Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-11-20
THOMPSoN'S COLT.

any Individual, even WheH uuly W tho
community imposes the task, but We
have never hesitated when the demand
seemed imperative to comment upon
such acts as legitimately came within
the province of q journalist to discuss.
In the present instance, duty to our
self, as we'll as public necessity, re-
quires some reply to the remarks OF
Mr.. Blinn in the council Chamber, at
the close of the late Legislative session,
while motion to confirm the nomina-
ton fer Territorial Auditor was pending
before that body. The member found
occasion to arraign the editor of this
paper on charge of defalcation while
acting as Auditor eight years ago, al
though the SANDER was the subject of
investigation two years ago, and pro-
nounced groundless by the Assembly
which reelected him to the same Office
for the term just expired, Mr.. Blinn,
while denouncing us was very careful
to shield the character, and especially
laud the reputation for honesty, of the
Treasurer who had charge of Territorial
moneys at the time when the alleged
defalcation occurred. Such an adeptin
assimilation was the speaker, that he
appeared totally oblivious OF the fact
that not cent Of public money ever
passes through the. hands of the Auditor,
or could by any possibility have been
appropriated by him without the con-
sent or connivance of its proper custo-
dian. II there was single dollar mis-
applied it was unknown to us, and We
believe the reputation of lifetime will
substantiate this assertion. Our stand
ing in the community is quite as dear to
us as is that of the honorable gentle
man who traduces us--the man who
possesses the means of doing so much
to aid public enterprise and has done
so little. If those who belong to our
station in life had shown as much in
difference in promoting public enter
prise as has Mr.. Blinn, whose worldly
possessions arc separated by humid
reds of thousand of dollars in value,
Olympia to-day would have been a de-
eerted village and the grass would have
grown the entirelength of her principal
thoroughfare.
We defy the most devoted friend of
Mr.. Blinn to point out single enter
prise he has advocated or developed
that has resulted in benefit to the COM
munity. He figured as o large stock
holder in the Olympia-Tenino Railroad,
but the fact was carefully concealed
that his shares were based upon con-
sideration of wildcat land for which
he had no purchaser, and was totally
value!ess tc the corporation he pro:eased
to represent. While others invested
money, labor and property having all
intrinsic value, far beyond the estimated
value of Mr.. Blinns " donation" in
proportion to their means, he declined
10 serve as Director, for fear of individ-
nal responsibility in case the road was
built As an instance of his generosity
We may cite the fact that when selected
to visit Portland for the purpose of con-
ferring with Mr.. Reid on questions of
vital Importance to the enterprise, he
refused to take the company's paper for
his travelling expenses, and demanded
and received dollar contributions from
the Directors, individually, pitiful
sum of twelve dollars, before he would
accept the mission. We have too
much respect for the manhood of
the remainder of the Directors to believe
that any one of them would have made
such q request under similar circum-
stances. We might fill columns detail
ing just such occurrences which infal-
libby portray individual character, but
these will suffice.
In conclusion, we have to say that
since Mr.. Blinn has crawled back to the
Republican fold he has never lost an
opportunity to vent his spleen upon
those with whom he affiliated when he
attempted, by the aid of brass-bands
and steamboats,, bravado and buster,
to electthe Democratic nominee to Con-
gress. his power then, before the peo-
pie, was plainly indicated, and was the
subject Of chagrin to his friends, and
surprise to his enemies. "Thompson's
Colt will long be central figure in the
political history Of on, Territory.
HIS assault upon US, we believe to
hsys been prompted by the malignity
which bigotry inspires, an inability to
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