The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-07-02
W|NCF|fLD DE-
CL|N[S TO SERVE

! George Wingfeld, who had been ten
dered the appointment of United
States Senator by Governor Oddie, to
fill the seat made vacant by the death
of Senator George S. Nixon, Yesterday
declined the honor in the following
+ letter:
Reno, Nevada, July l, 1912.
1 Hon. T. l.. Oddie, Governor of the
I State of Nevada, Carson City, New.
My Dear Governor: In my letter of
June 13 acknowledging your kindly
action in designating me to be a
| United States senator to fill the vac
ancy caused by the death of Senator
Nixon, / indicated reasons which made
impossible the acceptance of the
] honorable commission. Those reasons
embraced considerations affecting not
only the inevitable appeal to personal
ambition, but that deeper and wider
aspect of the situation which would
determine the truly patriotic course of
action under the circumstances.
My survey of the wide field of
thought which your tender of the Office
thus opened has led me to the con-
clusion that l cannot accept this great
Office at the present time, in justice to
the state, to it's people or to myself.
| | feel that it is due not only to you,
but to all the people of tn estate, that
my reasons for declining this great of
fee should be clearly shown.
! While the industries of Nevada are
few in number, as compared with those
of more populous states yet the poten-
! tial possibilities of mining and agri-
culture in Nevada are hardly second
to those of any Of it's sister states. To
bring these possibilities to fruition and
realization is a work of magnitude,pos-
sible only to those who by experience,
euipment and observation have devel-
oped the means of successful achieve
ment. The satisfactory performance
of the duties of senatorship may be
found in many directions, but the de-
velopment of the industries of an en-
pire of 10000 square miles is reserv-
ed to few, as the history of business
enterprise and the lives of individuals
will show. 1t is surely pardonable for
me to allude to the fact that / have
been an instrument in the development
of several of the states industries of
greatest magnitude, from which the
state has derived much material bene-
| fit.
OcV6lOpIueuC Oh RESOURCES.
! 1t is at this point / wish to make
very plain the fact that / have been
merely an instrument, acting conjoint-
| ly with others, in the development of
our resources. Few great industries
have been individually financed, but
the financial strength of all enter
prises usually clusters around an indi-
vidual. Outside capital necessary to
! ! H. H. 49, ~
stands ready at all times to be invoked
by those who hold the countersign and
password. Large amounts of money
have in the past been invested in Ne
vada by capitalists outside the state
in enterprises with which / am identi-
! fed, and this because it was known
! that these enterprises were receiving
the constant, daily attention of my
self and those expert and capable per-
sons with whom / have been fortunate
enough to surround myself | speak
with abundant knowledge when / say
that large amounts of outside capital
are ready for investment in Nevada at
any time that the right word is spoken,
and it is known that such investments
will be properly safeguarded, as SINH
lar investments have been sateguarded
eating business propositions within the
state and am employing large num-
ber of experts to aid in such investi-
cations, and when any business ven-
ture of promise is thus disclosed l am
in the fortunate position of being able
to command the capital necessary to it's
development | could not thus serve
the state without being personally
present at all times. 1t must be an
parent that / cannot, at this time and
} on short notice, leave somewhat unpro-
tected large investments of capital in
duced solely on the theory that they
should receive my constant and undi-
vided attention.; ncr would it be patri-
otic for me to sacrifice to the state
facilities for acquiring future invest
ments of capital and the further de-
velopment of the industries of Neva-
da merely for the sake of gratifying a
personal ambition however attractive
it may be.
These considerations lead me to the
sincere conviction that | can serve the
state better in a private than in an of
fetal capacity; that by remaining in
private life for a longer time | can
bring to the state greater benefits in
the direction of stimulating industry
and helping in the development of its
eat resources. | am a great and sin
ccre believer in the state of Nevada;
in its ability to support great popula-
ton, and in the possibility of its max
ing contributions to the wealth of the
nation and the world greater than the
vast contributions it has already made.
| believe that my associations and my
self can aid powerfully in the achieve
ment of such results, but only by con
stant application and the sacrifice Of
personal ambition and comfort.
A Stong Inducement.
The appeal to personal ambition EN-
bodied in your tender of this great of
fee IS naturally very strong. No one
can he unmindful of the Importance
and dignity of the United States senat
orship, of the personal advantages and
A. - A