St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-08
The Princeton Editor Wante
a Walk-0ver for Himself
at the Election,
And Offered to Swap an Office
in Advance for a With
draWal.
Price, His Democratic Oppo-
nent, Gives a Few Facts
in the Matter.
Samples Of Republican Gerry
Wandering for Legisla-
tive Purposes.

rOfty-SiAIH Legislative district Is lnSeSLl-
gated the more absurd appears the
much-talked-of contest that is being in
stituted by Hon. Bob Dunn, of Mile
Lacs. few days ago Mr.. Dunn pre-
pared lame defense of his position,
and at his request it was published in
the GLOBE. In this Mr.. Dunn claimed
that Mr., Price had, at various times
during the campaign. desired to with
draw in his Ounn's) interest. While
this has no possible bearing on the mat
ter under dispute, it is at least interest
ing to learn from Mr.. Price, himself,
that he was asked to withdraw by Mr..
Dunn, and for pay at that. Mr.. Dunn,
although running as Republican can
didate for office, Mr.. Price asserts. Of
fered to obtain for him, a Democrat, a
position around the legislature at the
coming session.
What did Mr.. Dunn mean by this
offer?
Simply this, that he was willing to make
dicker by which Democrat running
in his own county would withdraw,
thus making Dunn's election sure, re-
CARELESS of how this proceeding would
affect his fellow Republican candidates.
In letter sent in by Mr.. Price, which
Will be found below. are several Sc
riouS charges in regard to changes
made in the vote of Mile Laos county.
The following lame apology for the
was printed in the Princeton Union,
Mr.. Dunn's paper, last week:
Hon. II. c. Stivers, editor of the Brainerd
journal and mayor of that city, attempts TO
throw discredit on the vote of Mile Laos
county, for the sole purpose of prejudicing
our case and blufiing US out of a contest for
our rights That bluff game won't work, Mr.
Stiyers. We are not one of the kind that
tamely submits to bullying There was not
dishonest vote cast or returned from Mile
Laos county. Mr.. Stivers states what is I'M
qualitedly false when he says twenty votes
were added to the returns from
this county because it was thought
Dunn needed that many to elect
him. At the time the vote in Mile Laos
county was officially canvassed everybody in
Princeton thought Dunn Yves defeated. We
had conceded our defeat twice in the Union,
and nearly one week after the returns from
this county had been officially canvassed.
We were not present at the official canvass.
tabulated statement of the vote of the
county was given us by Auditor VanAlstein's
son. We did not discover any error i'll the
official vote until We scrutinized the table in
the columns OF the Union five days after the
vote had been canyassed. We were the first
person to inform Auditor Van Alstein of the
mistake, and he Immediately corrected it..
The error was made by his son in copying
the returns.
The lameness of this defense is made
more apparent by the dozen or more dis
agreeable filings made at Mr.. Price by
Mr.. Dunn in the same issue of his
paper. as we'll as the abuse poured out
upon the heads of Sheriff Houde, of
Morrison, Hon. Ii. c. Stivers, of Brain
erd, and others, who declined to give
Mr.. Dunn an opportunity to take adj
vantage of technicalitieS at the meet
ing of the canvasSing board of the dis
trict at Little Falls. The tact of the
whole matter is: Mr.. Dunn's friends
gave away the latter's case when they
admitted that E. E. Price received
2,0S6 votes and E. l.. Price 1.417 votes.
while r. G. Dunn received only $500
votes. A printers mistake in Nor
rison county is just exactly
what Mr.. Dunn seeks to take
advantage of. and, however he may
twist and squirm. he cannot get away
from the fact that Auditors Tache.
cans, agreed that the above figures
were correct. AS sample of the per-
sonalities printed in Mr.. Dunn's paper
is the following paragraph, as it APP
peared in the Princeton Union:
E. E. Price, of Foreston. the young man
who received such ''fattering'' vote from
his own county (Mille Lacs) for the legis-
Iature on the Democratic ticket, was in st.
Cloud Sunday.-St. Cloud Journal Press.
The following dignified letter from
Mr.. Price, the gentleman whose seat
Mr.. Dunn so ardently seeks, will explain
several claims set up by Mr. Dunn in his
letter published in the GLOBE Dec 4:
TO the Editor of the Globe:
VIII you be kind enough 10 allow me a
short space in your columns for reply to II.
c. Dunn's letter which appeared in your
issue OF Dec 4. MIR. Dunn states in his let
ter that | repeatedly offered TO withdraw i'll
his favor. If he would leave out the word
repeatedly he would come somewhere near
the truth Mr.. Dunn sent me word to come
down To his place of residence, stating that
he wanted to see me. l went down and in
terviewed him, and this is what he proposed:
IT would withdraw from the ticket he
would write letter of withdrawal for me-
He made use of the statement that he was
sure of his election and told me he would
get me a position IN the house this winter |
had no idea of being elected at the time, and
| told him it would be as he said, for |
had no time nor money to spend on the
election with the chances the way looked at
them and the way he made them appear TO me-
lie agreed to bring the letter of withdrawal
up the coming Friday. This conversation
took place on Saturday. But instead of
bringing it up, as he agreed. he went up to
Brainerd and told II. c. Stivers that | wanted
TO Withdraw. Mr.. Stivers wrote me at once
saying 1t would not do for me to withdraw,
and gave his reasons why | said then that
| would stay on the ticket if l did not get but
fifty votes. Nothing more was said between
MI. Dunn and neon The aboye-stated subject
MIR. Editor, feel rather timid on this sub
1ect. for l am young in political matters
But when a man comes out and makes use
of statement that is untrue, feel like
making reply. If Mr.. Dunn was perfectly
wiling that every vote that was cast for
Price, regardless of initials, should be count
ed for me- why was he at the canvaSsing at
Little Falls with Mr.. Bruckart of st. Cloud.
and Mr.. Rhodes, of Little Fails. 10 fight that
point? | think that Mr.. Dunn's remarks are
superfiuous in regard to his proving to
any falr-mlnded man or men that if the
votes were counted as cast he would have
goodly majority, for believe that every vote
was cast tor him was counted the same. In
Morrison county, where they claim so much
fraud, made inquiry when | was ND at the
canvassing aud couldn't find one that was
there at the election but what said the vote
OF that county was conducted honestly. L
think those who live in glass houses shouldn't
throw stones, for think there was n fraud
perpetrated in Mile Laos county that would
beat them all. 1t looked that way to me, and
think it would 10 any fair-minded man:
when Mr.. Dunn came out in his paper and
gave himself twenty more votes than he re-
ceived in Mile Laos County. and these
twenty votes divided up among the
different precincts. If the mistakes
had all came from one precinct
or even two. it wouldn't have looked so bad;
and think that the extra set of returns that
was sent to Little Falls was the same as
printed by Mr.. Dunn j have said nothing
before or since election until now, and did
not intend 10 say anything until ! read Mr.
Dunn's letter which was published i'll the
GLOBE. | think he is using my name q little
too much for me to keep still and not retail
ate to some of his sayings. 1 feel satisfied
there wouldn't have been ghost of show
for me at the cauvassing which took place ut
Little Falls, had it not been for men who
came to my assistance. / feel truly thankful
TO those men. and if ever the time comes
when can go out and battle for their inter
ests, will Willingly and sincerely do so.
L. Z. PRICE.
Foreston, Mimi. Dec. 5, 1890