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


We took occasion week before last to
animadvert severely upon Major James
NJ. Bowler, of Renville county, for an in
terview in the Minneapolis Journal, "a
Republican paper), in which he charged
us very broadly and directly with be-
ing in "the pay Of Jim Hill and the
Republicans"
We do not suppose that Mr.. Hill would
pay five cents for any opinion we might
express in the columns Of this or any
other paper. If Bowler's charge meant
anything it meant that Hill had bought
our vote, as a member of the legislature,
upon an important bill in which he was
interested. This was charging us with
the crime of BRIBERY, the penalty Of
which is term in the penitentiary; and
yet this libeler says he 'admires" lis
very greatly and implies that his attack
upon us was simply piece Of friendly
pleasantly, which ought to have moved
our soul to merriment and gratitude.
We very properly replied to Bowler
that all our votes on all bills were re-
corded in the journals Of the house and
senate; and that if we were corrupt and
In the pay of the corporations the evil
dence was there, in immortal black and
white, and we asked him to put his
finger on that part OF it which sustained
his charge OR attempt to do so. He, Of
course, fails to do so. Some are surpris-
ed that when he replies to us, but was
alleging against us a public crime, a fell
Cny, without the slightest evidence to
sustain the charge and with all the evil
dence of our whole life against it. Now
he asks us to waste our valuable space
by publishing his reply. We would be
justified in throwing his letter out Of the
window, and if we were strong enough,
the writer after it. But we are willing
to treat him more fairly than he has
treated us, and we therefore publish his
communications:
Bird Island, Mimi, Jan. 8, 1898.
To the Representative: l submit to
your readers the question whether Mr..
Donnelly has not done himself a greater
injury than he has me in his two COL
as much on his account as on my own:
for 1 have been his friend and admirer
for many years. He has many noble
qualities Of head and heart, but like all
the rest Of us, he has his failings. He
has done much for mankind for which
he will long be gratefully remembered,
even when the manifestations of his
hasty and violent temper and his lack Of
discretion, have been forgotten. 1t was
because Of this that he and have Diff
fered and come to harsh criticism of
tinued and unjust structures upon Mr.
Owen and others. l tried to stop It,
first by entreaties, then by threats, and
finally by public criticism; but all in
vain except to turn his poisoned shafts
upon myself. 1t may be better so, for
l can better endure them than to see
them showered upon others who do not
SO well deserve them and who refrain
from striking back.
| went to Mr.. Donnelly's home last
spring-not fall, as he says--and be-
sought him to cease his warfare upon
Mr.. Owen and others. Our interview was
cordial, and l dared to hope in a meas
ure successful. I did not then, nor
ever "try to have him abandon the Peo-
pies party and turn Democrat" l did
not want him to do so. l am not a
Democrat myself and never will be so
long as l can be something better. l do
believe, however, that all parties oppos-
ed to the present misgovernment of
goldOcracy should have their conven-
lions at the same time and place. Let
them confer and adopt a platform broad
enough so that all can honorably stand
upon it, and then agree upon the same
candidates. We would then all support
the same ticket, WITHOUT THE
SLIGHTEST SACRIFICE OF PRIN-
CPLE; AND WE WOULD SWEEP THE
COUNTRY. Plutocracy would, Of course
howl Fusion! Fusion!" and it might
drive some of our own men to do like
wise; but we would laugh at them,
Failing to agree upon principles, the
Populists could then go it alone with
ample justification, and would take with
them the silver Republicans and liberal
Democrats and become the leading host
in opposition to the awful power of hui
| man greed as represented by the Repub-
| leans and gold Democrats. To this ex.
! tent am l fusionist and will so re-
main until the Peoples party shall, al
the proper time, fairly and freely ex-
press its will in favor Of different
| course.
1 wish now to state unequivocally that
1 never penned the words, nor expressed
the sentiments contained In the words
attributed to me in the threatening let.
ter" referred to by Mr.. Donnelly in his
late editorial. You have my permission
and request to publish that letter SC
that your readers may know the truth.
| I do not see the pertinency of bring
ing Mr.. Champlin into this controversy
and will not notice it farther than tt
say that the story as related is a quee,