White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-01
STATEMENT.
Reno, October %, 1914
,ao.I - Navoda.

To the People OF Nevada:
In the month of July, 1910, /
was a resident of Goldfield and assis-
tant district attorney of Esmeralda
county. At such time l contemplated
being a candidate for the Republican
nomination tor the office of attorney
general and during such time dis
cussed my candidacy with n L. X.
Collins, at that time a strong politi-
ed to dissuade me from entering the
fight declaring that Hugh Brown. of
Tonopah, would likely be a candidate
before the primaries and would de-
feat me, as he was very popular.
Nevertheless, | decided to file my APP
plication. On or about the Path of
that month Collins came to my Office
and asked me now | stood In respect
10 the existing membership of
the Nevada Railroad Commission.
told him that | was for their reten-
ton in Office, and If elected | would
vote for their reappointment. Col
lins told me that this was all he
wanted to know and that as Hugh
Brown had not as yet filed for
the primary nomination. such being
my stand on the Nevada Railroad
Commission, he might not enter the
fight. On the 26th day of July Col
Inns called on me In my Office and
said IL was all right. That as my
stand on the Railroad Commission
was what they wanted. Hugh Brown
would not file. / said that sounded
good TO me. Collins then said that
| must put 1t in writing to assure
Hugh Brown and others that the Ne
vada Railroad Commission was safe
in the event that | had no opposition.
%Suspecting no treachery. and without
hesitation. or suspicious of unfriend-
ly motives, ! thereupon wrote the
letter In question.
Within one hour from that time |
learned on the street that Hugh
Brown had filed. | met Collins COM
ing out of the post Office and started
TO talk with him when he stopped me
and said TO come inside. lie closed
the door back OF me. and turning
about said Now we have got you
just where we want YOU. You lay
down, or III publish that letter and
kill you politically for all time
! said. You publish that letter
and | Will tell how you got II. You
have struck the wrong man. There
is nothing in IL but what ! am Will
ing to have published and | defy you
to publish it, There was a good
deal more said among which was that
] proposed TO stay In and make that
fight and publicly declare my stand
on the Railroad Commission from
every platform in the state. This !
did, as the reports of those meetings
will show. When the convention OF
nominees occurred at Carson City, !
Was chairman of the platform COM
mittee. wrote the plank In the plat
form pledging the Republican nomi-
nees to the reappointment of Bartine.
Shaughnessy and Thurtell as the
Railroad Commission. and read the
platform before the convention.
Ny feeling against ugh Brown in
the primary campaign of 1910 grew
ont of the belief at that time that he
knew of the representations made by
Collins. ] do o so believe now. for
Mr.. Thatcher in his speech at Tono-
pah quotes "A published extract from
a letter found among Collins effects,
the authorship of which he does moi
disclose. and which supplies, at this
late day. the motive of Collins. and
apprises me at last that my feeling
against Mr.. Brown was wholly and
completely unfounded.
Mr.. Thatcher's Interpretation of
my letter in his Tonopah speech. is
neither justified nor uttered in good
faith. wrote the letter honestly,
and under similar circumstances,
would do IL again.
(signed) GEORGE SPRINGMEYER.
Advt.