Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-09-12
MObbinE the Press.


If there is one thing which is more
dear than another to the American heart,
it is absolute freedom Of speech and
freedom Of the press. And when any
one assails that guardian of the peoples
rights, the newspaper, he calls down up
on his head the righteous indignation of
all honest men. And when any Gesler
attempts to curb the tongue which lash es
his conduct, a host Of American Tells
springs up and will be heard.
And yet dangerous as is the statement,
and more especially dangerous and SEEM
ingly impolitic when coming from a
newspaper, yet we dare say that there are
times when Gesler the tyrant, is justified
in knocking William Tell down and
kicking him into the mud: there are
times when newspaper DIES cends to such
lowness that it can be reached by no law,
that no reparation can be gotten for its
wanton nastincss, aud then it must be
dealt with by the only means that will
reach it-brute force.
A parent or teacher would prefer to
reason with child; but the child Is ut
terly dcpraved and vicious. He must be
thrsahed A man, instead Of making a
fair and manly argument to overthrow
his opponents statements, gets mad and
calls him liar. He must be knocked
down. \ newspaper prints mean aud
dastardly lies and Whites the untarnlshed
character Of good men. 1t must be 81"
leaced. A case of that kind is supposed
to have happened in Austin. 1t is a
known fact that the Republican has will
fully assaulted with its ISLANDERS, ire
proachablc men and women Of Austin.
What remedy has any one? You can't
sue the bankrupt proprietor. Yen
haven't newspaper to answer back
with. The idea of recovering dam
ages from the White Swan is 50 ri
diculous as to be painful. And what re-
NEEDY has man: If the establishment
were worth dollar, the law might avenge
the wanton defamation of your charac-
ter, but with an editor who is perfectly
shameless and amusingly irresponsible,
there is only one way to reach his sensi-
bilities, aud that is through his hide.
Some may think we are saying deal,
but we mean what we say, and when any
one catches the TRANSCRIPT publishing
lying SANDER, we hope the aggrieved
party will kick us from here to Iowa, tor
We shall deserve it.
Now we are writing this for the bene.
fit of a few of our exchanges who are
unacquainted with the Republican and
our troubles here. Fortunately most
of our exchanges know what provocation
has been given by the Republican and
say, "scrvcd him right" But they into
whose hearts the iron has not entered
lift up their hands in horror, and say
"NIobbing the Press. Oh, crime unut
terable!" And they are right, in the alb
stract. We are aware we are treading
on dangerous ground. Understand us
AS long as paper refrains from personal
and s!anderous abuse, even though its ar
guments be tissue of lies from begin
ing to end, we would defend it against
violence. Its editor may be sincere
though sadly mistaken. But when, III ad'
dltion to printing what any man knows
to be untrue, he assails by name good
men, and utters about Them unnecessary
and acilfuzly malicious ISLANDERS, when he
LEAVES the decent falsehood and takes up
the indecent and abusive falsehood, and
when through poverty of the concern
there is no remedy at law, we ask IN the
name of all that is sacred in character
OF all that is dear to and makes that
"good name which IS rather to be chosen
than great riches" in the name Of all
that is sacred and respectable in charac'
ter and in the family, what is the poor
victim to do? What would you do? Un
fortunately common, poor country
newspaper can injure a man, and can do
untold damage when its editor is entirely
lost to decency, and abandoned to the
basest courses, and we know of no re.
medy but one, and that the lowest-a re.
sort to violence.
We have written thus much for the
benefit of our exchanges, and for those
who, being unacquainted with the amount
Of provocation, are very properly fright
ened. And we have said thus much. on
the supposition that the enemy of Hotch
had done this thing-which in fact If
really preposterous.
And though it is not capable as yet OF
absolute and convincing proof, yet We
have enough which we can give, aud
more that we do not choose now to give,
I sufficient to show the great probability
of the deed being a cunnlngly devised
plan of the White Swan.
See here. The type found in the street
and scattered around in slightly profusion
was good type? Oh no! 1t was old and
worthless stuff from the "hell'box," valu
ed at seven cents per pound. The stuff
lost has never been recovered? Oh, yes
by miraculous chances, they walk right
to much of the spoil, like the Daughter
of Egypt to the sleeping Moses in the
bulrushes. And when the river, which
would cffectuallY conceal the whole
thing, is as near as the bank of q swamp
one would think "hostile" would pre-
fer to carry things where they never would
be found, rather than down by our street
sprinkler's pump, right in the way o.
everybody. Then, too, it the parts fth'
machines were really lost, and he never
expected to find them, why have they