Morris tribune., 1916-11-03
VOLSTEAD REFUTES
ROORBACK CHARGE
Spooner Gives Out the Report
Senator Nelson Stands by
Volstead

the interests OF this district In the
matter of the legislation concerning
the transfer of the Morris Indian
School to the State of Minnesota for
an agricultural school. Last week he
finally gave the story to the Willmar
Tribune and now the Prohibitionists
and Democrats are circulating it in
dustriously.
Spooner's story never sounded rea-
sonable anyway, but we will net COM
ment further on the story itself for
Congressman Volstead effectively dis
poses Of the whole matter in the fol-
lowing letter, and Senator Nelson con-
firms what he says. But the spirit
which Mr.. Spooner displays in the
matter has been entirely one-sided so
far as Mr.. VoIstead was concerned,
and in letter published in The Nor
ris Tribune on July 28th, Congress-
man Volstead in reviewing this same
matter, and mentioning the work done
by himself and Senator Clapp, added
this paragraph: "Aside from the
members of the House and Senate who
participated in the passage of this
legislation, Hon. L. C. Spooner was
especially solicitous to procure it and
took very active part with others in
having the state accept the grant. "
Mr.. Volstead's reply to the Spoon
er story, as sent to the Willmar
Tribune, is as follows
Granite Falls, Minnesota.
Oct. %, 1916.
Editor, Willmar Tribune,
Willmar, Minnesota.
Dear Sir
AS you have seen fit to publish a
scurrilous attack upon me in the form
OF letter from l.. C. Spooner, ask
that you give space to the following
reply.
am not surprised at Mr.. Spooner's
letter. 1t is only repetition of a
SANDER that Mr.. Spooner has been
circulating for some years. He has at
last had the courage to come out
into the open. The gravemen of
the charge is that l opposed grant
ing the Morris Indian school to the
State, and still claim credit Tor nav
ing been instrumental in securing it.
When this charge was limited at
this summer in the Hancock Record
nv, orkor+ioyo 1uoo ooIloJ RI ~ %bov,
took the article to Senator Clapp and
in substance told him I had been in
formed that he was in measure to
blame for the story and that l was
not going to permit anyone to mis-
represent me in that fashion. He
TOLD me that he did not recollect the
circumstances and suggested that
look up the records and make state
ment in regard to the matter. l told
him would and that should put the
statement into the Congressional Re-
cord. The statement was prepared
from the official records and shown to
Senator Clapp who, after reading it
over carefully, said he was satisfied it
was correct. | sent copy of that
statement to the Hancock Record and
to several people in Morris. Not
long afterwards l was informed that
Mr.. Spooner had written Senator
Clapp in regard to it inquiring if it
was correct. Senator Clapp then
had one of his clerks go over the
official record very carefully and
wrote Spooner to the effect that my
statement was correct. In this state
ment called attention to the fact
that Senator Clapp, Congressman F.
C. Stevens, C. A. Lindbergh and
others would recall the circumstances.
If Mr.. Spooner had tried to be fair he
could have secured truthful state
ment from these parties. Hon F.
c. Stevens only few weeks ago
while speaking at Morris explained
my share in securing the school and
fully sustained the claims that l have
made in regard to it.
Mr.. Spooner's letter contains a
number of statements that seem
strange. We are told that this In
dian school was an injury to western
Minnesota and that he therefore de-
termined to get rid of it.
Why it was an injury does not ap-
pear. The secretary of Interior had
in an official report made long before
Mr.. Spooner became interested in the
matter, expressed his judgment that
several of the nonreservation schools
like this at Morris was not needed and
might be dispense with. Great minds
you see agree though for different
reasons. Mr.. Spooner after coming to
this determination says he correspond
ed with the Secretary of Interior and
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
and that this correspondence resulted
in an arrangement to have the Com