The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-08-13
OPEN LETTER TO OTTO GRETHEN.

My DEAR OTTo:-
[ have read with much interes
your many tributes in the Flicker
tail Flicker and know that you are
only inspired by my political good
as you have assured me many times
in personal letters to me. [ wan
to thank you for your remembrance
of me, both in your paper and the
Democratic platform, in which you
set forth my powers and virtues
very clearly and pleasantly. [ wish
| might return these favors in some
way, but it is impossible for me te
do so, much as I appreciate them
[ know that you have nothing per.
sonal against me. You have tolo
me that many times, both directly
and in correspondence that 1 have
on file. [ know that you are CRATE.
full for the assistance rendered when
you were able to get the townsite
located, and that you would not find
it necessary to scold, were it not
for the fact that [ was not able to
get you the county printing. You
will remember the private letter
you wrote about the first of the
year, in which you applied for the
county printing for your end Of the
county, and stated your ability to
run as good a Republican paper as
any n in cas- you got the goods,
or that your paper was likely to
pass into the hands of some good
Republican friends of mine, which
was largely to the same effect. You
also expressed the belief that if
you got the county printing, it
would be to my political advantage.
[ was much touched by all these
evidences Of your good will, and
would certainly have repaid them
if it was possible. [ feel certain
that you could write and publish
as elegant Republican articles as
you do Democratic, and that you
could support the Republican ticket
just as sincerely as you do the
Democratic ticket, if you got the
goods. But, unfortunately for both
of us, l did not have the goods to
deliver. The Commissioners acted
upon the petition of the people Of
your end of the county, and gave
the printing to the Citizen. With
all the promises of political advant-
age that you set forth so temptingly
[ would have been blind indeed to
my own interests had I not done
something for you, if I had been
able to do so. And if I had all the
power that you give me credit for,
I might have done SO. But you see,
Otto, the officials acted in the inter-
est of the people, as they always
do, and we were left out in the cold.
I am sorry that l was not able
to get the goods for you, for know
if I had done SO, things would have
gone on pleasantly, as of old, and
you would not have found it neces.
sary to have attack me so bitterly.
[ know that you are out for Otto
Grethen, and I see that if you can
not get what you want from the
Republicans, you will seek it from
the Democrats. This proves the
sincerity of your intentions and the
purity Of your motives. [ believe
that if the Democrats of Mclean
county could see the letters you
have written, they would at once
set you up at the head of the party
in Mclean county.
would have held up the printed
matter as you suggested, until you
came and talked it over, but. as I
told you, it was no use. The Com
missioners were determined to act
as the people of your locality re-
quested, and they would not have
listened to me had I spoken to them.
and Of course, 1 could not have
asked them to do anything in op.
position to the wishes of the people
of your section.
R,,t uhon x,o,, plooo mo no the