Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-26
An Explanation from John T
Galley.


be led into the absurd position of enter
ing into controversy with Mr.. Refugio
Bilderrain, or his friends, but inasmuch
as he has seen fit to set afloat again an
infamous falsehood which he recently
spread around when ran for the Board
Equalization two years ago. deem it
only justice to myself to make state
ment and there let the matter rest.
In the Democratic Convention of 1886,
held in San Francisco, the Board of
Equalization Convention for the Fourth
District met in side room and Bill
derrain was placed in nomination. No
other candidate appearing he was de-
clared nominated. On calling the roll of
counties, however, it was found that two
or three counties were absent from the
Convention. The nomination was then on
motion rescinded, and the whole matter
postponed until the next dav. Just as
the Convention was about to adjourn, a
delegate from Santa Barbara excitedly
asked me if Bilderrain were not the man
who had left Baldwin's assessment off
the assessment roll of Los Angeles
county. l thereupon arose and defended
Bilderrain, and the Convention ad
journed. George s. Patton, Downey
Harvey and Stephen M. White were a.
the time standing beside me, and will
bear me out in the above statement
During the night and hext morning
many delegates came to me and asked
me to become candidate, which I GER
tainly had right to be if saw fit, as 1
was not then, and never have been,
under any obligation to Bilderrain. All
agreed that the story about Baldwin pre-
cluded the possibility of his getting the
nomination. finally went to Bilderrain,
in company with Mr.. Harvey and Mr.
Maxwell, of San Luis Obispo, and
asked him if he was still q can didate.
To this he would give me no direct
answer. l assured him that if he was l
would not enter the fight, but that if be
was not l knew | could be nominated.
Mr.. R. +. del Valle soon after told me
that he would put Bilderrain in nomina-
ton, and that he would thereupon with
draw from the fight.
After the withdrawal of Bilderrain,
Mr.. j. DsBarth Shorb placed me in
nomination, and was nominated by &C.
clamation. The above statement can be
abundantly proven by the records of the
State Central Committee and such gen.
tlemen as White, Shorb, Patton, He'll
man, Workman, and others who were
delegates from this county. The figure
of Mr.. Refugio Bilderrain posing as the
victim of political trickery is enough to
bring smile OF grim humor to the
face of the devil, and certainly
must have afforded much amusement
to old timers, who are acquainted with
his political methods. He went before
the late Democratic Convention as can
didate for Assessor, was fairly beaten !;
and then he and his friends voted and
worked against the man who beat him.
Those who knew Bilderrain expected
nothing else, as the late Democratic nom
inee is not the first Democrat who has
been knitted by Bilderrain and his friends
AS long as Bilderrain contented himself
with lying privately, paid no attention
to him, but when he and his creature,
Dominguez, (whose enmity to me arises
from the fact that he struck. me for
twenty dollars, which, for prudential
reasons, l refused to let him have), paid
no attention to them, but when they have
the temerity to put the same bald lies in
print, / deem it but justice to myself to
make the above statement.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN T. GAFFEY.
Los Angeles, February 25th.