Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-03-21
ARISES TO REMARK
Does MIR. Grafton to Rcrute an lmputa
tion Publicly Made.

myself right before the kepuDllcanS OF
Washington County. AS is pretty gen.
orally known now, l want to go to st.
Louis to help represent the Fifteenth
District in the National Convention.
My announcement was made by the
Marietta Register, March 1ith, 1896, in
tho following vigorous style:
But whether the delegate shall be
from this county or some other, the
Register has some sentiment in the
matter and it is this: that the man to
be thus honored shall be known pri-
marily and always as a Mckinley man.
More than this, that be shall be known
as personally related to him in friend
ly relations. In this county we have
such man in the person of Col. r. l..
Nye, who served as comrade in the
army, was made a member of his staff
when he was elected Governor and
whose selection could not but be agree
able TO the Republicans of this county
and to Gov. Mckinley himself.
"As to Mr.. Grafton, who seeks the
honor, no objections would be raised
to him as gentleman and Republican,
but he cannot meet the requirements
we have indicated above, and the
friends of Gov. Mckinley insist that
Col. Nye be presented as Washington
County's candidate for delegate to St.
Louis'
While did not exactly suggest this
sort of an announcement, accept it
and agree to every line of it down to
where my Register friend says "But
he can not meet the requirements WE
haye indicated above" ETC.; meaning,
of course, that have not been known
primarily and always as Mckinley
man." This assertion or implication,
every Republican who knows me,
knows to be utterly false, and no one
knows it better than the Editor of the
Marietta Register. Prior to the ap-
pearance of this unfair and uncalled
for editorial l was not a candidate to
the extent that l would not have with
drawn in favor of my friend and neigh
Dor, Col. Nye, or any other good Re-
publican. In other words, if Col. Nye
had spoken to me prior to my "an-
nouncement" in the Register, would
have gladly stepped down and out,
thus escaping the ugly charge of the
Register, as one ''who seeks the honor"
and the implication that have not al
ways been loyal to Mckinley.
AS the matter now stands, having
been so charged by the Marietta Regis
ter, must, in justice to myself, make
every honorable effort to secure my
election, and thus yindicate myself
with the loyal Republicans in the
country precincts, where, as result of
my not having mixed in politics to any
extent, | am not as we'll known politi-
cally as l otherwise would be, and to
this end the following facts must be
made public:
Some time ago gentleman from Col
umbus close to Mckinley, called on me
and urged that come out as candi-
date for delegate to the National Con-
vention. This I would not agree to do.
and so stated to the gentleman, until
would be assured byCol. Nye that he
would not be candidate. l saw the
Col. the day after the interview men,
toned above and he was emphatic in
his assurance that he would not be a
candidate, and that he would support
me. This the Col. admits now, but
says at the time he promised me his
support he thought the Convention
would be held in San Francisco and
that he had a right to change his mind
etc. After getting Col Nye's assurance
that he would support me l spoke to
Mr.. E. r, Alderman, of the Marietta
Register, asking him if he would sup
port me. His reply was 81 don't know
whether will or not" My reply was
Perhaps you are candidate yourself"
His answer to this was maybe 1 am"
Harrison at this time had not with
drawn.
Now as to whether the concluding
lines of what Mr.. Alderman evidently
considered my ''quietus" viz. "And the
friends of Gov Mckinley insist that
Col. Nye be presented as Washington
County's candidate for delegate to st.
Louis be true, or that the editor of the
Marietta Register constituting himself
and staff as the Republican party
of Washington Co., therefore the ONLY
friends of Gov Mckinley, merely as
serts it, remains to be proven, as will
be done by the vote of the delegation
we send to Zanesyille whether it be
chosen by Primaries, Mass Convention
or by the Executive and Central Com
mittees.
If true, and the delegation selected
prefers Col. Nye, or any other good |
Republican to myself, will not be a
candidate before the District Conyen-
ton, but will do all in my power to
help select as delegate to St. Louis, any
one that our delegation may agree up
on, and in either or any event / will
still be as l always have been, and as
believe every Republican in Wash
ington County is, for Mckinley first.