St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-01
OF the Infamous IPish-AmerB
can Circular Against
Judge Wilson.
Chairman Campbell Relates
a Confession to Him by
Tom Howard,
Who Says P. H. Rahilly Fury
nished the Circular in
Manuscript.
State Democrats to DiSersg
the Situation To-MoProw +
Afternoon.


Who wrote the Irish-Oraugeman cfE
eular against Judge Wilson in tho
recent campaign9 William NJ Camng
bell, chairman of the Democratic stata
central committee. thinks he knowsJ
but he does not say who the real authoH
is. He thinks the author turks In the
background and tnat to disclose hisl
identity at this time would create AZ
political sensation The following letteS
was made public last evening: y
TO the Editor Of the Globe.
Before the campaign OF 1890 goes witfH
the year into history l deem it 6ttin3
that one chapter of the inside of thai
campaign be given 10 the public. a
The incident Of the famous, or, morei
properly, the infamous 1riSh-Americam
circular which the Republicans sprung
Just before the election. charging Judga
Wilson with being an Orangeman. ia
fresh in the minds of your readere5
They will also recall that, in the eXpOSa
ure | made of it, l charged the patetd
nifty OF it on Thomas Howard, of thiA
city. thought at the time that was
warranted in doing so. A few weekH
after election l was called on by Mira
Howard. who said to me that | WaS
ship OF the circular, and that he had
borne the Odium of the charge until bet
could stand it no longer, ana lie wanteH
to make clean breast of his connectioR
With it. He said lie had written TO thu
author Of it asking him to assume the TeS
Sponsibiliiy of it but that he had rex
ceiyed no answer and that lie did n0a
propose to stand up under it any longeTt
He Said that little while before tho
election II. ii. Rahilly, of Lake City,
came to him here in the city and said
that he had a scheme to defeat Judgd
Wilson; that lie had been In every towd
in the state enlisting lrishmen against
Wilson, and Ire produced the m2nu5
scrip; Of the circular and asked Howard
TO take charge of and secure its Dublic9I
tion at once. Rahilly said that lie had Il
list of names of lrishmen to whom he
wished the circular sent. and who had
told him that they thought it would bel
very effective. lie said that Judge WiEl
son thought he was his friend, but thaB
Wilson had played him false and ha
proposed to get even with him. He aS1
sured Howard that the circular would
defeat Wilson. After some reluctans
demurring, Howard consented to takG
charge of the matter, and did sol
having it printed at the Dispatch
Office and circulated about asI
/ charged After the election RahillY
came to the city, bringing with him thS
figures Of the vote IN Wabasha countM
for Wilson in 1888 in congress and thosB
for this year, and claimed that the loSS
was due to his influence and that the
election OF Merriam was due TO the ciEI
cular. At that time, Howard said, hd
begged Rahilly to publicly assume tho
responsibility for the circular and reS
lleye him of the odium, but that RaY
hily refused, saying that it would RUM
him if he did. Howard said that ha
would prepare a written statement on
the matter and publish it in tew-dayGd
Not hearing from him, on the 10th inst!
| wrote him, reminding him of his
promise. and that | had waited vainlV
for his performance of it; that regar6
ed the matter as one OF public nOments
and hoped that lie would fulfill his prom3
Use, and relieve Inc from the necessity Of
making his statement to me public. I'd
this have received no reply Z
1t is now in order for Mr.. Rahilly tq
clear his skirts of the responsibility OF
this dastardly attack OH his friend and
also make also Il clean breast of 1t. IL
is clear that ne is not the real authOrOrf
at least, that he was materially aided in
the composition.
| feel that it is due to tie party, to
the public and myself to give the in-
formation | have been able to gather
relative to this most dsreputable methOb
of winning a political victory.
ST Paul, Dec. 81
w. M. CAMPBELL,
Chairman Dem. State Committee.
Mr.. Rahily has been in attendance att
the Alliance convention, but he did
not appear at last nights session and
could not be found by GLOBE reporters
sent out to look him up, and print WHAT
ever he might have to say.