The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-01-05
One of the political developments

\
One of the political developments
of yesterday was, according to The.
st. Paul Dispatch, the ambition of
Attorney General George T.. Sifnp-
son to occupy seat on the Mime
sofa state supreme bench. Twice Mr..
Simpson sought to be elevated and
as many times he was turned down.
The first disappointment came when
he thought himself in Line to be the
successor to the late Justice Edwin
A. Jaggard; the second when Justice
David T. Simpson retired.
1t is taken by those who are in
touch with the situation that his sec
ond refusal so ruffled his spirits as
to make it comparatively easy for
him to permit the publication of an
interview he had with e. L. Smith,
leader Of the republican. organization.
the purport Of which Mr.. Simpson
heretofore has frequently discussed
in private conversation.
Elaborated on Details.
Those who have felt at odds with
the, attorney general have taken the.
! pains to point out that, with each
time he has related the conference
with Mr. Smith, Mr.. Simpson has
elaborated on the details.
1t has been known for some time
that Attorney General Simpson DO.
sired q seat on the supreme bench
nearly as much as he wanted to be
the republican nominee for governor
Just q few days ago he addressed o
letter to Mr. Smith, asking that pres
sure be brought TO bear on Governor
Eberhart 10 have him succeed JUS
tice David F. Simpson. i.
When Justice Jaggard died, Cover
nor Eberhart was in Mankato. One
| of the first calls he had was long
distance telephone message from At
torney General Simpson asking for
the appointment. Governor Eberhart
told him that while he would like
to name him, the place must go to
Ramsey county and that he intended
to appoint as Justice Jaggard's sue
cessor some one from that county.
Put Grease on Track.
Since that time. according to those
close to the administration, Attorney
General Simpson began to put grease
on the track. In a number Of opla-
ions, 1t is said, he went out OF hfs
way to attempt to bring about Gov
ernor Eberhart's political downfall.
The elimination, it is said, was the
visit last August to Mr.. Smith when
he requested the withdrawal Of Gov
ernor Eberhart. f.
Mr.. Simpson has kept quiet tho
name Of the third person who was
| present at the conference, but that
also came to light yesterday. c. q.
Goodrich, president Of the Twin City
Rapid Transit company. a disintAr-
eeted party, sat in at the conference.
He did so purely at tho request Of
Mr.. Simpson. When Attorney Gen
! eral Simpson decided he wanted to-
run for governor and realized DO
! needed Mr.. Smiths Endorsement, be
called UP Mr.. Goodrich and asked
him to arrange meeting with Mr..
Smith.
The program was for Mr.. Simpson
| to call at Mr.. Goodrich's office and
then go over to see Mr.. Smith. When
Mr.. Simpson arrived at Mr.. Good
rich's office, Mr.. Smith WAS there
ahead OF him and the demand that
Eberhart be ditched was made then
and there by Mr.. Simpson. Mr.. Smith
/, refused absolutely to be, party to
the affair.
Discouraged BY J.. J. HllI.
| MI Goodrich took no part In the
| conference, and, when Mr.. Smith an
nounced his decision. Mr.. Simpson
declared that he would retire from
politics. Following this interview
with Mr. Smith, Attorney General
| Simpson reached the decision to re-
sign. In speaking of the matter to
! a political friend, Mr.. Simpson told
him that he had been TO J. j. Hill
and to Arthur Norton OF WinOna in
regard to his possible candidacy be
fore he approached the chairman
of the state central committee. In
both instances he admitted that lie
got no satisfaction.
The next clash with the admins
tration came when Mr. Simpson pre-
sented his resignation. His choice as
successor was Clifford L. Hilton of
Fergus Falls, an assistant in his OF
flee and former schooEnate. Cover
nor Eberhart felt Lyndon A. Smith
was the man for the place. He lives
in the seventh district, and the ap-
pointment was made at a time when
Sam Y. Gordon doomed up stronger
| than lie does now. 1t is said that,
after considerable wrangling, AttoT.
ney General Simpson consented that
Mr.. Smith be appointed.
Wanted Simpsons Place.
When he learned Justice Simpson
would resign, Attorney General Sitar-
son wrote to Mr.. Smith asking him
to get the appointment for him. The
slate was already arranged, however,
as Judge Holt had been picked.
The Eberhart administration be-
lieves it always has treated Mr..
Simpson with due courtesy. In the
campaign textbook Issued for the
last campaign about two.thirds WAS
devoted to the collections Mr.. Sfmp
son had made while in Office.
In some political centers where 1t
was not known that Mr.. Simpson
was twice a candidate for the state
supreme bench. his authorized YER
sion of the Smith interview Is taken
as an indication that no Will be q
candidate for governor.
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