The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-07-25
MAJOR CoNGER's LAST WORD.

Before taking ship at San FraaGisco,
to return to his post at Peking. Major
Conger, submitted to an interview, pub
lished in last evenings Capitallf He
was asked about the Iowa political situ-
alton, and replied.
must confess that Pm a little sorry
at what has happened. Thinga were not
exactly what had imagined them to be
at home.
You know have never been q candi.
date for the Office of governor Of Iowa.
but tentatively allowing my friends ID
use my name. said when arrived
that if the nomination was rendered me
| would not refuse it, but I would make
no fight for the place.
meant would accept the nomina.
ton If it came unanimously; if the party
and state wanted or needed me. / have
never been candidate on account of
the personal honor. There is not the
unanimous desire that was presented to
me and am sorry that even tentative
~ have allowed my name to be used
so much. have many strong and good
friends in Iowa, but the field is full of
good men, and have never wished to
make fight against any of them.
hope that in allowing my name to be
used as it has | have not sacrificed any
principle or lost any friends. Iowa
does not need me and there is not the
unanlmou ous desire that would have been
the only reason for my accepting the
nomination; if it was made.
It's easy to read beween. the lines
that Major Conger had better ap..
probation than two months ago of who
were and are his real friends in Iowa.
He now realizes the use of his name was
sought by coterie Of politicians, not
out of any friendship for himself, but
solely to achieye the selfish ends of
that coterie. So Major Conger may
we'll say that he is sorry at what has
happened-that things were not as they
were represented to him.
Nothing in the gubernatorial cam.
paign has been so discreditable as the
heartless and unkind use which has
been made on Major Conger something
ne was tricked into permitting. The
thing has fairly reeked!wlth insincerity.
On January % last, in response to a
direct question from Congressman Hull
as to whether he would accept guber.
material nomination, Major Conger
answered that he would, but added that
he would not make a contest for the
place. When he sent this cablegram
Major Conger was not advised as to the
course of Iowa politics, and perhaps
assumed some crisis had arisen which
required him to sink his personal nrefsys
ences. AT the time this aa6legram was
sent and no candidacy sor eosapnor had
been annonncesl.-a
Of the gubernatorial candidates, not
the use of his name until
ten days later. Mr.. Cummins, although
being strongly urged to become candi-
date, had not yet consented. Mary
believe, if the text of the cablegram to
Congressman Hull had been promptly
given to the public, that Major Conger
might have been accepted by both Cum
Minis and anti -Cummins men as an ac-
ceptable compromise cand idate.
But Congressman Hull, although the
gubernatorial matter was in critical
state, kept the contents of the cable
gram secret for two weeks--until after
the Perkins, Cummins and Foster can
didacies had all been announced. Con-
gresham Hull has never given expla-
nation. Others have surmised. Some
have said Mr.. Hull was thinking of
being candidate himself, and in this
event, intended to smother the message;
others have said Mr.. Hull, seeing that
Mr.. Cummins would likely be candi-