The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-01-05
Arrea THE eovHaNoR.
a. @. Cunningham Gives His Side Of
the Morgan Matter

tor OF the lpader ON llcc lth, lfV4
Governor Fergusons interview with q.
correspondent OF Kansas City pa
per ut Guthrie was put tlished On
readlng This interview as Governor
Ferguson had maize an uuwaranted
assault upon me [ wrote asking rci
mission 10 answer that interview
This was accorded me ard ! prepare.
and forwarded a statement ON Dec
2sd. The fines has not published my
statement Being only desircus thar
the people IF oklahoma shoulc know
the truth N this controversy. have
the honor t. forward you copy .of my
communication tc the Times. aud ask
that you give me courtesy or space for
its publication. A. c. cunnir CHAM.
I have the honor to submit stale
ment for publication IN answer to
statements contained in an Interview
had between a correspondent of the
Kansas City Times and Governor Fer
guson. touching the appointment Of
Dick Morgan TO be register OF the
Woodward land onioe. There is con
tained ia that interview number OF
misstatements which for the beneAt
Of ali concerned desire to correct
First-The Governor says, THAT the
@. A. R. post at this place was offend
cd at him for not endorsing mo for reg
lister Of the land office at Woodward" :"
This IS not true. The members Of
the bar az his plroe drew petition
addressed TO b. s Mcclure. Oklaho
mas delegate to congress, asking him
to endorse me for the position This
was done without II y knowledge AT
er this petition had been handed me
a considerable nnmner Of our leading
men signed it and forwarded it TO
the Hon b. s. Mcclure Mr. Healy
had been dead hut a few days, and
I did not then. nor do ] now, belong
to that class Of individuals who be-
lieye in using the baked meats OF
the funeral for the wedding feast"
was not the only old soldier APP
plioant In all, II / recollect Alright
there were about eleven candidates
for this place, all citizens of this land
district, any oae og whom was thor
oughly capable of performing The du-
ties of this position not me especial.
ly. for had no more right 10 IT than
49,, ~fkn, ,at. lt1ntr =. bf Ifvao IL, fha
district. except indrr that old Repub-
lean saw which saws. where an old
soldier is an applicant for a position.
and possesses qualifications equal with
that Of other applicants. he 70 to be
preferred" Tht above rule has long
since ceased to interest the old sol
dlur. as ;hey know there is nothing
in t.
The idea that Governor Ferguson
did not have absolute control Of this
position, is absurd AS early as Oc-
ioter the 2end / received lote rfrom
a very prominent Oklahoma Republi.
can. who stated 20 me that the secre-
tary Of the interior said to him in
a conversation upon this very appoint
ment that he wcdd not entertain the
endorsen.e .ent q j. 6. MoSuirt Of qny
one fer this place. but that al appoint
ment would fc How tho endorsen. .ent OF
Governor Ferguson So much for
Ferguson'g denial Of controlling tha.
patronage Governor Ferguson wen
knew that he controlled the patronage
that came throneh the interior depart.
ment long before his reception Of the
letter from The sccretIVy he mentions
In his intervitw with the correspond
ent. Let me quote The governor a
moment q! never owed Dick Norsar
a political or other debt H. my life, and
endorsed him so,ely because though
he was he best man for the place.
That means that Of the eleven candi-
dates living in he land district, not
one was competent 10 III the pos
fion. although quite number nf them
are professional men, and have han
guson make M his miad that Nor
gan was he only eligible man lor T.,
place? Surely not after ne received
that letter from the secretary asking
him TO endorse some one, for ] have
in my possession a letter from T 3.
Ferguson TO a friend Of mine at Wood.
ward dated Nov 18th 1904 in which
he says THE gentleman whom 1
have endorsed is well qualified for the
place, and some two years ago / tol
him that II ! ever had an opportunity
10 be OF service to him that : would
be glad 10 comply with any reasonable
request that he might make. He de
sired this appointment and endorsed
him. Very truly yours. T. b. Fergu-
son
And vat FQroueou owed no dahte tn|