The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-07-29

Our Local DOOley, with u TrOu.
b1ed Conscience, Charges his
Enemies with Il Conspiracy
That Placed him i'm Office.

Died Conscience, Charges his
Enemies with Il Conspiracy
that Placed him in Office.
Milbank, S. D.. July Is, 1904.
Editor Headlight. Big Stone, S. d.
Sir: My attention has just been called to q
certain item appearing in late issue of your
paper. AS a rule, do not pay any attention to
anything yourself or your paper say about me,
but, as this item Gnquirng how l received my
nomination for clerk of courts, 1904 is of inter-
est to the republicans of Grant county. I will
ssk space in your paper to reply. The following
are the facts and they can be verified by several
parties now active in politics in this county.
Some time during the pre-convention campaign
Of 1900, received, at my postoffice address, Twin
Brooks letter from John W. Lipgett. REQUEST
ing me to meet him at Milbank on the following
Saturday. l had never met Mr.. Liggett but I
was Informed he WAS q candidate for clerk OF
courts the Office to which aspired). decided
to meet him, and notified him accordingly We
met in Messrs. Gamble & Fuller's office, and Mr..
.iggett made the proposition in the following
words:
"Now. Mr. Rabbit, have proposition to
make you. You are aware that there are four
candidates for the Office of clerk of courts Mr.
Bleser, Mr.. Hicks, yourself and l. II we keep on
as we now are and make an independent cam.
paign. it occurs to me, that neither can be nom-
mated. What want to do is this: You release
my friends in Alban township who are pledged
to you, and let us both go into the convention
on an equal footing, that ts, yon will have your
town backing you and let me have my town Of
Alban supporting me, and present my name.
Then in the convention whoever has the smallest
number OF votes of the two will withdraw and
support the man having the most votes.'
l told him that before l could release our
friends in Alban township must consult some
OF my friends, and l accordingly consulted Mr..
Gamble, who was my close personal and political
friend. Mr.. Gamble advised me not to consider
any proposition having for its effect the releasing
of any delegates already pledged to me. l re-
turned and advised Mr.. Liggett that could not
accept that part of his proposition, and we
parted with that understanding, and did not
meet again until the morning of the convention,
when we met under the following circumstances
Mr.. Lambrechts Zone of the delegates, and the
gentleman who was to present my name), and
myself were standing on the west eide of Main
street In the city of Milbank, when we were
accosted by Mr.. Lggett aud Mr.. Moser, Mr..
Moser did all the talking, and this is what he
said
"Mr. Rabbit, it is very true that we from Alban
township have promised to support you, and if
you insist on it we will keep our word and sup
port you. But Mr.. Lggett here is from our
| township, and we would like you to release us
and allow us to vote for him on the first ballot,
then If he has less votes than you, will with
| draw his name and throw all his support TO you,
and. Of course, you understand that you are to
do likewise, in case you have less votes than Mr..
| Liggett on the first ballot"
| then asked Mr.. Liggett if that arrangement
was pleasing to him, and he answered that was
what he wanted all the time. SO l told them
| (Mr. Lggett and Mr. Moser) that accepted the
proposition, and released Albau township, and
! asked Mr. Lambrechts that if did not have as
| many votes as Mr. Liggett to withdraw my name
| and support Liggett. We went into the conven-
| ton, and, if remember right, the following was
| the vote Rabbit, 80; Bleser, 26; Liggett, "a |;
| Hicks, 10-total 90. Then Mr.. Moser withdrew
Mr.. Liggett's name and asked his friends to
support me, with the result that the next
| ballot Rabbit got 81 and Bleser Al. and 1 was
declared the nominee.
will confess that I always felt reasonably
sure that would get more votes on the first
ballot than Mr.. Liggett, even after letting him
have Alban township.
Now, Mr.. Aldrich if there is anything wrong
about this method, blame Mr. Liggett for sug-
gesting it blame Mr.. Smull for originating the
scheme Gas am informed he had promised his
support to both Liggett and me, and this was q
good method to get one of us out Of the way);
blame Messrs. Gamble & Fuller Messrs. Aldrich,
Downie, Moser and Roth for supporting the
arrangement. as they were all aware Of It and
approved of it, but do not blame me, as l did
everything agreed to do.
In justice to Mr.. Bouck would say, he had
nothing whatever to do with that terrible scheme.
as in that year, 1900, he was not taking part in
republican politics, but trying to save the
county by supporting and voting the democratic
ticket. Respectfully,
WILLIAM F, RABBIrr