The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-02-02
Letter From Mr.. Fowler.

Editor Free Press:
The editor of the Reciesc states In
his last issue that 1, chairman of the
County Committee. wrote or caused
to he written a letter to Mr.. Morris,
asking him to state his position on the
Senatorial question. Now Wise makes
An assertion that he knows nothing
about, it is merely guess work, or ID
deliberate attempt to deceive the pub.
lie. rs to the assertion. i will state
that l never sent word, never wrote
nor limited to Mr.. Morris or to any one
that he (Morris) should write snch a
letter. On the contrary, the first
inkling l had Of such letter was
from Morris himself. He came into
the store with a friend and vOluntari.
ly made proposition to me to write
u letter. (which letter was to be left
in my care) for the purpose Of show.
ing to those parties, who suspected
him Of being a Cole man. He stated
at the time to me that it was very
foolish for any one to think he was
for Cole. that he was under no obliga.
tons to him; that IL he was elected
he should consider it his duty to vote
for Window, rs he considered that
Window was the choice of Blue Earth
county for Senator; that while he
was in Coles Office he hardly ever
saw him, and he knew that Cole was
nothing to the people here. Such
language coming from a person of
Morris's reputation was perfectly
satisfactory to me. which l 50 ex
pressed to Mr.. Morris. l told him
that as he WAS Window man it
could do 10 harm to write such let.
ter, and would have a strong tenden.
cy to elect him. ThereupOn Mr..
Morris stepped up to the desk in the
store, took one of our letter heads.
tore off the heading and evolved the
much talked of letter, handed the
same to me, not as u confidential let.
ter rs it so states, but for the purpose
Of showing to parties suspecting him
Morris) OF being Cole man. During
the campaign l used the letter in his
interest, worked hard tor him and
did what l could towards his election.
Still i understand that he says / was
not true to him. IL that Is true how
easy i could have accomplished my
object, rs only would need to have
shown the letter to some of the Dun.
nell men, which would have shown
how nicely he was pulling the wool
over their eyes Il might here say that
he is success rs to pulling wool over
parties eyes and give him that credit)
but on the contrary used it solely
in his interest. AS to the insinuatiOn
that other members have given writ
ten pledges to Window men, l can say
that know of no such pledges being
given. and that as far as / know they
never were even asked to give ono,
and have every reason to believe |
that they never gave one to any per-
son or persons. AS far rs i am con.
cerned it would have made no differ.
ence to me how the members stood |
on the Senatorial question. accept.
cd the possession of chairman of the
county committee with the firm de-
10 do all in my power to
elect the whole ticket, and to that
end faithfully worked during the
feeling, AZ l did, that 1t
was no more than 4 debt that owed
to the Republicans Of Blue Earth
county for favors shown me in the
past, and to the people Of Blue Earth
county with whom came in contact
and worked for the success of the Re.
publican ticket. l am willing to rest
my case. Never in word. act or
thought did l do aught to defeat Mr..
Morris, and he very well knows 1t,
and when he (Morris) makes such an
assertion he tells that which he knows
to be false.
And here challenge him or any
man in Blue Earth county to show In
one single instance that I have proved
untrue to the Republican party or
any Of its nominees. or that have
been connected with any ring against
the interests of the people, or that
ever went hack on my word or on a
friend for the sake Of an Office or any
other consideration. 1t has always
been my highest ambition, both in
my business and while was In office,
to show by my act that I fully. ap-
preciated the confidence placed in me.
r. FOWLER