The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-05-07
LETTER FROM A. R.ALLEN
WORCESTERSHIRE AGUE
DUEA AND BOWEN
WOULD HAVE MEETING
Submits Plan For Elimination
Convention In Second Con-
gressionaI District

Fairmont, Mimi, May 3. 1920-Hon
Sivert B. Duea, Pipestone, Minnesota;
Judge Frank Clague, Redwood Falls
Minnesota, and Captain Ivan Bowen,
Mankato, Minnesota. Gentlemen: Our
conference on April 80, looking to a
possible elimination OF three surplus
republican candidates for congress in
the second congressional district,
which was held in Mr.. Duea's room
in the Saulpaugh Hotel in Mankato,
was terminated by my leaving at 1920
P. M. for Lake Crystal by car to ad-
dress a meeting previously advertis-
ed. Before my departure you had each
expressed your belief that an elImln-
alton is necessary so that three of US
should retire from the field and one
continue his campaign for the repub-
lican nomination, in order to defeat
the candidate of the Nonpartisan lea
que, which, although generally rec
ognlZed as the enemy Of our party
and Of our country, is permitted by
an unjust primary law, having in al
most every particular an effect the
exact opposite to what the legislature
intended, to file as a republican, and
masquerade as such.
On the contrary, / am of the opin-
ion, and so stated to you all, that in
a fight in the open no candidate of the
Nonpartisan league can this year get
more than twenty per cent of the en-
tire vote; and that, even if we should
all run even, something that is un-
thinkable, we would each have as
many votes as the Nonpartisan.
! then called attention to the I'M
fairness of Mr.. Duea's proposition
contained in his letter to myself
dated March %, 1920, that an elm
nation convention be called upon the
basis of the Burnquist vote at the
general election of 1918, adding to the
delegation from each county five at
large as in state convention, which
adds 112 per, cent to the delegations
of the counties Mr. Deau expects to
Murray and Rock, and adds only about
SO per cent to the delegations from
Martin, Faribault, Blue Earth and
Jackson, none of which, l believe, he
could expect to control, thus giving
him an unfair advantage of about
twenty five votes in the convention
And l told you, as had each of you
before, that l could not be expected
to agree to have the will Of the re-
publicans> Of the district defeated by
an arrangeent so unfair, or to sub
NIT the claims of my own candidacy
to convention so one-sided.
Thereupon, while l stood in the
door in, the act of departing, Judge
Clague agreed to eliminate in con-
vention, the delegates to which were
based in each county, upon the Burn
quist vote; Captain Bowen promptly
expressed his assent; "And you, Mr.
Duea" l asked, awaiting your reply
But Mr.. Duea refused to agree. His
words were in substance:
We'll, I'll have to think it over"
l was about fifteen miles from my
meeting place, the roads were COW
cred with water and mud, and I was
forced to leave, which l did, request
ing you to let me know if anything
was agreed upon among yourselves.
This is Monday, May 3, and l have
had no word from any of you. But il
is rumored that you have reached, and
will attempt to carry out, some agree
ment without my concurrence.
l now propose to you, and to the
republican central committee of the
second congressional district, that II
the committee will call a convention
upon the basis of the late, and of the
approaching state convention, that is
upon the Burnquist vote without del
egates at large, l will meet you all
there. Each shall submit his claims
in an address Of not to exceed TWEEN
ty minutes. after which the conven-
tion shall by ballot decide by a ma
jority of all the votes which one of
us shall remain in the race. agree
to abide by the result, and to support
the choice of the convention. If ]
am not that choice. I will withdraw
my filing as a candidate for the Of
fee.
am sending a duplicate of this
letter to Hon. /. N. Tompkins OF
Mankato, the chairman of the district
committee, and upon your filing with
him like agreement, Mr.. Tompkins
and the committee are authorized to
issue the call for a convention at
such time as shall best suit the con-
venience of the republicans of the
district, and answer the exigencies of
the situation. / am, gentlemen. with
the greatest respect, Yours very
truly, Albert R. Allen.
MARpin Ac NApREN cIrN