The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-04-13
v
More TribuIation.

The paper printed down in the neighborno0o
Jack Selover's underground stable, ana uo'oO>
to warning against vice and corrupl'oo' !.
ing hard time of it. By free d,Sp,"'
winning way it has to make every OoN' -
II - bss dar-;,,od its.If of the County printing
allotted to it. Now it claims tnA' 'ne 'oSs "a
because of its Independence and honesty. Ii ad
mits that. in its support OF harpster ior Com
missioner If lied on John Kirwin, and thinks i
deserved Harpster's support for that reason Il
aIso sors that it distributed large numbers OF
eonies in Harpsters District, before the election
advocating the ticket on which he was a candi.
date. but it omits to state that the circulation
of those copies was the only thing that endang-
cred Harpster's election, and that they lattened
ont every candidate that was engaged in dstrib.
uting them.
In this printing matter, Mr.. Harpster has act
ted not only in selfdefence, as far as his person
al integrity was concerned, but has decided thai
the County shall not, as far as he can prevent it
contribute to the sustenance of sheet that has
earned the reputation of common scold aud O
newspaper termagant-conducted by jaundiced
dyspeptic whose diseased and Jealous imagina-
tion sees trickery and rascality in everything
that transpires around him, and who, every time
he belches, spews the contents of his foul stom.
ach upon those who do not keep time to his pip
ing.
Before the present County Board assumed the
duties of their position, emssaries in the interest
of the Reporter went to consult Mr.. Harpster,
with view of making the Reporter the official
organ of the County, to the utter exclusion OF
the Chief. Mr. Harpster replied, that he was elec-
ted to subserve the interests of the people; that
he was in favor of div iding the printing, as far
as it could be done consistently with the public
interest; that, therefore he was IN favor OF CIV
ing all matters requiring publication for the IN
formation of the people of the County at large,
to the Chief as it was the only paper having
general circulation in the County; but the blank
work and such publications as related exclusively
to the eastern portion of the County, should be
given to the Reporter. We were given the as
sessment blanks, with the understanding that
the price should conform to the proposition made
by drummers from large printing houses, who
offered the blanks almost for nothing, in order
to get to furnish the County with blank books.
The Reporter, of course, raised whine about in
jnstice and unfaIrness. But it did not stop at
this 1t seemed to think that Mr.. Harpster stood
in mortal dread of its wrath and its powerful in
fuence, and that it could bullyrag him into COM
ing to terms, by keeping up fire of abuse upon
him, in season and out of season, month after
month"; as is its style toward every man who re-
fuses to bow to its Dictatorship In its issue just
before the March meeting of the Board, it stepped
far out of its way to grossly insult Mr.. Harpster
In an article upon the Belknap bribery case, it
wound up by asking how much the editor of the
Chief paid the County Commissioners for giving
it all the County printing. As it had previously
stated that it did not expect any favOrs from Mr.
Leland, this thrust was intended for Harpster
alone, and was an intimation that he had taken
a bribe. The Board talked over the matter at
their meeting, but finally concluded to let it go,
with the understanding that if the insult were
repeated, they should withdraw from the Reporter
what they had given in the first place simply as
D favor. All was quiet until the issue before the
April meeting of the Board, when the Reporter
again went out of its way to put an insult direct
V upon Mr.. Harpster. In one of its weekly ii
ades against the Chief, it charged Harpster with
becoming the tool of ring of tricksters, and be-
raging his friends. The Board then made an
rider taking all County printing from the Re-
Orter, giving all publications to the Chief, and
lso the blank work, provided it did the latter at
he same prices charged by the st. Joseph Steam
'rinting Company, which had the contract for
IMPLYING the County with blank books. And
his is what the Reporter calls an attempt to st-
e its independence!
During last Falls canvass, the Chief criticised
be official acts of the old County Board, explic
.ly disclaiming any charge of corruption against
hem. For this, the Board with the connivance
the editor of the Reporter, ordered that no more
'ounty printing be given to the Chief notwith-
landing an agreement existed between the two
apers, and the Reporter had already had its
uota of the work. This was all right and prop
r, in the eyes of the Reporter, and it demanded
Ontinuance of the same order under the new s
oard. But the boot happened to get OH the t
ther leg-hence these tears. a
.