Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-04-17
ssc0yss CONFIRMATION

= nAAeA 6keucn Ol the Contest over his
Appointment.
Washington Critic, 10th.
In executive session yesterday the SEN
ate confirmed the nomination OF Colonel
Charles 7. Mccoy, register Of the United
States land otfice at Aberdeen. Dakota.
This closes one Of the fercest fights that
was ever made over nomination. Mccoy
was nominated during the recess, last
fall. Early in October Governor Ordway,
OF Dakota, came here to oppose the con.
frmation. Ordway and Mccoy have
long been enemies, on account of the
latter joining the great majority, and
almost unanimity, of the people in the
territory in opposing the present execu.
tive monstrosity.
At the outset Ordvay boasted that his
long residence in this city and his init
mate relations with certain senators
would enable him to defeat the confirma.
tion in any event. The grounds upon
which he proposed to defeat the confirma.
ton we're based upon the Douglas coun-
ty bond matter. As q dealer in land
scrips, bonds, ETC., Mccoy had handled
some Of that famous paper. So an i'm.
mense pile OF documents were fled pro
and con. Mccoy proved BY all the
parties that were conversant with bis
with the bond transaction.
that he was an innocent dealer, and that
as soon as be learned the bonds we're of
questionable validity he redeemed every
dollars worth that had passed through
his hands and bore the losa himself. Not
only did he rrove himself to be man OF
honor hnf oooroo 4 'co1,o, - kala-.....
aRdavits, letters, etc. signed by hundreds
of influential and honorable citizens in
the territory and states poured in upon
the senate committee on public lands.
to McCoy's honor and inteeri.
ty and asking bis confirmation. Ordway
was doomed. But the rain did not cease
pouring there. Letters, petitions, etc,
began coming in to the committee and
to the president condemning Governor
Ordway. One document received by the
committee and president was pamphlet
containing extracts from upwards Of 135
newspapers Of the territory demanding
that Ordway be removed from his official
position aHd denouncing his official and
personal acts in the stoutest terms Near
" all OF tue newspapers-surely 93 per
cent. OF them-dsmanded the confrma.
tion OF McCoy's nomination.
Fhe fight waxed warm. At times there
we're dozen or more Dakotaians in the
city personally urging the confirmation,
and demanding that Ordway, whose off.
cial term expires next month, be not re.
appointed. These men were among the
most reputable in the territory, where
tue fight for Mccoy and protest against
Ordway was almost Revolutionary. Ord.
way staked his political future upon
McCoy's defeat. He declared that if
Mccoy was confirmed he did not want a
further residence in the territory. Well,
he can leave now. The committee re-
ported the nomination unanimously,
aftersthe freest and fullest possible in.
vestigation, and the confirmation was
prompt.
Mccoy is one of the leading citizens
Of the territory. HIS honor was never
questioned by those who knew him best.
He labOred under the single embarrass.
ment of having sold some bonds that
were subsequently found to have been
illegally issued. That was fully and
satisfactorily explained as soon as he
came here in person. By his confrma-
tion it is considered in the circles famil.
iaf with the affair that Governor Ordway
has been repudiated by the senate as
we'll as the press and people of Dakota.
The president could not possibly Justify
his reappointment and the senate would
not confirm it.
The Critic again calls attention to the
investigating committees of congress to
the fact that an investigation of Cover
nor Ordway's official transactions should
be lad, and had ct once.