The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1869-02-05
A Rebuke to Party Malice and the
Vindication of a Good Citizen.
MANIToWoC. January %, 1869.

DEAR SIR-Will you permit the under
signed the use of space enough in the Plot
for the insertion of this communication, the
subject matter of which seems to be of
some public interest, involving, in my
opinion, great personal injustice to one of
our citizens who has hitherto maintained
| the character of an honorable and honest
man?
Presuming your consent, and without
further preface, / will come to the sub,
ject on hand For several successive weeks
past the Manitowoc Tribune has been
heavily freighted with all manner of
charges against the County Board of Su-
pervisors and the County Poor Commits
sioners, charging them with official
misconduct, corruption, theft, bribery and
every other crime known to roguery and
has gone SO far as to single out by name one
Individual member of the Poor Commission
ers, MICHAEL MAHoNEY, Esq, and has,
week after week, with malicious persisten>
cy, ladened its columns with the grossest
charges of moral turpitude official swim
ding and business dishonesty against Mr.
MAHONEY, individually, for proof of which
| refer you to the last four or five issues of
the Tribune, and especially to the issue of
the 2Sth inst, whore you will find no less
than seven separate articles, covering the
best part of whole page, ringing and re,
ringing direct charges of fraud and dishon~
esty, and vilainously, by inuendo, insinu-
ating that Mr. Nj. has committed crimes
worthy only Of the basest Of criminals. OF
the official acts of the respective Boards,
collectively, have nothing to say, at pres
ent. But, of the injustice Of selecting and
singing out one particular man, and he,
from his business position in the commu-
nifty, the most prominent man on either of
the Boards, and consequently the man
most easily and fatally injured in good
name and property, l have something to
say And say first, that for the conduc-
tor Of a newspaper to open his columns and
give place, wholesale, as in this case, to
felonous charges against an old neighbor
who has lived nearly half life time in the
comm unity, with an unblemished reputa-
ton, and make lis paper the organ of per-
sonal viifcation and defamation; and his
press tie engine of destruction to good
name and reputation, that which every
true man holds most dear in life, and pub
lish man thief, without the accused be-
ing heard in his own defence, is simply and
purely devilish.
| But the Tribune may say in reply if MIR.
| MAHoNEY has not been heard in his OVID
defence the fault is his own, he might have
been heard in our columns. In answer to
that | say that the columns of a purely
partisan newspaper, that measures all its
utterances with view to making party
capital, and weighs them with reference to
obtaining party patronage, is not the court
to pass judgment on anybody and especially
on one who is not Of the same political
creed with itself? And Mr.. MAHoNEY' S
course since the commencement Of this
string of libels upon him in remaining si-
lent under them, instead of making against
him, ought to mitigate in his favor; for he
evidently believes in the old and oft re-
peated saying, almost proverb, viz at
is easier to live lie down than to hunt it
down - knowing that the record of near,
ly twenty years of his daily life has been
bare before his neighbors, and that the
| Judgment Of those who know him will am
ply satisfy him. Now, sir, let US see what
that daily life has been.
About the beginning Of the yer 1850
Mr.. MAHONEY came TO Manitowoc he
commenced work as laboring man for
Maj. MCCORMICK, with whom he stayed a
short time then made shingles for PERRY
p. SMITH a few months; then went into
the employ Of K. X. JONES, buying shin
giles and assisting him in his business, in
doors and out, for nearly four years fol
lowed the same business for j. Il. PLATT
& Bro. for four years; was with PLATT,
Villas & Co. for one year; with 0. IL.
PLATT until he failed and was with COL
LINs & Co. short time, having the full
confidence Of each and all of his employ
ers. He then commenced business (about
eight years ago. for himself; was never arr
rested in his life, nor ever charged with any
crime, not even the crime of libel; starting
life bare handed, and with the savings of
long years Of industrious toll, prudently
guarded and invested in merchandise, has
built himself up prosperous business, and
established credit equal to that Of any
man in the village OF Manitowoc.
Now [ submit that such is not the record
of thief, swindler, or corrupt, dishon-
est man; and say that he, or they, who
designedly, heedlessly and persistently la
Dor to destroy the good namo, tame and
reputation Of such man, should net be al
lowed to 60 unwhipt of justice but should
be made to feel the grip OF the iron fngers
of the law, and should he held up to pub
| lie scorn as the vile slanderer whom Pol
LOCK characterizes as the ''foulest whelp