Graham guardian., 1900-10-12
AN OPEN LETTER TO MARK A.
SMITH.

seems 10 nave Mlleu, tne gravity
of the situation and the interest
and general good of the Democrat
ic party compel me to address you
proposing these terms of settle
ment of this unfortunate dispute:
lst. l propose and hereby agree
to submit this matter to the Terri
torial Secretary, to whom it must
finally go to decide which of us is
the regular nominee of the Demo
cratic party, and which irregular,
and if his decision shall be in your
favor shall at once withdraw and
take the field for you, and vice
versa.
End. If he should decide that
we are both nominees and both
should go on the ticket, as the Col
orado case indicates, he may, then
] will draw lots or "fip a coin"
with you as to which shall with
draw and take the field for the
other.
3rd. If to neither of these you
agree, then l propose that you and
/ both quit the field and allow the
two committees to Immediately as
semble and select a candidate for
the party, one who has not been
actively engaged in this dispute,
and you and | go actively in the
the field for his election.
Ihope for an immediate reply.
Very respectfully,
]. +. WILSON.
When the above was written we
do not believe that Col. Wilson
thought it would be seriously con-
sidered by Mr.. Smith, for it was
owing to Col. Wilson's action that
the conference he speaks of failed.
This conference was arranged to
| take place between the two candi-
dates, for the settlement of the dis
pute, at Prescott on Sunday, Sept.
30th, and Mr. Smith telegraphed
| Col. Wilson that he would arrive
in Phoenix on Friday and accomp-
ianv him to Prescott the next day.
When Mr.. Smith arrived in PhG-
nix Col. Wilson was Just starting
for Kingman where he opened his
campaign on the night previous to
the day set for the conference, thus
making settlement in that way
impossible. Had this conference
taken place the solid democracy O
. the territory would, in all proba
!. bility, be following one leader tC
: victory.
After making the conference i'm
possible Col. Wilson makes propo
sitions which, to our mind, are ex
c tremely absurd, and seem to hav,
T been made as "play to the gal
! leries," for they were sent through
9 out the entire territory for publ
= cation.
AS a good democrat, it would be
q impossible for Mr.. Smith to con
, slider proposition No. /. 1t is no
at all likely that the democrats o
4 this territory are foolish enough
, to allow a republican of the rank
est kind to make their nomination
for Congress. This Col. Wilson
knew when he made the proposi
ton and Mr.. Smith would do tn,
party wrong to accept. If re
publican is to make the democrati,
nomination why not have submit
g tod it to the republican conven
: tioni
Mr.. Smith would be exceedingly
foolish to accept proposition No. 2
q Why should he gamble for some
Q something that is already honest
ly and fairly his? We do no
o believe there is man in the terri
:. tory who knows anything abou
Il the convention and is not blinde,
O by prejudice, who will say Mar
!. Smith is not the regular part
nominee.
Il The third and last propositio
, made by Col, Wilson seems t
D have been in view at the time hi
2 supporters held their rump cor
: vention and nominated him, fo
2 ten more members were electe
9 on his committee than were cleo
Y ed on the regular territorial den
p ocratic central committe and
. now appears that this number wa
3 elected to meet this very contil
2 gency. Should Mr.. Smith col
2 slider the last proposition it woul
9 be like two disputants settlin
:, their quarrel by arbitration an
. the man with the best case ALLOW