, 1890-07-24
STILL IN THE RING.
All About the Whitman
County Political Row.
BECKER REFUSES TO RESIGN
Full Text of His Staten ent to the
Republicans of the
County.


tween certain members of the Whitman
county republican central committee is
fast assuming new phases and com plea
tons. MIR. Becker, the so-cnllcd de.
posed chairman, refuses to step down
and ont, but is still in the ring. lie pro-
poses TO be the chairman until the mex
convention meets, regardless OF tho fact
that q portion OF the committee lately
saw tit to shelvo him and eject new
man in his place. The serious ch argos
brought against MIR. Becker have aroused
his full spirit of antagonism, which Is
equivalent to saying that the ropub lican
party oi Whitman county Is thrown In
direct contact ith live hornets nest.
The following letter over Mr. Beckers
signature will shortly appear in the
county papers and IL IL given TO the
REVIEW III advance with the assurance
that 1t will prove interesting matter;
To the Republicans of Whitman Coun-
ty; Owing to certain actions takon 10y
some members of the Whitman county
republican central committee at a meet
ing called by order OF one OF the com
mittee July IL, 1890, in declaring the Of
flee OF chairman vac ant, | consider ille-
gal, as IL is done on trumped-up charges,
| am compelled to bring the true facts of
the matter to the public, which | had
not at first intended To do until the
meeting oi the next convention.
The facts are that after the election OF
members to the constitutional conven-
tion inquiries were made us to the
adoption of q method by which the re-
publlcAns OF Whitman county would be
able to come oil victorious in subse-
qucnt elections. | was asked for my
opinion. proposed that in order to cs
taulish confidence in the minds of the
republican voters 1t would he necessary
10 show them that they were
not looked upon as merely vot-
ing caule by combined lot
of tricks tcrs in Colfux anu "A few al lies
outside, whose sole object 1t is TO ga, her
In the loaves and fishes by getting fat
offices for chosen few of their cliques,
and to do that was to let the people OF
the county know that they would have
fair chance in the primaries and con-
vettions and not fix up states for them
and make promises OF goods which could
nos be delivered, by way OF nominating
candidates AS agreed upon, or nominal
ing some good citizen, ony to lie
Knocked out by trCksters at the pools.
Many approved that as being good
theory, but thought il hard To put in
practice. There seemed TO be no one
who would put the bail IN motion. |
hud confidence that II would work, so
when asked If ! would undertake
but as / did not think | would gain
much personally, besides that it would
cost me time and money, besides neg
Letting my private aft iairs, was promised
aid financially, and was even told by
some that il succeeded they would be
with mc--for wonder.
So on or about the 10th OF May, 1850, !
took my own team and visited nearly
two thirds of the precincts In the county,
eX Explained the situation and my theory
of remedying the evil, at an actual ex-
pense out of my own private funds to
| the amount OF SllO, loss OF time twenty
days, worth at least s. per day 500.
| What was accomplished is well known TO
| you. After the conventions were held
and the campaign opened | appealed 20
various parties outside of this county
for financial aid, first TO the state CEN
tral committee, whose chairman in
formed me That $3.50 had been forwarded
to the member OF the state central
com mittse OF Whitman county, with in
structiOns that 1t should be expended n
conjunction with the county committee,
When | called for aid from that mem.
Der, &. L. Chamberlain, he IN formed me
that he had no money until the county
| had been polled, and wanted me to get
him the poll. Bill heads, posters,
tickets and other printing was
ordered by the member Of
| the state central committee
above named, for use in the cam paign,
state as well as county, but all charged
to the county central committee. | col
| leCtcd 1925 from the candidates for the
various offices in this county. Finding
that would not be sufficient, | appealed
to others--Candidates outside the
county, but got responses from none
but watson &. Squire, who sent me two
checks of 500 each, with instructions
that should use It as | thought best for
| the good of he party. That made S62j
all told. Out OF that amount | paid
Siijb to apply on various bills and to
pay expenses of parties while canvassing
the county, and to give aid in certain
precincts in the county, OF which Pa
louise City got $50 alone, and the balance
paid to r. w. Becker for services rem
dered. Here you have the whole deial.
cation and shortage in my accounts.
MIR, +. Z. Connell appealed to me dur
| ing the last campaign for money for the
lekoa Globe, as 1t had been promised
and il 1t would remain neutral. told
| him that Chamberlain held the sack.
With these facts, ! leave you all to
draw your own conclusions as to my
guilt or innocence, and until am pro-
/ nounced guilty by the next republican
county convention | shall consider my
self the chairman of the republican
| county central committee until my sue
| cessor is duly elected, not the chairman
OF tho republican central committee OF
Coliax.
As the Colfax central committee.
through its chairman, has named Aug
ust 2 for the holding OF primaries, 1
shall. in order to save confusion, call
the republican primaries to hold on the
same day, and hope that they will be
attended 10y the republican voters en-
masse The apportionment l do not
| consider Just, as the smaller precincts
are ant not to be represented, ON account
of only one or two being chosen, and
perhaps not able to be present, while in
large towns all are generallyin attend
ance, so that often instead of being
represe ented precincts are misrepre-
sented. The same has been true in
former tcrrit orial conven tons. Parties
that the people did not want there got
there by proxies.
1t is well To remark that these great
lovers of honesty in political affairs, who
have sought to depose me for dis
honesty, did not offer the least bit of
assistance to the chairman in raising
funds for the campaign, but were very
ready to send congratulations to the
most prominent OF the S saGee;s,pl snSuT can
didates. +. w. bECkEb,
Chairman Whitman County Central
Committee.
Chairman Becker has written the
chairman of the state com mittee setting
| forth his claims to recognition. The
result of this political tangle will be
looked for with much interest.
A FIGHT WITH APACHKs.