The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-07-29
DAVIS DIDN'T FILE.
Says Rush for Office Was Net
Participated in by Him and
Stops the Canard.

"The fact that my declaration of
candidacy for the Republican nomi-
nation for congress in the third dis
trict was the first one filed for that
office, giving my name the first place
on the official primary ballot, is a
matter for which | am under obliga-
ton to Deputy State Insurance Com
missioner j. II. Schively," said Lee
A. Johnson of Sunnyside in Spokane
at the Hotel Victoria. about July
l l sent my declaration to Mr.. Schive-
ly, asking him TO have it placed on
file at the proper time. While | did
not suggest nor intend that he should
do so, Mr.. Schively took the pains 70
have a boy placed in line for the pur-
pose of fling it on the morning the
secretary of state began receiving
declarations. This is the whole story.
To the extent that the newspaper ac-
counts sent ont from Olympia depart
from this statement those accounts
are in error"
The newspaper accounts sent out
from Olympia to which Mr.. Johnson
refers stated that Mr.. Johnson's dec
laration was filed by man placed in
the line by State Senator Link Davis
of Tacoma. Mr.. Johnson says that
Mr. Davis had absolutely nothing 20
do with it. The explanation of how
Schively handled the declaration is
contained in the following letter
from Schively to Mr.. Johnson, under
date of July Is:
Schively's Explanation.
AS some newspaper criticism has
arisen over the different persons who
handed in declarations for the sew
eral candidates, / wish TO state 20
you frankly my connection with the
congressional filings from your dis
triet. On Thursday evening, July 2,
| received your request to place a
representative in line for you as near
the head as possible. Finding the
first place in the line taken. ] put
young Wallace Mount in No. as
your representative. No 8 was then
Immediately taken by the representa-
tive of another candidate who hap
pened to be present, and | then filled
No. for myself On Saturday
evening, July 4, ! received a request
from Mr.. Ludden to secure some one
for him and place him in the line as
near the top as possible. There was
only one way in which ] could COM
ply with Mr.. Ludden's request. which
was to withdraw my own representa-
tive from the line and give Mr.. Lud-
den my place. which did. / did not
know at the time who was repre-
sented by the third man in line.
The morning before the declara-
lions were filed the Morning Olmpian
published quite a lengthy article to
the effect that ii was probable that
the boys in line would be forced out
of their places by men representing
other candidates, and those of us
/ having boys in line Immediately be-
gan to look around for men whom
we could rely upon as being able TO
hold their own should any event re-
quire 1t. happened to secure Mr..
Wilson of tacoma and Mr.. Matson
of Olympia to guard the places for
when | felt responsible. That Mr..
Wilson instead of Mr.. Matson hap
pened to represent you was mere
incident for which no one was re-
sponsible but myself. / might say,
however, that Mr.. Wilson was one of
the managers of Judge Linck, pres
ent mayor of Tacoma, elected on
reform ticket"