The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-03
LAMBS SCHEME
TO RAISE. FUND
BRINGS MIDDLE
Old Time G.. o. P. Leader
Gets Appeal Based on
Dakotan's Plan

w AA"h b"NS iAcV W u AASAN AhN@A
esting situation at Grand Rapids,
Mich, related in the following style
by The Grand Rapids News:
Someone in the permanent head
quarters Of the Democratic national
committee, .429-441 Woodward build
ing, Washington, got the wires
crossed. Surely nothing less serious
than crossed wires would cause the
national Democrats to appeal to an
Old-time Republican national COM
mitteeman for funds to help make
up the Democratic campaign de-
felt
Yet that was exactly what hap
pened in the case of John w. Blod-
gett. Everyone, who knows anything
at all about national politics, knows
that Mr.. Blodgett was for years the
Republican national committeeman
from Michigan. Yet, about a week
ago he received the following letter
from w. d. Jamison, assistant treas
urer OF the Democratic national
committee in Washington:
MY dear Mr.. Blodgett: l am writ
ing this letter TO tell you story and
to make a special request of you.
"A few days ago J. P. Lamb, a
farmer and business man who lives
at Michigan, N. D., was in the Office
town of 449 people. During our chat
l told him that we still owed $50 900
of our campaign debt. The same
day he got home he wrote me a let
ter in which he says:
When in your Office a few days
ago l was unpleasantly surprised
when | learned that there was still
deficit of about $4,000 in your
treasury. Coming from North Dako-
ia, state that always pays its pro
rata, always has the red lines on the
right side of the ledger, this deficit
proposition rather startles me. Our
worthy president, who has led us to
victory in two campaigns, cannot
help but think that the Democrats
of this great nation are not very
grateful when they allow contracts
long past due to go unpaid. l en-
close draft for $500 to apply on this
Indebtedness, providing you will fin1
159 more people to put up the same
amount or enough to get the ledger
balanced
81 have very carefully prepared a
list of our friends who l know to be
liberal. interested and able each to be
one of the $50 Democrat patriots,
willing to join Mr.. Lamb in his
splendid proposition. take pleasure
in confidently including you. Mr..
Blodgett, IN this especially selected
list of worthy friends of the admins
tration.
while you have, no doubt, been
making an unusual effort to respond
to the Liberty bond and Red Cross
appeals yet this will not make you
lose sight of the importance of get
ting these old debts paid quickly.
Your payments maye be cut up and
extended to suit your convenience,
If necessary.
"As soon as we get the $4,000
made up which is still hanging over
our heads, am going to send vic
tory letter to a number of especially
interested party leaders here, giving
them the names of you men who
proved yourselves such splendid
helpers in this special drive suggest
ed by Mr.. Lamb to clean up our
debts. They will all be nightly
pleased to get this and will be
proud Of the men who make these
real sacrifices in order to clear our
party's good name of this long drawn
out debt.
st enclose a stamped and address
ed envelope for your convenience.
Please give me an immediate reply.
l am sure you will feel honored to be
included in this special 159, and that
you will quickly help us to release
Mr.. Lambs $500. =
II am in q great hurry to get your
reply-thats the reason 1 am put
ting a special delivery stamp on my
personal return envelope.
Sincerely yours,
"W. D. JAMESON.
"P. 81. E. Rubel Of Chicago
and J. H. Hecht of Charles City, Ia.
Just happened in. / told them about
Mr. Lamb and these special letters.
Each of them gave $500 to start the
ball rolling as they said. So you
see they are at the head of this VIC
tory list, and now we only need 157
more. s. w. ID. j.
Mr.. 5Iodsett's Reply.
From the summer home in Pride's
Crossing, Mich, Mr.. Blodgett sent
the following reply to Assistant
cratic national committee:
my dear sir-Your special de-
livery letter OF July 10 was forward
ed from Grand Rapids to me here.
You made a most stirring appeal
for contribution to the deficit of
the Democration national campaign
fund. In fact, your letter is classic
IN campaign anu IT'S
receipt is an agreeable relief to the
somber conditions caused by this
world war. d..
81 am especially impressed with
the compliment and confidence i'm
piled in your sentences: I take pleas
ure in confidently including you. Mr..
Blodgett, in this especially selected
list of worthy friends of the admin
istration.'
IF had not always been, and
was not now a Republican of the
most pronounced and rock ribbed
type; if was not utterly opposed to
a tariff for revenue, state rights and
kindred fads; in fact, If ] was not
thoroughly antagonistic to all the
cardinal tenets of the Democratic
party; and IL there were no worthy
charities to support, / should GER
tainly respond to your heart rending
appeal.
JOHN w. BLODGETT."
The incident, as the diplomats so
forcefully remark, may now be con-
sidered closed.
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