Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-04-07
CORRESPONDENCE.

We publish below a letter received
sometime since, but which we have been
unable to publish before, We certainly
have no desire to be guilty Of any injus-
tice to DR.. Reed or any one else, and so
give him the benefit of his explanation.
AS to the question of veracity or memory
between Mr.. Burtch and the Doctor, we
OF course cannot decide, but from the ac-
count Mr.. Burtch gave of their interview,
and we have not the least doubt he re-
ported it just as he remembered it, we
felt fully justified il saying what we did
of it. Doctor Reeds insinuation that his
stopping the paper had anything to do
with our item, is unjust and uncalled for,
as it would have made no difference if he
had kept the paper and said what we IN
derstood he did, and as publicly as he did.
As we wrote to him, So long as We are
engaged in the thankless task of publish
ing Republican paper in Jeffers on
Comfy, we shall indulge in the rather
unscFiptural satisfaction Of hitting back
whenever re are hit, and especially when
the blow comes from those who ought to
be our friends:
Editors Republican
Ny attention has been called to an article in
your paper Of the 4th inst, in which l was re.
ferred to in manner not particularly fatter-
ing. I cannot remember of having said OF
done anything to your agent to merit this no
tice, and [ am confident, as I neither use whis.
key, beer or obacco, that if [ had committed
this breach of civility, as charged, it would
have left some impression on my mind, as
remember the interview with the young man
distinctly, and my impressions of him were ia.
vorable. He was, certainly, gentlemanlys and
polite, and presented his business with me in
manner entirely unexceptionable. In fact
his only business las you know with me was
to collect the amount due you on my gub5crip-
ton TO the REPUBLICAN, which I paid without
comment, not in Clip" but in cash, So far he
met with as good success with me as he did
with Others or as good as he desired. 1t is
true dis continued the paper J. | had a right
to, and for aught any proprietor or agent Of
the REPUBLICAN knows, it was my duty to do
so; but it is never pleasant duty to me to
perform acts of this nature, and therefore il
would be my aim to do it in a manner to of
fend as little as possible. I certainly would
not unnecessarily, to use an old saying, 'tadC
insult to injury" I am charged not only with
giving your agent some Of my Clip but of dc
ing it in such "yulgar and obscene" manner
that knew it would never be published. Thi:
is rather severe charge against a man that
aspires to good society, AID | renew my pro
testations of innocence. The whole story is
improbable and untrue and therefore | am
compelled to say that when your agent, DIR. N
B. Burtch, informed you that l attacked him
(gave him lip in a vulgar and obscene manner
or that attacked him any manner, or you
through him, or your paper, eFento the extent
of one unciyil or disrespectful word, not that
he lies and that he knows it, but that he
strikingly illustrates Mr.. Beecher's new idea
that person may remember and call up whai
meyer happened. Respectfully,
W. W REED.