Willmar tribune., 1899-07-26

No. "a
bondsmen evidently did some DOW
erful lobbying for their woodchuck,
or rather for their woodchucks. be-
cause they also secured the passage
OF another House Bill havi..S = the
same purpose in view only in q liffer-
ent manner. It all amounts il the
end to the same thing, viz: the re-
lease by thestatute oflimitations the
ofbondsmen, and the loss to theState
OF fifty or sixty thousand dollars.
The bondsmen are doubtless chuck
ling in genuine mirth when they re-
fleet on the State Auditor converting
those assets into cash.
Now we will go a step farther. In
calculating on the possible motives
OF Senator Grue in introducing this
bill, which ought to have been en-
titled can act to squander the States
money! Mr.. Lawson drags the name
Of A. E. Rice into his argument. 1
had no desire to say one word about
theex-Lieut. Governor, but, inasmuch
as Mr.. Lawson has seen fit to men-
tion him as one of the Republicans
who make no secret to him of his
"dislike' to Feig, will say that this
statement hardly jibes with Mr..
Rlce's statements to the Republican
county committee, although I am
we'll aware that Rice was quietly
and effectively knitting where he
could. 1t may he we'll enough for
Reform Lawson to speak of Gov.
Rice as a Republican war horse"
Most OF the loyal, true-blue Republi-
cans OF Kandiyohi county and vicini-
ty have another cognomen for him
since that time. Whether or not MIR.
Rice had an agreement with Grue or
not don't know, nor did I become
aware OF any opposition during the
campaign on his part to Senator
Thorpe, but, this know and firmly
believe, that Rice's efforts to defeat
me also defeated Mr.. Thorpe. And in
this belief do not stand alone. It is
shared by nineteen this of the eintelligent
Republicans of the county. Now mas
much as Mr.. Lawson mentions Rice's
dislike Of me, perhaps a few words
OH that subject would be appro-
pirate. First, Rice doesn't like any
man politically whom he cannot in
fluence and handle. He couldn't
handle and influence ME, consequent
ly his dislike. On all questions of
public policy where my views OF rec
titude coincided with Mr.. Rice's, I
always gladly yielded to him. I
even went little farther than that,
in 1895, and voted in the State con-
ventiOn to nominate Dave ClOugh,
an act of which am heartily asham-
ed and for which apologize to every
loyal Republican in Kandiyobi coun-
ty. Later in the campaign 1 made
earnest solicitations for Mr.. Rice's
pet candidate for governor, and I
modestly believe I got him a few
votes. sincerely hope that all par
ties who on my solicitation changed
their minds and voted for Clough will
forgive me. But there were other
things in which I refused to follow
Mr.. Rice.
For instance, in 1891, he wanted me
to defeat the water-works bill for
Willmar. l refused. In 1896 he
wanted me to vote for Nelson for
U. S. Senator. again refused. But
the climax came at the Republican
county convention in June, 1898. Rice
wanted a Van SAINT delegation, al
though one again for Dave Clough
would have suited him better. BY
an overwhelming majority, under
the leadership of Hon. Andrew Rail-
[son, we frustrated this second at
tempt to give us a dose of Clough.
Whether or not Rice had promised
Clough the Kandiyohi delegation I
do not know;I presume though he
did. But the way the complexion of
that convention was Mr.. Rice was
extremely lucky to go as a delegate
himself.
Had I for moment thought that
the Republican State ticket would
subsequently receive such treatment
from him as it did, should not have
consented to the Willmar compro-
mise by which it was ordained A. E..
Rice should be one of the delegates
from Wlllmar. 1t is the moral de-
feat in this convention that is the
second cause of Rice's "dislike" of
me.
And thirdly, the most potent cause
perhaps of all was that Governor
Rice knew that no bondsmen of the
State Bank would be released if I
again were in the legislature. He
knew that I knew more about this
rotten business than any other man
in the State outside of the parties di-
rectly interested, and he knew also
that l would not, a Ia Grue, become
a tool of his and q few. Others and
assist in skinning the State. This
Gov. Rice knew, and for that reason
someone more tractable had to be
secured. To do certain business YOU
have necessarily got to have the