Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-07-15
The Congressional Contest.

re cannot understand why the partisan
zeal of any editor should so control his
pen as to permit him to misrepresent
little better than lying. No honorable
man should be guilty Of either, much
less the editor Of newspaper. Partisan
ship is all right. We take no exceptions
to honest and manly opposition. Gen.
Baker, of the Mankato Free Press,
was ut the Wascca convention, and he
knows just how every delegate voted in
that convention. Therefore, there is no
excuse tor misrepresentation on his part
The facts are what the people want and
there is no reason why an anti-Dunnell
man cannot give them as we'll as anybody
else. In the Free Press of Friday, tine
General says, "Of the uncontested dele
gates, in the Waseca convention" "the
antt-Dunnell party had 81 votes, as fol-
lows: Blue Earth II; Dodge Z; Fari-
bault 6; Fillmore 13; Freeborn -;
Houston 7; Waseca 5-total 81. The
Dunnell faction had 40"-and here he
gives the remaining counties Of the dis
trict Except Mower and Jackson, which
: he claims to be contested) The General
closes by saying: "These official facts
settle the question Of rightful power in
that convention, and the facts cannot be
controversial" Now, we can hardly be-
lieve Gen. Baker intended to falslfy, but
that he did misstate the facts, we think
even he will have to acknowledge, be-
cause he Will remember, if he refrcshes
his memory, that the "Dunnell faction"
had one vote from Dodge, three from
Fillmore and two from Waseca counties
six in all-which number taken from
81 leaves 55-the honest strength of the
anti Dunnell party. There were 1875
votes in the convention; leaving out
blower and Jackson, 10 uncontested
delegates. The very best record the Gen.
eral can make is IS, 50 Dunnell had an
equal strength with the opposition of un-
contested delegates. AL. this Gen. Baker
knows as we'll as we.
Now, a word as to the contestants
Mower county was contested by Sherman
Page, who withdrew from the county
convention with the regular credentials
Of precincts out of the twenty-five repre-
sented. Two of these, we understand,
refused 10 act with the boilers after they
had Withdrawn, leaving but three regular
delegations. In addition to these their
ranks were increased by bogus contested
delegations from four or five other towns
This was the Page convention which
elected delegates to Waseca. The regu.
lars had clear majority of at least one
third of the entire convention, and the
Waseca delegation, headed by Ira jones,
was as fair and honest a delegation as
was ever elected from Republican con.
vention in Mower county The delega'
ton to the state convention, headed by
Senator Officer, were elected at the same
time, and a committee of thirteen dis.
interested men living in different per.
tions of the state, gave the contest a
thorough examination, evidence and
arguments being presented on both sides
and they decided, unanimously, in favor
of the regular delegation. Gen. Baker
was delegate TO that convention from
Blue Earth, and knows that he raised no
objection to the adoption Of tie report
of that committee. What reason has ht
to go back on Mower county six weeks
later and vote for an opposite delegation
without the least show of ttle?, TIT
regular delegation from. Mower county
were as honestly and fairly chosen al
were those Of Blue Earth or any othel
county In the district, and if they had
been given an opportunity at Waseca t
present their case, we have no doubt 9
large majority. of the convention would
have voted for the regular delegation
They were honestly chosen, and the ad
mission of the Page set would have beer
an outrage, such as no fair-minded mar
could approve Of. The jackson county
contest certainly was hardly worthy the