The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-07-22
Ux.rnorEssIoNAL c6sDuCT.

the fence in the railroad question, popular
opinion having first expressed itself so
strongly that there could no longer be any
possibility yof doubt as TO- which was the
stronger side. Those at all familiar with the
past career of that journal were not at all
surprised at this achievement !; IN fact a per-
Torrance Of that kind was confidently looked
for; any other course than that finally taken
would have occasioned establishments. But
all newspaper readers are neither close OBJ
servers nor accurate judges Of the character
of the journal they may have read for years.
Some men will take a paper upon whose
every page its character, Or rather want Of
character, Is so plainly written that he who
ms may read, and yet they will remain un-
informed as to the true i%nwardness Of such
newspaper until some glaring development
opens their eyes to the faultiness Of their per-
ception. Something of the. kind occurred
when the Nep North Vest a. length sue
ceeded in actually taking sides OF the railroad
question. Among the old subscribers of that
journal was a resident Of Fish creek, a man
prominently identified with the manufacture
ing and commercial interests of his conmun-
ity one who enjoys the respect of an who
know him, whether they share his opinions
or not. This gentleman is an a~nsi-exemp-
Zionist, and when the Ne,o North West came
out in support Of the exemption measure he
did what it is every Subscribers privilege to
do-that is, he wrote to the editor, enclosed
the amount he owed OH subscription, criti-
cised the course taken in the change of pol
icy, and ordered the discontinualce of the
paper. What does the editor do ? Return a
receipt for the money, with perl. APPS a a word
or two of regret at the rupture Of the pleas
ant relations previously existingp Not a bit
it. Such a course is taken only by those who
happen to be gentlemen as well as Journalists,
and the Neav North West man is not included
in this category. - Instead, be takes a, course
in strict Keeping with the character of the
genuine toady, since no can play the
bully so well as your real sycophant. . The
writer of the letter in question had once the
misfortune to be a poor boy; one who had to
pick up his education in the hard school of
CApCAAChSCs "IGAout JnC advantages USSGSSCu
by those who enjoyed, through mo merit Of.
their own, the benefits of academies and col
leges. By sheer force of character, through
integrity, industry and energy he has over
come the obstacles arising from his early tri-
ais, and Is to-day Of fully as much use, is
fully as valuable a member of society as any
of the professional scribblers whose felicity
of expression is their entire stock In trade.
Such is the man who wrote, As. for his let
ter, it showed plain traces of the early disad-
vantage we have alluded to. 1t contained
faults in iorthography and syntax easy of de-
lection to the casual reader. Now what does
the North Vest man do on RECEIPT of this let
ter? Why simply this. Irritated at the loss
of a valuable subscriber, he gives expression
to the pitiful malice of a small soul by pub
fishing the letter s. word, letter and point'' as
it was written, that the writer might be held
up to the ridicule of the public. Could any.
thing be more contemplate than this insult
offered a respectable citizen? Not only is it
an insult offered personally to the writer, but
through him to the entire class who cannot
write with professional elegance. No matter
how intelligent they may be or how pure
their motives, if they can not scribble up to
the North West standard they, must consider
themselves raped over the knuckles, by the
course it takes with the Fish Creek letter, in
a kind Of "don't-meddie-witb your bettsrs"
style.
We are quite wen aware, IL any attempt be
made to reply to the above, that the reply
will take the form Of personal abuse heaped
upon the editor Of this paper; but once more
we shall reafirm our determination to steer
clear Of personalities, unless, as in the above,
the subject treated be personal It its bearings.
The publication of that letter was a personal
offence Of the editor against professional
etiquette, an offence that could not very well
be reproved unless the borders of personal
Journalism were crossed. In the discussions
conducted lately with the North West we
have refrained entirely from personalities,
because the subjects handled were not of q
personal nature but we ask an impartial
public to pass judgment on the course par+
Sa"u W cHo1 JouFHai. rirSt we maintained
that the County Commissioner were remiss
in their duty in having decided to build a
Jail at Deer Lodge instead of Butte. Our
judgment may have been defective. Heaven
kn ~s we are prone to make mistakes; but
those mistakes are always cheeffnlly rectiied
as soon as the error of our ways is pointed
out. Did the North West point ont wherein
we were wrong in the matter of the county
jail9 No; but instead i replied In . fippant
article, to judge from which one would be
apt to think that the editor Of this paper, aud
not the county Jail, was the subject Of dis
c~ussion. 1t had great deal to say concern