The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-08-26
Roche Harbor. Washington, /.
August %, 1910.
Edi%,,, c. -. TT

| note in your issue of August
18th, und er the heading of "The
Poindexter Meeting, statement
that Senator Blair, when acting as
chairman of that meeting "denoun-
ced me for casting the vote Of the
San Juan delegation without author
ity,' in the last Republican State
Convention at Tacoma.
1t is difficult for me to believe
that Senator Blair is correctly quot
ed in that article and l hope that
your language does both him and
me an injustice. | have heard moth
ing whatever concerning this mat
ter from any other source except
ing in the article above mentioned.
AS Senator Blair lives in Friday
Harbor, | must assume that he has
seen the article in question, although
have not heard from HIM in any
way in connection herewith, not
Withstanding the fact that have
quite lengthy personal letter from
him under date Of August 10th,
which was three days after the Poin-
dexter meeting. Under these cir
cumstances, while still hoping that
Senator Blair has been misquoted,
| feel justified in asking you to pub
lish this letter as prominently as
you published the original article,
which certainly does me an injus-
tice.
If Senator Blair is correctly quot
ed and if he chooses to quarrel with
the late Republican State Conven-
tion, Of which he himself was an
honored member, that in no way
concerns me personally. That is
certainly his privilege, and the re-
sponsibility. for anything he may
have said, or may hereafter say,
touching that convention and its
is work entirely his.
A brief statement of the facts con-
cerning the San Juan county dele
cation and its relation to that con-
vention will be sufficient to satisfy
any fair minded man that Senator
Blair had no occasion whatever for
the charge which your paper states
he made against me in such "vigor-
Gus language" Of denunciation.
Our late Republican County Con-
vention chose eight delegates to the
Republican State Convention, and of
that number only four were in at
tendance, viz: Senator Blair, Mr..
IW. E. Sutherland, Mr.. L. C. Rudow
and myself. Mr.. Sutherland did
not arrive in Tacoma until the morn
ing of the convention. We met
shortly after his arrival and together
endeavored to locate the rest of the
delegates. We did not find any Of
them, however, until after the con-
vention was in session, when we met
Senator Blair and Mr.. Rudow. By
reference to the record of that con-
vention as published in the daily
press, you will observe that the Gus
tomary temporary organization and
committees were appointed. The
four San Juan delegates sat togeth-
Ter. At Senator Blair's suggestion,
concurred in by the other delegates,
i was appointed member OF the
committee on platform for San Juan
county. Other delegates, by con-
currence, were appointed to places
on other committees. | retired to
the meeting place appointed for the
committee on platform and was de-
tained by service on that committee,
until it was ready to report, about
| the middle Of the afternoon. When
/ returned to the convention hall |
found the other three delegates
there. What happened in the mean
Itime and what votes were cast by
! our delegation in my absence, DO
| not know, but assume that every
thing was done properly and in or
ider, and the same as if had been
present. I have learned Of nothing
T to cause me to complain Of the ac-
ton, or Of any vote cast by the rest
Iof the delegation in my absence.
When the committee on platform
Twas organized at the Tacoma Hotel,
Ea subcommittee of seven was ap-
pointed to draft q platform. ! was
not on that committee and did not
write line or a word in the plat
form. 4 was present, however,
when the sui, committee reported its
lArst draft Of the platform A num-
Iber 81 amendments were offered ~
cor,spittee and some Of them, !
Think were adopted. As the con-
lYe,,fon vas awaitiRg the report ot
M comsnittee. the discussion =,
IIi ttee Was necessarily qulte
M >1a he platform was ordered