The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-04-26
BALL WRITES TO cRITTENDEN


In view OF recent politicnl histo.
ry in st. Louis, the following let
ter of David A. Ball to former Gov.
Crittendcn, will prove interesting;
Louisiana, Mo-, April II, tg0i.--
Hon. Thomas 7. Crittcndcn, Kan
sas City, NO.; My Dear Governor:
You must pardon me for neglect
ing to answer your letter until now.
! beg to assure you that II was not
through discourtesy. nor for the
want of appreciation. nor was !
hurt mt Its contents. fully rca-
lizcd that you wrote Il because you
believed what you wrote. Your
warm words OF friendship fully re-
licvcd 1t OF any sting. And again
] beg to assure you that no man
stands higher In my affections. for
many acts of kindness, than your
self.
at may be, Governor, that |
made mistake in taking part In
the campaign In st. Louis against
Mr.. Wells and for Mcriwcthcr.
Time only can determine that. But
IL made "a mistake 10 was because
Of my early training In that school
of Democracy that rcpudiatcs Re-
publicanism and refuses to con.
denim the political oiIcnses Of the
boilers and traitor to his party.
Nr. Wells voted the Republican
ticket In 1896, isoS aud 1900. there
by subscribing 10 every principle
advocated by the Republican par
ty, and he openly and boastingly
rcpudiatcd every principle advocat
cd by the Democratic party. On
the other hand, Mcriwcthcr stood
firmly by the Chicago and Kansas
City platforms and voted the DEM
oocratic ticket from Bryan down.
Which of the two Ii n Dcmocratg
Wells not only never rcttactcd any
thing said or done by him In OPP
position to the Democratic party,
both national aud state, but boast-
cd of his act, Mcriwcthcr, at all
times and all places, declared HIM
self n Democrat as announced at
Kansas City. Which of them is a
Democrat? Mr.. Wells would have
been prccluded from voting at any
well regulated primary election In
any county In the state last fall
because by his own acts and utter
anccs he was not and Is not DEM
ocrat. Any Republican could as
well have been permitted to take
part In the nomination OF officers
as he.
"You and have been Democrats
a long time; II all my life. Do you
think either Of US ,ould accept the
Republican nomination for ofiice
and retain our own personal re-
spect, to say nothing Of what 9TH
ers would think and say of usp Yet
Mr.. Wells steps up, after voting tho
entire Republican ticket at least
three times, two years intervening
each time, and accepts the so-call-
ed Democratic nomination. /
think his acceptance was In keep
ing with the manner and means by
which II was obtained. No, Gov
ernor, am Democrat, according
to the standard fxed by Jefferson,
practised by jackson and rcaifirm-
cd both Mt Chicago and Kansas
City. cannot and will not be
measured by the Wells standard
Of Democracy, because / believe
| 1t means to follow Cleveland and
others who undertook to destroy
the party, he and they now are to
get back and attempting to rc.or-
ganize the party by rc-organizing
themselves into Office.
"I may be wrong, Governor, but
my conviction Of right tells me /
am not. and, believing as | do,
shall continue the fight along these
lines, regardless of consequences
and without the hope of reward. ]
have not written half; no not a
hundredth part of what can be said
but ! must not trouble you further.
With best wishes, / am yours
truly. ID. A. BALL"
| D.ouiluul MoKi i..l... 10. 4. .......