Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-05
often followed with political passion in
COULDN'T Read 1t.
This state.

this state.
Couldn't Read 1t.
Here Is the letter and it is Academia
that ! have copy Of 1t. I wrote i
with my own hand and as every pru
dent man ought to do submitted Il
to my wife to see what she though
about 1t. She read it with consider
7 able difficulty and said that the only
thing totally wrong about it was tina
nobody could read it. She copied Il
on the typewriter and preserved the
manuscript in my own hand. The date
OF the letter is Sept. 20, 1906.
Here is the letter:
FIT. Dodge, Sept 20, 1906
My Dear GOVERNOR
Your letter came while was Out
on the farm and has not been before
me until now. l think there is every
reason why you and / ought to be per
fectly frank with each other. II
1t true that I have not in times pas,
been in position to help you in your
ambition to be senator. The first
time was under such obligations
70 Governor Gear owing to long and
Intimate friendship that l did not
sympathize with the efforts of your
- ASAAo W PiSNCuC Ills lSIulh W Lllt
senate. When you were first candi
date for governor my sympathies were
with you and the pressure l resisted
was such that L have to this day to
bear the burden Of hatred for not op.
posing your nomination at Cedar Rap.
ids. The second time you were nomi
mated l not only was in favor of it
but l was actively interested in secur-
Ing a united and harmonious party be-
hind you. would have offered no op
position to your third nomination ex.
cept for the fact that l was drawn in
to support Of Mr.. Perkins by your
friends in northwestern Iowa before
the plan of renominating you was de
veloped. Since then, as l told you in
Chicago, just before Christmas,
Z have been looking forward to your
election to the senate with pleasure
unalloyed by any feeling of hostility
So much briefly in reference to your
statement that have always been op
posed to you
Il have expressed to anyone the
opinion that you will not be candi
date against Senator Allison - the
opinion was based upon the fact tina,
IN the last campaign when we had tc
stretch every nerve to prevent the
party from being swamped in the mire
of personal hostility against the head
OF the ticket, assurance was every
where given by me and others and II
am not misinformed by you, that
your reelection BODIED no evil to the
venerable senator but was bona
f1de fight for the Office of governor
I think that it may be fairly said
that If it had been understood that
in the midst of your term your
friends would put you forward tc
harass the old age Of the best be
loved servant the commonwealth has
ever had that campaign, full Of
meanness and bitterness as 1t was
would have become a nauseous exhi
bition of recklessness and malice.
am confirmed in this view by the fac
5 that after the Lection, just before the
holidays, when you were on your way
Washington l had an opportunity tc
talk with you at the Annex in Chicago
on these matters. I expressed to you
you will remember, my good will, an(
the understanding which I had thai
you would not antagonize Senator AL
lfson. You very cordially agreed thai
If Senator Allison, when the time
came, presented himself for re-elec
ton; you would under no circum
stances antagonize him. was gratifiet
by this statement but not surprised
because knew you had given the
same assurance to others. was about
to call upon the Senator and you very
cheerfully authorized me to repeat this
assurance to Senator Allison with
your Christmas greetings.
Ibid this the day following in Du
buque, greatly to the good old mans
delight. Now know nothing that hat
transpired to alter your attitude towart
him and If under the circumstances
have expressed the opinion that yor
will not be found arrayed against him
in what promises to be an Acrimonious
struggle, it is because took the gen
eral spirit of the last campaign anc
this Christmas interview with you as
affording unerring indication of what
your course would be. 1t Is prepos
ferrous to suppose that Senator Allison
is being used by others to defeat you
have been in daily intercourse with
him for the past year and there has
never been an hour when he has not
looked forward to his reelection as tbs
browning event Of his public career
OF course he is an old man and as we
know he has been sick man. All
the more ought we who are younger tc
reverence his years and help him tt
bear his inflrmities.
In the nature Of things this fnnl
honor to him cannot long postpone
your ambition, an ambition which
in common with your more intimate
friends share with and for you. The
senator's announcement was made
not as reported by lying tongues
through my influence but against my
advice and was in the Chicago of1cs
Of the Associated Press two days be
fore my mysterious visit to Dubuque
1 think we ought to let the senator
be the Judge Of whether he is able tc
meet the responsibilities Of his Office
or ought to lay down its cares. Only
those who have worked with hin
know how he is welded to it-hov
fully It occupies his life Under these
circumstances 1t Is not strange tina
he takes a hopeful view Of the pros
poets Of further public service.
49, "A