Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-03
THE ASSISTANT AssEssoRsHIP.

| ieDglny attlcle, concerning the cause oi
your removal ms Assistant Assessor, to-
gether with review of recent Pierce
county, P. litics.. Without impugning
your motives. or your candor, l still find
the article so faulty in point Of fact, that
l request you TO publish this commuuica1
ton. With such portions of the article
MS are devoted to " Prince Horace"
have nothing. to do. He can probably
take care of himself and l will confine
my article to the sulj :ct, of tie removal,
and the correction of some points in your
history Of recent political events id Pierce
county. ~
The article to which alluis asserts
substantially This:
lst. Hon. John Comstock received
the Republican nomination for State Sen
.ator through fraud.
Cd. You were asked 10 sustain this
fraud and refused TO do so, and in this
action, TO use your own language, }
"ihe Republicans sustained us, almost
en- masse." n
Sd. For refusing to sustain this
fraud you were removed from Office.
4th. You give an incorrect statement
of some political history. and charge
that in the faIlof 1865, the Republi
cans denounced my action and defeated
il at the polls.
Now let us examine these allegations
10 the order made. S5
LIST. The charge that Hon. john
Coms:ock was nominated by fraud las
no weight with me. That some believed
il true, do net doubt, but believe he
was fairly nominated and justly entitled
to full party support, and in this view
the great majority of the party concur
red.
I'd. You refused 10 support Mr.. Com
stock and allege that (" Republicans sus,
tanned you almost en- nadsse." IfsfT
Let us see how the facts sustain this.
There are five Republican papers in that
Senate District, and one paper the Pierce
Co. Herald which is Republican in gen.
eral politics and Independent in local
matters, never having supported a straight
Republican ticket. OF these papers,
three, the Hudson Times, the St. Croix
Republican, and the Superior Tribune
sustained John Comstock; one, the Polk
Co. Press, maintained strict neutrality.
Your paper was violent in opposition to
Mr. Comstock, while the Herald Of
course supported the Democratic nom
inee, Mr.. Ives. rs it had done the year
before. r<r
So much for tho party press. Now
let us see whether the party, en- masse,
supported you in your bolt.
Hon. John Comstock, Rep, received
1868 votes; Hon. E. HI. Ives, Derp.,
received 1906 votes. The entire Dem.
ocratic vote OF the District was cast for
Mr.. Ives, that vote ms indicated by the
Democratic vote for Governor was l.
2s7. This leaves 679 Republican votes
cast against Mr.. Comstock to 1858, Re-
publican votes, for HIM. The Republic
can votes against him, rs is ellknown,
were not influenced by charges of fraud,
but by local reasons, pertaining to rail
roads.
Sd. You were never asked by me to
support Mr.. Comstcck for the nomina-
| ton. You were not removed for not
doing so, bit yow acre remoUed for sup
porting tie Democratic nominee for tie
important political office of State .Seaa
tor. There are other reasons, not per
sonal or political, and rejecting nothing
against your character as an officer,
whicl would have uecessi.ated your re
moval, but I am content to let it stand
upon the above ground. en
The fact Of Mr. Ives election affords
no justification of your course. 1t is
always in the poweraof minority of a
patty to defeat that party, by joining
with their opponents. :. Ii Republicans
zen maSse" Joined with you, why not
have supported a Republican, instead Of
going into the camp of the Democracy
for a. lsaderg The reas n is patent =
Supposed local interests were stronger
than party fealty. l know no reason
why the Republicans Of Prescott, your
self included, should not support whom
you please, but | do know that when q
Republican cIitor supports 2 Democratic
nominee for important political office, he
forfeits all claim TO any political patron
age which ] can control. A little OBJ
servation ,nill teach yUu that this is a rule
of general application.
Now before leaving this topic let us
look at Tic personal phase of it. When
you were appointed Assistant Assessor,
the appointment by right belonged to
Hudson, rs being the largest and most
centrally situated town in the Division,
anil paying more revenue than any other.
| obtained your appointment Why
Because |, believe, other things being
equal, that party patronage belongs in a
large degfee TO newspaper men.
Because believe that Pierce county
can give an, adequate support to but one
paper, and that paper, should be at Pres
colt.
Because a portion of the public print
ing which, should have been given to
the JOURNAL was otherwise bestowed,
and gave you the appointment to assist
you in maintaining it upon a firm basis.
You did not ask the appointment.
You had no claim upon it. You bad
been in the District but few months,