Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-03-05

s. B. Cook has withdrawn from the
race for nomination for Congressman
from the Ninth District.
The official announcement of this
was given to a reporter for the LED
E this Tuesday by Mr.. Cook him.
self, who said:
81 was willing to become a candi-
date under the circumstances hat l
be permitted to have an opportunity
to secure the nomination in the regu-
lar way, believing that the contest
between Democratic candidates should
and would be settled without a
BILE. and without the expenditure of a
sum of money that would embarrass
any of us. I have always said that l
would not be a candidate If it was
necessary to make a scramble Tor the
nomination.
SIN my Judgment it would require
the thorough organization of the dis
trict to defeat the Republican nomi-
nee in November. / am not willing
to make two expensive fights to Sc
cure the possibility OF a seat in Con-
eress. Two years ago Mr.. Clark was
| given the denomination for a second
term without any opposition. He was
thus virtually enabled to name the
| Congressional Committee.
ssThis committee, composed, in part,
of Post Office appointees of MI.
| Clark, has seen fit to depart from the
time-honored precedent of the party,
and, in disregard of the rights of the
various counties, has called a general
district primary for the 18th of April.
This primary is set at such a time as
to positively prevent the possibility
of half a vote being cast in the eastern
| counties of the district. Fol- instance,
in st. Charles County the Congress
ional Primary is set for a day on
which the Democrats of that county,
under a call issued by the County
Committee, meet in County Conven-
ton to select delegates to the State
and Congressional Conventions 1t
would be impossible, of course, to Sc
cure anything like a reasonable turn
out of the voters in the various pre-
cincts while the County Convention
was in session at the county seat.
"This action of the Congressional
Committee is unprecedented in this
district and was earnestly protested
against by every Democrat who wal
present at the meeting of the COM
mittee. / stated to the committee
and ] repeat it now, that the commit
tee could not adopt any rule, how
ever arbitrary, UNJUST and unprece'
dented, that could prevent me from
loyalty supporting the nominee, who
ever he might be.
81 think, in view of the extraordi
nary condition of the district and tn
dangers threatening the party nation
nally, that no Democrat ought to g
into a scramble for the nomination
or into a contest that demands thu
expenditure of money which shoul'
be used in organizing the part.
against the common enemy.
"Had I been permitted to contes
for this nomination in the regula
way, 1 should have been a eandidat
and believe that I would have bee
Nominated without the expenditure Q
a dollar, whenI would have been
a position to have made an aggressiv
campaign against the Republica
nominee, but 1 do not feel, that
Justice to myself and family l shoul
90 into a contest, such as the extra
ordinary action of the Congression'
ICommittee has forced in this oil!
trict."
OUT OF POLITICS.
A dispatch from Jefferson City t
the st. Louis papers to-day stated thu
" an effort was being made in the soutl
o western part of the State to run San
!, uel Baker Cook, Of this city, as a cal
N didate for Secretary of State. AS SOC
y as the report was learned in this city
~ reporter for the LEDGER saw M
Cook and questioned him regarding
81 am not and will not be a cane
date for Secretary of State or q
other political Office" said he, ga
am entirely out of politics, exec
K when 1 can do my party some good