Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-09
Miss Cornelia Gregory and I

md q different one for each day Of Il
Il am taking the liberty of sending
a copy of this letter to each Demo
cratic senator.
very respectfully yours, 70
.~ (Signed) JOHN BURKE"
And another from the pen of Colonel
Bloom:
"Washington, Dec. 81, 1914.
Devils Lake. N. D., Dec. rs, 1914.
my dear Sir:--In reference to the
nomination and rejection Of my name,
and the nomination and rejection OF
the name Of my wife, Marjorie j.
Bloom, and the nomination Of Mrs.
Bloom, now before the Senate for con-
lirmation, as postmaster at Devils
Lake:
II am informed that Senator Gronna
is TRYING TO MAKE 1T APPEAR
that the reason Of his opposition to
me is based upon a certain letter he
claims to have in his possession.
When I first learned of this letter |
t~e..egraphed Gronna at his home in
Lakota to give me an opportunity to
meet ANY charges which ANYONE
may make against me. | have been
shown a copy of that letter, which
was procured by a law firm in this
city retained by the lawless element OF
this county, and l pronounce it the
most villainous attack ever conceived
at least so far as my knowledge OF
such things goes.
Es4I challenge any REPUTABLE man
of his own knowledge to say that
am an unfit person to be postmaster
at Devils Lake. l make no claim o.
being an angel, of being any better
than the ordinary human being, bu,
J do claim to be as GOOD as ANY
| MAN who has ever said i'll of me.
and BETTER than the most conspicu'
Gus of them. -.
Ten Year Fight.
II have fought A. j.. Gronna for ten
years-fought him as hard as / knew
how. THAT Is WHY HE OPPOSES
| ME-, and it is the only reason, what
ever he may say or claim to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. l leave it 10
your own sense of justice to estimate
the character, the manhood. or lack
of manhood, of a person who would
attempt to blacken a mans character
without giving him opportunity to be
heard or giving him any chance for
redress. This is what Gronna is at
tempting to do. He knows that | can
act defend myself because | do not
know to whom he has spread his
poison. He wrote me that the letter
would not be published as | do not
want to be the cause of bringing any
sorrow to you or your present fam
ily." Yet he stealthily shows it around
and Uses it as a basis of his opposi-
ton to me among people who do not
Know me and wnom | may never see.
A COPY of that letter was shown to
every man in Devils Lake who would
read it, and yet, at the last election,
when the attitude of GrOnna with ref
erence to the Devils Lake postofice
was made an issue, In spite of the
fact that men on the Republican state
ticket received as high as 315 major
ity, in spite of the united support Oh
the gamblers, piggers and every pur-
chasable vote, Gron1a was defeated
in every ward in the city of Devils
Lake-twenty-fve miles from his own
home, and his Democratic opponent
carried the city by a good majority.
AS a compliment to a radical and un-
compromising Democrat, living in a
city normally 300 majority Republi'
can, | say that is something worth
while. And the people of Devils Lake
KNOW me-have for nearly fourteen
years.
"A petition, circulated by gamblers,
piggers, pool hall owners, defeated
and discredited political bushwhack-
ers, whom the Journal has fought, was
procured protesting against the con-
firmation of both Mrs. Bloom and my
self. Of my own knowledge l know
that a large per cen of those names
we're not only non-residents but non
patrons of the office. Another large
percentage were induced to sign upon
Misrepresentation no fair man would
make, while still others were coerced
into signing.
"But when a petition of 800 OF
Devils Lakes best citizens, men and
women, everyone of whom is a patron
and a resident, was sent to Washing
ton, a telegram was sent to Gronna
that it was on the way and he i'm
mediately got busy to have the NOM
nation rejected before the petition
reached the committee on postotfices
and p%ostrOads.
Never Hurt Gronna.
"As to Mrs. Bloom: Aside from
simply being introduced to her. Gronna
cannot truthfully say that she is either
personally obnoxious or Objectionable
to him. She has never done anything