The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1896-03-28
Very Sincerely Yours,
w. j. MCCONNELL,
Governor.
Wells to the governor:
Payette, March 16, 1896.


Editor MISUNDERSTANDING to
your favor the 14th inst, asking If
there is any foundation in truth for the
statement now being circulated by the
| governor, to the effect that l have in
some way failed to account to the state
for funds entrusted to me as Worlds
Fair Commissioner, l have to say:
There is no shadow of truth in this &C
cusation.
LMr. Wells then proceeds to make
some explanations respecting time and
manner of receiving information con
tanned in the governors letter, and
quotes the authority given him by the
state board for paying portion of the
money to Senator Shoup. The text of
the boards letter to Wells appears in
Governor McConnell's second letter.
Mr.. Wells continues:
This document is signed by the full
board as above stated and you will OBJ
serve it bears date June Is, 1894"
| nearly year after the close of the fair.
and long after my settlement as com
missioner had been made with the
state and my books and accounts turn
ed over to the proper officer.
1t is true the receiver of the Colum.
bia bank paid me a 30 per cent divi-
dend amounting to $3S5.9O while vet
commissioner, and before | had settled
with the state, which amount you will
find properly rendered in my accounts
now on file with the secretary. The
money have received from the bank
since my retirement from the Office has
been received not as Worlds Fair Com
missioner at all, but rather as an indi-
vidual or agent of the state, acting un.
der the authority Of the Board of Ex-
aminers.
In closing, Mr.. Wells says:
From the above facts, coupled with
concurrent events, it would seem that
ms excellency is shielding himself be-
hlnd the ramparts of high Office while
he makes a cowardly and slanderous
assault upon citizen in private life,
10 gratify petty spleen and for what
ever effect that assault may have in de-
Lerminlng the results of the coming Do
litical campaign in this state.
But what is one to do? Unuuestion.
ably he could be held fer libel, but then
there comes Immediately to mind the
Old adage,, Sue beggar and catch a
louise" and one is compelled to abandon
that line of thought.
have not the prestige of a high of
flee and cannot call around me a horde
of sycOphants and time servers ready to
do my bidding, whatever that NAV be-
l cannot use the telegraph wires at the |
expense of the state to give more rand |
and wider circulation to nv fulmina.
lions; nor have l the means of subsidiz.
ing newspapers at home or abroad |
But unequal as the contest NAV seem |
to be there are two things that are |
largely in my favor, and entirely be. |
yond the reach of the governor. have
a Just cause and tolerably good char
acter to begin with and before this
controversy is ended, if l mistake NOT
his excellency will find there are blows
to take as well as blows to give. and I
commend him to careful husbandrv
OF his resources.
Respectfully,
JAMES M. WELLS.
The governor to Wells:
Capt. J. II. Wells, 'O''
PGyette, idaho.
DEAR SIR-On the 18th day of this
month l addressed to you a letter con
corning the balance due the state from
,he Columbian National Bank. now in
me hands of receiver in Chicago. in
which l asked that you kindly nav anv
balance you may have belonging to the
'tate over to the proper officers. as this
natter has now been standing mnrh
onger than propriety would seem to
permit. have received no answer To
his communication, but l find in the
oayette Independent of the 10Th inst
m open letter addressed to me on that ,
uOlect. l am sorry that You felt called ;
lpon to indulge in "billingsgato" in re-.
lying to an official communicated
Which | attempted to couch i'm hnSi. s
Tess and courteous language In vonr I
atter you quote letter addressed to
GU by the board, directing you to nav
'46S which you had at that time re-, l
elVed from the Columbian National '
sank to Geo. L. Shoup in part payment =
i the sum of 1000 advanced nv tbe
enator last summer to you as Worlds Q
AR commissioner. The letter is as
Hon, J. u, Wells, Late Worlds Fo;,. .
Commissioner, Boise CITY, Idaho. L
SlR-H our letter of even date stat. a