Fergus County Democrat., 1911-02-21
The Assertion That His Personal
Ambition and Selhshness Stands in
Way of An Election Is Denied.
HE ADVOCATES CAUCUS
In the Hands of His Friends and Sup
porters-Not They in His-Does
Not Insist on Continued Support.

In a statement issued last night,
following the adjournment of the
democratic conference, T. ]. Walsh
virtually released his supporters from
any obligations they might feel they
were under to him by reason of
pledges they had made or by con-
vention instructions, as far as he
might be able to release them from
such position. Il am in the hands
of my friends and supporters-not
they in mne," was the way he ex-
pressed it. His statement in full is
as follows:
at is quite obvious that studied
effort is being made through the pub
lie press and otherwise on the part
Of those responsible for the prevail
ing deadlock to relieve themselves in
the public estimation of the odium
that justly attaches to their position,
by frantic effort to cast it upon my
self. 1t is scarcely to be believed
that any such effort can be even par
TALLY successful.
1T is being industriously circulated
destructive ambition is the only OBJ
stacle to the selection of candidate
upon whom all the members can
unite, and that in some way Or other
| decline to relieve those who have
thus far kindly and, as l believe,
patrotically, given me their support,
from some sort of obligation to me
under which it is assumed they labor.
"The public generally is fairly we'll
informed that from the outset Of this
contest my friends and supporters
have been ready, willing and anxious
to dispose of the matter in the open,
fair, democratic way, by the decision
Of a caucus of the democratic mem
bers.
"a call circulated some time ago
asked for caucus to convene when
signed by ffty-one members. Every
member voting for me signed the call,
but the effort to assemble the caucus
failed for want of the assent of eleven
members, every one of whom save
two was then voting and is still vot-
ing for another gentleman who thus
far has been making no strenuous ef-
fort to settle the controversy by the
determination of a majority of the
members in caucus
w IliC l. ldhC llC pOSllIOH that Tic
pending contest should be determined
by caucus of the members, no dem
ocrat can justly charge me with any
part of the responsibility for the fail
ure to elect 1t must rest upon those
who believe that the minority Of the
members ought to prevail and who
are attempting to control the choice
in opposition to the will of the ma
jority.
My own views and ideas are of
very little consequence, however, ex-
cept as they coincide with that Of the
members who favor me with their
votes.
Their action is in no wise die
tated Or controlled by me. l have no
disposition to exercise any constraint
over those even who have been in
structed by the convention by which
they were nominated or who volun-
tarily pledged themselves to their
constituents. If any declaration from
; me is necessary to permit their entire
freedom of action, it is given here
: and now. | am in the hands OF them
| and their associates who have so gen
) erously and so devotedly supported
ile-llot luSy Ill llllle. IL is uTneCeS-
sary, perhaps, to state
, ''It might not be irrelevant to state
that so far as l have been able to
gather their sentiments they gener-
. ally concur in the views l have here
r expressed, and no disposition has
. been evinced among them to yield to
t any decree, order or suggestion n
I reference to the subject of the sena-
torship, except as it may be express
sive of the will Of the majority OF
] the members charged with the solemn
: duty of representing the people oil
4 the state"