Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-06-23
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDACY.
Spicy Letter on the Subject From Joe
Walker He Supports William r.
Edgar, of Ironton.
IRONTON. Mo. June -, 1891.

a charge without foundation as | was
to espouse the cause of my friend Sam
| Byrns, when aspersions were cast upon
| him for his vote on the Speakership.
You did me the honor of copying the
latter in your ably conducted paper. l
ask you to publish this in the same
spirit of fairness.
am informed that It is being charg-
ed in De Soto that when Byrns was
nominated Edgar said, You have nom
mated Byrns: you will have to elect
him. This is untrue. If any man
ought TO know what took place at that
| Convention, l think | am that man.
| The fight of the gathering was upon
the substitute of the majority and
minority reports of the committee on
| credentials. which | and my brother,
Thomas II. Walker. a delegate from
st. Francois county. drew, and which
he offered (the Chairman VIM. F.
Br0adhead. having promised me to
recognize him for that purpose) and Of
fered against the protest Of Burks 10
my brother and of Frank Green TO me-
Edgar was on that committee from Iron
county, being Chairman of the majori-
ty, and spoke for that report and
against the substitute, as did John V.
NOell, A. n. DeMenil. Zach Mitchell
and f. b. Cowan. while the substitute
was championed by the Hon. Joseph
Flynn, of St. Francois, now of Jetfer-
son. the able editor of the G0z6tte, the
Hon. j. NJ. Anthony. of Madison, and
other distinguished gentlemen. besides
the writer. The substitute was adopt
ed, thereby assuring Byrns' nomina-
ton. When the vote was announced,
seating with half vote each the con-
testauts from Ste. Genevieve county
and the 18th ward Of st. Louis, Mr..
Edgar feeling that his county had not
treated him properly IN voting against
MS report, picked up his hat and said
he -.was going home-that he had no
further business there" Naturally, he
felt sore that his county had followed
my lead against his report. | should
have felt SO, too, and should have left.
too. The above is what he said and
did-all that he said and did, and he
said it TO me, in no very good humor
either. | watched him-for | was
fighting him-till he got out of the
hall. and he spoke to no one else.
The man who made use of the express
sion. You Byrns men have nominated
him and will have to elect him." was
John V. NOell, that traitor to Demo
cratic principle, who, for Il disappoint-
ment of personal ambition, has become
an apostle to the faith and joined the
the Republicans. And I enter this, my
protest. against Edgar being charged
with what another did and said.
Another thing. right here. permit
me to say: Had Sam Byrns not written
me that he was not a candidate and |
did not want it." in reply to my letter
asking him 10 run and suggesting how |
10 carry Iron county and asking his |
advice. | would have been for him. |
IRON county would not have had a can
iidate and would have gone for him, /
Dr I'd have broke a trace chain trying. |
am as near Sam Byrns as any man in
his district. l love the mamie is
ny friend and has proven it when |
needed ii. But. when he wrote as he
lid. could not conceive that he meant
Dher than what he said. He is not a
political Jim Blaine, and | would not
INSULT him by suspecting there was a
string to his letter. They are not his
rue friends who asperse his honor and
mpugn his fair fame by the suspicion,
)r assertion that he Is q candidate. OF
course, this does not apply TO him, nor
is IeliOA cIIIEthS WHO tSeiH DeSt "
support him against his will. He not
}eing a candidate and not wanting it,
was free to choose another. and I
nave done so. | am for W. Il. Edgar.
If Iron county, until he Is nominated
md elected, as I sincerely hope and
believe.
Another thing. and | am done. Iron
.ounty Democrats never presented a
lame for state office or for congress
ince the foundation OF the county 80 (
ears ago. We have supported Wayne,
Madison. St. Francois and
county men right along. Let
is look at Jefferson county. Iron
ounty thrice supported Hon. L. T.
Dining now citizen of your county.
or Circuit Judge. once for Attorney
once for the Court of Appeals, |
no its delegates, next Wednesday, will t
gain do SO. Iron county, two years {
go since. cast its every yote-one OF
7hich Mr. Edgar had the right to vote
5 he wouid-for Sam Byrns. Iron {
ounty has sent its delegates to the S
judicial Convention to vote for that f
bic lawyer. great judge and pure man.. 5