Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1863-11-04
RUSSELL M,MNRRAY.


Wef.it seems that we have ''gone aud done
it." Eehave again offended the amIable ed
itors of the Copperhead organ IN this place,
and caused them to wriggle and comfort IN
style that does honor to the snake tribe gen
orally. We confess, however, that We did it
accidentally, and hence claim no particular
credit for this performance. The cause Oh OF
fence was article, in our issue of Oct. 2lst,
in which we exposed the conduct of the New
Washington Election Board, who refused to
allow certain persons to vote who had been
regularly assessed and paid taxes; ;incidentafy
using the name of the Assessor, Mr. Russell
M'Murray. This is construed by these astute
Copperhead editors to be every mean" and
"yinainous assault" upon the Assessor. Here
is what they say =
fsThe last issue Tof the Journall contained
very mean assault upon Mr.Russell VI Murray,
Assessor of New Washington, charging him,
at least by implication, with purposety refusing
TO make timely return of the names OF two
persons on the ssten days" assessment Of that
borough. This assault is viilainouS, simply
because the writer kReU Mr.. M'Murray TO be
one of our most respectable, upright, honest
and conscientious citizens. and no political or
mercenary influence could sway him from the
path of rectitude. Mr.. M'Murray did not re-
fF1Se to make the proper return. This we as
sert on our knowledge of the man. If, how
ever, through negligence, or GRy cause, he
failed to do what the law required OF him, he
is amenabe to the law-but not to n fault-fnd-
ing blackguard newspaper scrbbler.'
That, we should think, was expressing ideas
in the veruacular, and we would consider our
selves precious bad fellows if the charges here
preferred were true. But it so happens that
the allegations of the editors of the copper
head organ are basely false. We did not, e.
ven s'by implication charge Mr.. M'Murray
with ''purposeLy refusing to make timely re-
turns' of the names of certain persons. What
we did say was in these exact words =
s.Ten days before the election number of
| Union men applied to Russell M'Murray, the
Assessor, and were regularly assessed, and
! paid their taxes to the Collector. When they
| came to the polls to vote, they were refused,
| because M'Murray had not returned The lssf TO
The Commissioners eight days before the election
| Two w WoOdwarditeS, @he were en- the same
list, assessed u the same way, were permitted
| tovote.'
Any man, with grain of common sense,
can thus see that we found no fault with Mr..
M'Xurray. We said, in so many words, that
number of persons were ''regaIarty assessed
| by Mr.. NJ Murray, and that when they came to
the polls to vote, they we've refused; By uchoni ?
i By Thomas Mehaffey Reuben Neimen aud Jo-
seph Breth, copperhead Election Board ;
| For uhat reason !? ssBecause Mr.. M'Murray has
not returned the list to the Commissioners
eight days before the election - II was the
action of the Election Roard, in refusing TO al
| low persons to vote who were s.regularly as
| sessed,' that we complained of, and not of
anything Mr.. NJ Murray did or failed to do.
| The charge, by ''implication'' of "purposely
refusing" to make return of the ten-day's as
sessment,was made by the Election Board for
the purpose Of preventing men, justly and le-
gally entitled to vote, from exercising that
right, and the individual who is guilty of dis
4 tortiug our language, as it has been distorted
| by the writer of the article in the last Copper
head organ, and expects his version to he be-
lieved, must place very low estimate upon
the Intelligence of the people of this county.