A weekly dive into the pages of Colorado Politics’ predecessor, The Colorado Statesman, which started in 1898:

Thirty Years Ago This Week: Democrat Aaron Harber who was running for Colorado secretary of state apparently felt the need to eschew his own campaign office space – both literally and figuratively – instead taking to the streets – that is, the streets directly in front of the office of a Republican running for a different office.

Harber held a press conference in the parking lot in front of the John Andrews for Governor office where he encouraged Andrews to give back the $50,000 he received from the Republican National Committee. Harber alleged that the money may have been donated by “bad guy Ken Good” and was therefore tainted.

Listening in from open windows less than 100 yards away, Andrew’s campaign manager Rick Grice and press secretary Mike Kelly seized the moment to harness the attention of the gathered reporters. Like a scene from the Old West, Grice and Kelly waltzed outside and fired back in front of the live mics, accusing Harber of “reaching” and of being Gov. Roy Romer’s “attack dog.”

Not satisfied with this less than stellar result, Harber scheduled another press conference outside of Secretary of State Natalie Meyer’s office on 16th and Lincoln, which only The Colorado Statesman and Channel 5 attended.

Harber seemed visibly flustered when a lawyer came out of the building, wishing him good luck, and then stating matter-of-factly that Meyer was a good secretary of state and her office quite efficient.

Then, as if on cue, another passerby took the opportunity to point out grammatical errors on one of Harber’s supporter’s signs.

Recomposing and unimpeded, Harber shot back, “if you’ve got good arguments,” Harber said, “it doesn’t matter where you present them.”

This time no irate staff members interrupted the press conference, so Harber continued as planned. He charged that Meyer should return $4,000 in savings and loan-related contributions and that “as the state’s election monitor, she should be the first to set a high standard for campaign finances.”

In other news, the gossip around town had it that Republican candidate for state treasurer, Dick Sargent, was having a hard time in getting the state party to uphold its promise to match 50 cents of every dollar Sargent contributed to his campaign.

But Sargent tried to put those rumors to rest, telling The Colorado Statesman that the arrangement had changed and that his assumption was that he’d receive a portion of the proceeds from the recent President George Bush lunch. The lunch was rumored to have raised $900,000 for candidates like U.S. Senate hopeful Hank Brown.

“The state party is quite supportive of what we are doing,” reported Sargent, a Jefferson county investment broker. This was Sargent’s second attempt challenging Democrat incumbent Gail Schoettler.

Sargent said he expected an influx of cash from the state party quite soon to bolster the $30,000 in contributions on his last report to the Secretary of State’s office.

Meanwhile, while Sargent waited for his funds, the Colorado Libertarian Party made a pinch hit switch of their candidate for governor from Robin Heid to David Aitken.

An irate Heid wasn’t mincing words, telling The Colorado Statesman, “I have been denied access to the ballot by a fake judge, and the Colorado Supreme Court is sitting on its ass until it’s too late to do anything.”

Heid’s petition to declare CRS 1-4-801 unconstitutional, which required that the candidates be registered with the nominating party for at least one year, was denied. Heid, a registered Republican, felt it was unconstitutional for the state to regulate a party’s membership.

“This Judge Coyt has no authority according to the Colorado Constitution,” Heid said.

After the Colorado Supreme Court refused to take action on the case, Heid turned his ire on the secretary of state.

“Natalie Meyer is employing the Mussolini theory of politics, which states ‘give me the power to nominate and you can vote for anyone you choose,” Heid said.

Aitken, meanwhile, said he would not be accepting any donations from political action committees and was running under the motto “Every human being has a right to choose.”

Rachael Wright is the author of the Captain Savva Mystery series, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics and the Colorado Springs Gazette.