Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-09-15
A. c. pORTER,s REPLY
To An ''0pen Letter" Which was Pub
llshed In Idaho Recorder Sept. 6.

canvass III straightforward, honor
able manner, and it is my intentio,
to adhere firmly to that resolution.
any of the other candidates desire Il
throw mud they are at liberty to dC
so, but so far as | am concerned
haven't the time nor inclination t
engage in any such past-time. My
object in writing this is to make al
explanation which appears to be neces
sary at this time.
| read letter in the Idaho Record
er of the 9th inst, which was writer
by a lady at Shoup, Idaho, (or by a
man in Salmon City whose ear marks
it bears,) criticising what purported
to be my remarks at the recent Dem
ocratic County Convention. All who
Were present, (including the reporter)
know that | was misquoted, but
whether Intentionally or not will let
the electors of Lemhi county decide;
while you are making up your verdict
you will please bear in mind the fact
that the gentleman who reported the
proceedings Of the convention is my
political opponent.
Instead of the remarks quoted,
made use of the following language,
which | am prepared to prove by del
egates and a number of gentlemen
who happened to be present: Ladies
are ineligible to the office of county
superintendent in this territory. |
hope some competent person will be
nominated who, if elected, will pay
some little attention to the duties of
the position, rs it is one of the most
important offices in the county. If
women were eligible / would be in
favor of nominating lady for the
position. The above remarks were
made by me on the occasion referred
to. Can any lady take exceptions to
them? Surely not. The reporter and
every person present knew what
meant when / said that | hoped some
one would be nominated who would,
if elected, pay some little attention
to the duties of the office.
Nearly every State and Territory
have number of lady county super
intendests who are very efficient
officers, and | for one, have no obiec-
tions to that office being held BY a
competent lady; and | am prepared
to prove that it was my intention to
use my influence to have some lady
nominated for that office; but few
days before the meeting of the CON
vention, | found by examining the
Revised Statutes of Idaho that women,
not (females,) were ineligible, and
when my friend, Mr.. George Wentz,
nominated lady, | thought it my
duty to inform the gentlemen of the
convention that ladies were Ineligible
as | knew that no lady would accept
the nomination knowing that she
could not legally hold the office if
elected. | know of no good reason
why ladies, not (females) as quoted,
should be debarred from the privilege
of holding the office of county super
intendent; and in my opinion it was
an oversight of the gentlemen who
composed the committee appointed
by Governor Stevenson to revise the
statutes Of the Territory, and I am
glad to know that | am not alone in
this opinion.
Some of my friends may wonder
why | sent this letter out of the coun-
ty for publication. My reason for not
requesting the Recorder man to pub
lish it is because | was afraid that
my manuscript would be tempered
with and my language misconstrued.
| hope that it will not again become
necessary for me to write in self de-
Tense. If | find 1t obligatory to lie
or resort to any low tricks in order to
secure my election / shall withdraw
at once, and as ms worthy opponent
is a preacher there is no danger OF
him STOPPING to anything petty or
mean during the campaign.
The lady, Tor gentleman in Salmon
who was accessory to the writing of
the quotation from the Declaration of
Independently says '.instead of ma
king such an - of himself, etc.
| have written a much longer letter
than | intended to when started out
and will close by asking the readers
of this how | would look in harness
with the author of "An Open Letter"
(the Salmon City gentleman who be-
longs to the same genus homo.) for
my mate? A. G. PORTER.
Lemhi Agency, Idaho, Sept. II.
p. 5. Since writing the above i
have learned from a reliable source
that some jealous Republicans are
circulating the report that / have
withdrawn. | hereby inform my
Democratic friends that | am still a
candidate and will be until the polls
close on November 9th 1888. | am
too good Democrat to Withdraw
after accepting the nomination I'll