Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-12
PROU1Y IS OUT Of /
Has to Issue a Statement to In.
sist That He Has Civ.
en- Up.
Says That He Will Be a Candi.
date Again Two Years
Hence.
Charges His Opposition With
Fraud-Machine Too Much
for Him.

Special to Times-Republican
Des Moines, May 12.-Judge S. f.
Prouty, who sought to secure the in
dorsement of his county as a congress
sional candidate in the seventh district.
has been compelled by the persistent
use of his name in connection with the
contest to issue a card in which he
makes plain his position at the present
time. He says:
"To the Republicans of the Seventh
District: l have been frequently asked
if l am still a candidate for the nomin-
alton for congress. In reply to same
would say that what I said at the Polk
county convention I in good faith meant
and I hoped that the same would be ac-
cepted as final by my friends. But the
unexpected burning of the ballots and
poll books by the opposition, with It's
clear admission that there were irreg-
ularities so serious that they would not
bear investigation. made it difficult for
my friends to accept the results thus
obtained. And when the voters OF
Story county, without solicitation, and
the face of my public announcement,
gave me their delegation, my friends in
this county and in the neighboring
counties began to besiege me to renew
the contest and give them an oppor-
tunity of helping to right a wrong that
thus became apparent. but l dld not
then feel, nor do I now feel that could
with strict honor do so.
What / said can not be unsaid. A
strong appeal has been made to ME by
friends in the outside counties asking
that I give them an opportunity to
place their stamp of disapproval upon.
the methods resorted to here, but feel
that wrongs can best be righted by
those who know of them best. l prefer
two years from now to give the people
of this county an opportunity to pass
upon the question involved, and will at
that time renew the fight where and in
the ann begun.
II must admit that the I
have received from other counties CIV
me reason to believe that | could Sc
cure the nomination If the fight was
personally taken up by me and waged
vigorously in those counties. This
might crafty, in a measure. my ambi-
ton for a seat in congress, but u
also confess that it would not effectual-
ly accomplish that which induced me to
enter politics. I entered this contest
for the prime purpose of contributing
my mite to the overthrow of an organ
ization in this county that l believed to-
be oppressive INC subversive of good,
wholesale administration of public af-
fairs. had observed that the central
force Of this organization was federal
patronage, and 1 therefore desired to
strike at this organization at it's vital
point. 1 made as strong, clean and hon.
orable a fight in the short time given
me as l knew how to make, but / went
down, as have many others, before
that force, but without a regret on my
part for having made the fight; and
whatever the future may or may not
bring to me personally. 1 w a debt Of
gratitude to the brave and courageous
men that gathered around me in that
struggle without reward, or the hope
thereof, and to the opportunities to NE
continue this fight l have listened
with patience and consideration, but l
sincerely believe that the cause for
which 1 and they labored a best be
served by continuing the fight where
we lost it. l might say in this
ton that I have had strong pressure
brought to bear upon me to run inde-
pendent in case of my failure to secure
tho coordination This I pnl116 NOT for a
moment consider. / am now, and al
ways hav been, a republican and have
accorded to the nominees of my party
my enthusiastic support. I believe that
If there are family wrongs or difficulties
that they can best be righted within the
family, and / have such faith in the in
.egritv and God sense Of TIL masses of
my party that I believe all wrongs that
should be corrected will eventually be
corrected by them. I therefore prefer to
abide my time and sincerely hope that
my friends will abide it with me.
81 admit there are developing import
an. questions and condit ons which Will
soon be before the American congress
for solution, and in which I would be
most glad to a part, but I shall wait.
II might further say to my numerous
friends in the district who have been
so insistent upon my re-entering this
contest that even tho 1 felt justified in
so doing at this time, serious sickness
in my family has and still prevents me
leaving home for any considerable
length of time to engage in such a
contest, and therefore I must say to n
and all that l can not at this time con
tinue the V in the outside coun-
ties. 1 can not make this statement
without a sincere pang of regret on ac-
oun of the generous assurance of SUP
.or that I have received from neigh
boring counties, and to one and all I
must extend my profoundest and sin
cerest thanks. Sincerely,
IS. f. PROUTY."
ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CONVENTION.