Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-08-18
"THE BEAVER DAM TREATY.

The following reply of Delaney to May
ham gives the Delaney version of the
celebrated "Beaver Dam Treaty." and
explains matters pertaining to the fight
over congressman in the Second district:
MAYvILLE, Wis, Aug. AT. L.
Nayhans, Fond du Lac, Wis.-DEAR
SIR: Your favor o. the 19th inst, maxi
ing inquiries as to certain matters of po-
litical interest TO the Democracy OF your
county, is received. Gen Bragg has re
peatedly promised me his support and
that of the delegation of Fond du Lac
county for the congressional nomination
Of 1886. 1t is now a matter of public
notoriety that on the night of the Goth
of September, 1884, at Beaver Dam, the
delegation representing your county in
the convention, then and there 10 session.
signed a memorandum Dledging the dele,
gates of Fond du Lac county to me or
any man the Democracy of Dodge
county might name for congress, and
agreeing to use their utmost endeavors TO
secure my nomination or that of any mao
my county might name for congress this
and ratified by Gen. Bragg over his own
signature, and he has repeatedly, since
the election of 1884. reaarmed it, both
verbally and by letters written to my
friends and myself. The memorandum
contains Gen. Bragg's own propositions
and was intended by all as full and
final settlement of the contest between
Fond du Lac and Dodge counties over
the congressional nomination. We ia
this county believe it was made in good
faith by those representing your county.
1t certainly was accepted and has been
observed by US in no other spirit.
As to your first interrogatory, [ do not
owe my position of United States attorney
to Ger. E. S. Bragg, In the latter part
OF December, 1884, while Bragg was
pressing me to become an applicant for
position in the territories, other parties
suggested to some OF my personal friends
that there was good reason to believe that
the position of United States attorney
would be given me if [ desired it. A day
or two later the same parties made the
same suggestion to me- [ replied that I
would not be party to any scramble for
place under the new administration, but
intimated that if the position should come
to me without fight or friction | should
not decline it. On the 4th of February.
1885. nearly six weeks later, Gen. Bragg
pranced nimbly to the front, and In 2
letter bearing date that day, after stating
how much he was pressed by parties from
divers quarters for his support for the
United States attorneyship, offered me his
recommendation. / am informed he did
join with others in recommending me. and
[ believe was somewhat assiduous in pro.
curing and filing evidence of offensive
partisanship against my predecessor.
There has never been any understanding.
express or implied, between Gen. Bragg
and myself, that would not be a candi-
date Tor the congressional nomination this
fall. Precisely the contrary is the truth.
| answered Gen. Bragg's letter of the 4th
of February, 1885, offering to recommend
me for the attorneyship, and have pre-
served copy of that answer 1t concludes
as follows: eff you carry out the pro-
gramme agreed upon at Beaver Dam,
and if the intimation that [ will accept a
position is not to injure my friends, and
a position should come to me as the result
OF the cooperative action of - aud
yourself, now see no reason for declining
it. In the absence of these conditions,
or any OF them, want nothing to do with
it,"