Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-05-09
WfTHDRAWS AS CANDIDATE FOR
THE SENATORsHIP
BUT STILL RECEIVES VOTES
Announcement Comes 60 Suddenly
That Followers Have no Time TO
Make up Their Minds Which Way
to Go-DeadIock Still on, How
ever.

last night WlLu0reW from the race III |
United States senator to succeed /
John c. Spooner. His supporters had |
no time to make up their minds and |
all but two Of them remained voting |
for Mr.. Lenroot Senator Hudnall Of
Superior went to ex-senator Hatten, |
and ]. P. Peterson went to Isaac
Stephenson. Mr.. Lenroot's letter of
withdrawal was read after the first
ballot Of the night had been taken in
the republican caucus. 1t is as fol
lows:
Letter of Withdrawal.
"To the republican legislative eau
Gus:
Gentlemen The outcome of the
present senatorial contest is Of vital
Importance to the state Of Wisconsin
and the country at large.
"The public good should be the first
consideration. For it is the duty OF
every individual to give way, and II
need be sacrifice personal ambition.
A proIonging of this contest greatly
interferes with important Legislation
and may endanger the selection OF
any man who can, or will assist Pres !
ident Roosevelt and Senator La Fol |
lette in the great contest for repre-
sentative government now going on ia
this country.
During my political career | have
fought consistently and earnestly for
the principles of our party in this
state. | have no right now to place
personal ambition higher than the
success of those principles In the
present deadlock it is plain that some
candidate must give way Some one
must take the initiative. Therefore,
in the hope that my action may aid
in bringing about the selection OF
some man who will creditably repre-
sent the progressive movement in our
state and nation, l request my friends
to no longer consider my name as
candidate, and use their best, indie
pendent judgment in selecting some
other man.
"Tn taking this course | have made
no combination with any other candi-
date nor has any been made in my
behalf, and | have not sought, and
will not seek to influence the action
of my friends other than to urge
them to do what they believe will be
for the best interests of the state.
a will say farther that this action
is taken without the knowledge of
any of the other candidates or their
supporters nor have l been influenced
bv the desires of any of them, or from
any other source in their behalf.
81 cannot sufficiently express my
gratitude to my friends for the warm,
earnest and loyal support that they
have given me, and sincerely hope
that a selection may be made that
will be a credit to the republican
party and for the best good of the
state
Announcement a Surprise.
The announcement came as a sur
prise. Apparently no one outside of
the LenroOt camp had any suspicion
of this move Even the supporters Of
Mr. Lenroot appeared to be at sea
during the rest of the caucus and ap-
peared not to have considered what
they would do in the event of such
action. for all but two of the LenrOOt
men continued to vote for him
throughout the other three ballots. On
the next ballot after the announce
ment, Senator Hudnall, who had voted
for Mr. LenrOot from the first, voted
for Mr. Hatten. On the second bal
lot after the withdrawal. Assembly
man J. P. Peterson, who also had vot-
ed for Mr.. Lcnroot from the begin
ming. voted for Isaac Stephenson.
Senator Stonda'I a Lenroot man,
was the first to move that the caucus
adjourn. but his motion was voted
down. But later, when the adjourn
ment was taken, the Lenroot men met
in Speaker Ekern's office to hold
conference. What was decided upon
at tits conference, or whether any
thing was agreed upon, is not known.
There was no indication last night as
to what the Lenroot men will do 70
day in the joint convention of the
two houses.
Not a Final Solution.
This does not solve the situation,
however. There will be more changes
in the ballots during the next few
days, until Lenroots supporters get
distributed among the other camps
Most of them are expected to 50 TO
MI Stephenson. When all the Len
root people were present he had 10
votes, which is not enough to control
the nomination for any candidate if
they would swing over in a body The
situation, therefore. has changed sim,
ply from q deadlock between five car
didates to a deadlock of four candi-
dates. Fifty-four ballots have now
been taken in the republican caucus.
Four Ballots Taken.