of this al.
ready, and If it be not thoroughly
discountenanced and made to cease
we may bid farewell to Republican
rule in this county, and expect to bt
overwhelmed by a democratic ma.
fjority SO great that no mortal hand
will be able to succor us. Unity oil
action alone can save us from Demo.
cratic majorities.
1t is true, as Mr.. D. says, that I was
Ia Representative and Senator Gin 1868
and 1869. but was honorably NOM
mated and as honorably elected to
these positions, at times, too, when
the county was esteemed Democratic.
And 1t ia source Of gratifying reflec-
ton that never yet while acting as the
representative or standard bearer of
the Republican party of the county,
have l led it to defeat. Nor have
any fear that any man living can
point his finger to an instance where
l ever betrayed an official trust.
1t is also true that was by the Re-
publican party of the State nominated
and elected Reporter Of the Supreme
Court, and with what efficiency and
satisfaction to the State discharged
the duties of that office l am content
to leave to the public Judgment.
That while as Senator, l with q
view of obtaining the office, influence
ed . repeal of the law changing the
Office of Reporter from being ap-
pointive by the Court to elective BY
the people, is not correct. On the
contrary it is true that my Judgment
was against the change and that OPP
posed it throughout though at the
time of the final vote on the bill had
been called away by q sad accident in
my household. Aud of my position
in the matter no one should have
known better than Mr.. Dudley, who
was member ofthe other House and
boarded at the same lodging that I
did.
The charge of Mr.. d. respecting
my being placed on the delegation at
the State Convention, if entirely true,
is perhaps too trivial to notice. The
facts, however, are, that in company
with Hon. J. II. Merrill, was at
Des Moines as delegate to the Epis-
cOpal Convention, then being held
for the election of q bishop, and I'M
der these circumstances was applied
to by one of our citizens, who was
candidate for delegate to the Nation
al Republican Convention, to use my
personal influence with the district
delegates to the State Convention,
most of whom was acquainted with.
l said to him that l was not q dele
gate. 1t. was replied that it had been
customary to place upon the delega-
ton respectable republicans, who
might be in attendance that in this
position could be of great assist
ance to him. l finally yielded to this
personal request, and was reported
as one of the delegates; and at the
same time and in the same manner
CHARLES DUDLEY and B. f. Henry,
who were also outsiders, were placed
on the delegation and participated in
the convention. Upon this point re-
fer to r. L. Tilton, Esq, who was APP
pointed delegate to the National
Convention to II. L. Waterman and
B. F. Henry, Esqrs., and to Hon. j.
Fl. Merrill, who is conversant with
the whole matter.
The singularity of Mr.. Dudley re-
ferring to matter as reprehensible, |
in respect to which he occupied the
same position as myself aud Mr.. Hen |
ry, is equalled only by that of his
stating that l procured the enactment
of measure that opposed, and of
which he must at the time have been
1t may be attributed to
that dimness of memory which the
lapse of time SO frequently brings. |
In regard to the whisky question, |
can only say that if my influence has |
been so prominent as brother Dude Y |
supposes. in shaping the policy of the |
State upon that question, (but | am
not 40 vain as to suppose that it has,
l have no regrets, and believe that |
the republican party and the people
Of the State have none-that they
have prospered under it better, per-
haps, than they would under brother |
Dudley's more extreme policy.
EDWARD II. STILES.
Nov 7<b 1870