The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-05-30

most interesting documents of the
present campaign and one which dis.
closes the political duplicity of Harvey
lngham of the Register and Leader
has been issued from Atlantic in the
form of an open letter written by
Charles F. Chase. editor of the Allan.
tic News. The fact is we'll known
that Governor Carroll consulted with
Harvey Ingham relative to the John
Cownie incident and that Mr.. Ingham
concurred with the action which Gov
ernor Carroll took The effort of Ing
ham to discredit Governor Carroll for
following his own advice has placed
Mr.. lngham in an embarrassing posi-
ton. Inghafn is quoted as saying that
he was unsuspectingly made part of
the political conspiracy which was
drawn around Mr.. Cownie. Mr. Chase's
letter follows:
! To Harvey Ingham. Editor:
In the issue of the Register and
Leader of Monday. May 30, 1910. you
accord considerable space to John
Cownie to enable him to give his YER
sion of his dismissal from the state
board of control by Governor Carroll
and the causes which he alleges led
up to that act upon the part of the
governor
The Cownie statement appeared
I without single line of editorial ref
erence thereto and it was thought by
those in possession of the inside facts
of this controversy that you had pub
lished under protest and that you
would gladly drop it from that time
on, but in the issue of the Register
and Leader of Tuesday, May "A, 1910,
you, in your leading editorial, term
the action of Governor Carroll in de-
handing John Cownie's resignation, a
"blunder,'' and in a labored attempt
to convince the people of this state
that Governor Carroll did wrong in
removing Cownie and that they should
consider it in determining whom they
will vote for for governor in the June
primaries.
In that editorial you seem to wish
+ it understood that you and your news
paper endorse John Cownie and that
you consider John Cownie a much
abused individual.
In possession of much concerning
this case that has not yet been given
| to the public, | confess that | was
amazed when / read your editorial,
and the wonder grew that you
DARED, in the light of all the facts
in the case, attempt to throw a pro-
tecting cloak about man whose Of
fetal misdoings have been so fragrant
and SO thoroughly vouched for that
even his friends were compelled to
admit that there was but one thing
for Governor Carroll to do, and that
to remove him if he did not at once
resign.
1t will not be news to you to tell
YOU that there are unpublished chap
tiers in this controversy. No one
knows this better than do you. and it
seems to me that justice to Governor
Carroll and decent regard for the
people of this state who are entitled
to know the truth, compel their publ
cation. In pursuance of the obligation
which rests upon every man to see
that justice is done when public or
private individual is assailed. and feel
ing that the public is entitled to know
/ some of the things which Governor
Carroll is loath to refer to, and which
you, judging by your attempted de-
fence of John Cownie, do not propose
I to publish in your great reform"
/ newspaper, permit me to ask you a
few questions for such enlightenment
as may come to the public by your
answers, or your refusal to answer
/ them.
Before Governor Carroll demanded
4 the resignation Of John Cownie, he in.
vited to his office number of reputa-
BILE citizens of Des Moines for the pur.
4 pose OF showing them the affidavits
/ then in his possession concerning
/ Cownie's acts and consulting with
them in reference to his course OF
action. These gentlemen were con,
/ WINGED by the evidence presented to
them that the good of the state de.
manded that Cownie should be ampu.
tated from the public service; but at
least one of these men insisted that
before the Governor should act he
should call 10 his office number OF
/ publishers of what are known as pro-
4 gressive newspapers, John Cownie
being progressive and having been
! appointed by Governor Cummins), and
that the evidence which had been pre-
sented to them should be presented
to such progressive newspaper pub
fishers and editors. and their opinion
asked as to what the governor should
do under the circumstances My in.
formation is that Governor Carroll fol
lowed the suggestion thus made and
that in pursuance thereof he invited tc
his office GARDNER COWLES, PUB
! Usher OF THE DIES MONIES REG
4 lSTER AND LEADER, and HARVEY
u INGHAM EDITOR OF THE DIES
MONIES REGISTER AND LEADER
and that he read to them, or haG
them read the affidavits then in his
possession, concerning public and pri
vate acts OF the said John Cownie