The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-19

mixture Of truth and error, which does
Mr.. Champlin gross injustice and
ascribes to me much more Importance
than the facts warrant. Was it prompt
ed by the fact that In the senatorial con-
test Of 1876 when Mr.. Donnelly was the
fusion candidate, Mr.. Champlin, then
Democratic member Of the legislature.
steadily refused to vote for Mr.. Dom
nelly7
The heated remarks aimed at me per-
sonally fall harmless at my feet. The
man who penned them has long ago
put on record the evidence to refute
them. I may have been at fault in be-
lieving and saying that Mr.. Donnelly is
in the service of Jim Hill and the Re-
publicans. If So time will tell.
The power to remove the suspicion
lies with Mr. Donnelly When he does
so, no one will rejoice more than I, nor
sooner hasten to make reparation for
the injury.
Let me add that my "little game" is
not to become governor in the way in
dictated by Mr.. Donnelly nor in any other
way. I neither expect nor desire to he
candidate for any Office whatever.
Grant me the success of our course and
any good, trusty men for the offices and
l will be content.
]. M. BOWLER,
His compliments do not jibe we'll with
his insults upon us as a bribe-taker, a
hireling of Jim Hill. How can he ex-
press admiration for us if we are such
a creature as he depicts us? He proves
thereby that he does not believe his own
charges.
He refers to S. M. Owen. We have
not said one word against that gentle
for the defence of the Peoples party. All
could not see it at first, but it has now
become as plain as day. He was chair
man of the committee which drew the
plan of organization Of the. new party,
which, as Bowler himself said, was ''to
take the wind out Of the sails of the
Peoples party" If 1t is not high treason
for man, pretending to belong to one
party to seek to build up another party
to supplant it, we know not what high
treason consists of.
Major Bowler says he is in favor Of
the Peoples party holding its convention
at the same time and place as the Demo-
Gratis and free silver Republicans. This
is fusion" This was what was done
are now 5000 Populists where there
were $4,000 year before. And now Ma
jor Bowler thinks we ought to repeat
this instructive experiment.
But he says we should first try to
unite with the Democrats, and then if
they won't unite go 1t alone. Why, Of
course, they would unite and swallow
us alive. And when we have thus COM
mitted suicide what is to prevent them
from conciliating the gold bug element
of their party by secretly giving up free
silver?
IF THEY HAVE DONE RIGHT IN
THE LAST TWO YEARS LET US
KEEP INTACT THE GREAT PARTY
WHICH MADE THEM DO RIGHT.
The major denies that he ever wrote
the letter we referred to. 1t is in our
house at Nininger and we would have to
travel fifty miles to get it, But we
promise to procure it and publish it
within the next 60 days; and in the
meantime the major can possess his
soul in patience
He says our charge against Mr.. Cham
pin was queer mixture of truth and
error" Why did he not tell us what
part was true and what part false? On
this point see the letter of Hon. f. NJ
| Currier in another column. We had
| altogether forgotten how Mr.. Champlin
| voted in 1875; but we do remember that
| in that contest every tool of the rail-
| roads was arrayed against U.s. And
| Champlin, it appears, voted against US
also, although Bowler says we were
then the candidate for United States
| senator.
In saying what we do we dismiss this
controversy. If we had refused the
major a hearing he would have charg-
ed us with unfairness.
We did not invite this personal quar-
rel. We had right to criticise, in a
fair spirit, the men and the policies
which Gas we believed) were destroying
the Peoples party. Our first allegiance
is there. But we made no personal as
sault on Major Bowler. And yet even
our reference to the fact that he was ad-
vocating fusion was regarded by the
major as ''nagging" him, and he re-
torted by the savage and personal attack
we have noted. We would have beer
more than human if we had remained ST.
| lent under such an assault.
| We have no desire to make war OF
Major Bowler. We have nothing more
to say about or against him. We respect
his war record, and he has some excel
lent qualities, but he must not try tc
destroy our good name, as an homes
man. simply because we insist that the