The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-20
I,EGATE'S STATEMENT
Concerning the ST. John-C arkson-Legate Con-
trOversy.
LEAvENwoRTH, Jan. 16, 1885.

I,EANEN WORlH, AL. III, 1000.
~ the Editor of the Daily Capital:
have read the interviews of j. P.
,Clarkson, of Des Moines, and r. G. Ke-
rens. of st. Louis, and say they are Il
com ,ination of willful misstatements
Of facts and criminal conclusions.
These interviews have no alternative
hut TO tell the whole transaction as far
ISLAM concerned, and leave the peo-
ME TO Judge whether was a chuck
sGer,' of st. Johns or whether Mr..
Tlarkson and Kerens are or not guilty
of-frst, a criminal violation of a most
sacred pledge of honor; second, q
criminal neglect of duty of which had
If been performed, Mr.. Blaine would
have been elected president of the
limited States. l was elected a dele
cate to the Pittsburg convention but
was much opposed to st. John becom-
inc the candidate of that convention.
I wrote Gov. st. John letter to Cuba,
W. where he was then lecturing or
thAt was one of his appointments and
gave him my views upon his candida
CIV and my reasons for not wanting
him TO become candidate. In short,
I said to him, he was the only man
spoken of for that place who could en-
dancer the success of the republican
party. That prohibition was on trial
in Kansas, and it was his duty to come
70 Kansas and make the fight in its be-
half; that if he became candidate for
p1esidcnt prohibition party of the
nHion and prohibition should be killed
in his own state, he would have become
master of q large ship without drop
of water upon which 10 float it; that at
least he would be laughed at as can
didate.
THE PRINCIPLE OF PROHIBITION
would be ridiculed and the cause of
temperance be set back a qual ter of
century.
asked him to wire me his conclu-
.ssons as soon as he received that let
Ter. He wired me these words: 81
do not wish for, nor will l accept that
nomination or any other. My motives
for my course would be too apt to be
misconstrued.
The convention came off and he was
nominated. 1 waited short time and
wrote him again. urging him with all
the force l could not to accept the
nomination, repeating my reasons for
his not accepting that l gave as my
reasons why he should not be nomina-
ted, and added thereto that if the pro-
Inhibition party should form in Kansas
it would defeat the republican candi-
: date for governor of this state, in the
doing of which he would destroy pro-
hibition IN his own state, where it had
so prospered under his especial care.
ialso wrote John B. Finch, and sta
ted to him the case as strongly as my
ability would allow me. L received
reply from Gov. st. John quite
promptly in which he said, after re-
plying to mine 81 shall accept the
nomination, coming as it does from
one of the largest conventions that ev-
er assembled in the United States, and
that too by unanimous vote, and L
shall do my duty as God gives me
light to see what duty is, leaving the
consequences to Him."
% Soon thereafter received short
letter from Mr.. Finch, in which he
said in substance that
THE PROHIBITION PARTY
had taken this new departure believ-
xing it the only course topursue to save,
strengthen and, finally, to crown pro-
hibition with success in the United
States; that st. John had been nomi-
mated to stay and to accomplish that
purpose.
l did not stop even by this discour-
agement, but begun a correspondence
with st, Jonn's most intimate friends
in this state, to invoke their aid. A
convention of the prohibition party
was called TO meet at Lawrence, for
the purpose of putting in nomination a
full state ticket. l attended that con-
vention and did al l could do to pre-.
went the nomination OF state ticket
beyond the presidential electors. 1 Of
Tended good many of st. Johns
friends by the course 1 pursued, but
after the heat of the convention was
over l had conference with them and
told them my purpose, which was to
get Gov. st. John back to this state
and make canvass for Gov. Martin,
prohibition and st. John, told them of
the danger to the republican party in
Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and New
York by having st. John make per-
-sonal canvass in those states; that to
lose any two of the Western states
would defeat Mr.. Blaine, or to lose
New York would defeat him, and that
DANGER WAS IMMINENT
IF Gov. st. John made a personal can
vass there. That the governor had
been defeated in his race for governor
in this state by he power of whisky
money and the votes of whisky men in
the republican party, when the rest of
the ticket was elected by over 10000
majority, and at last when l thought
he wanted to go to the Chicago repub-
1ican convention, his best friends did
not dare nominate him, knowing full
well he would be defeated and he
would be prompted enough by this
sting as by mis- convictions TO throw
his whole soul into the canvass.
This. added to the personal of a can
-didate, would make him very danger
Gus to the Republican party in the
states | have mentioned that his ex-
cuse for coming to Kansas and making
this the battle ground would be good,
that prohibition was on trial in his
lao, 10 of ~