The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-04-07
VIM. Webb Speaks.

In accordance with frequent an
nouncements tina. our columns are al
ways open to a free and fair discussion
of oil questions, We give space to Mr..
Webb in defense of his recent actions at
Good Thunder, which is as follows
To he Editors Of the Free Pres.
In the last issue of your paper you
charge mo with classifying for partisan
purposes certain resolution adopted at
the late farmers meeting ut Good Thun-
der. In another article in the same
paper you say in effect that you conceive
the true mission of a newspaper to be to
accord to each citizen who asks it the
privilege of redressing wrong over his
own signature. I would therefore avail
myself of this generous offer to ask you
to give place in your columns to the
charge above referred to. In the first
place you admit that the original reso
luton did read MankatO Reuieto. and
that it was passed by the convention,
but you say that Mr.. Harlan subse-
quently made motion to amend the
resolution by striking out Mankato
Reriew and inserting "all the papers OF
the County," which you claim was
adopted. Now, from your dissertation
upon parliamentary law infer you are
entirely competent to answer one very
pertinent question, namely, when reso-
luton has been adopted by the conven
ton as you admitted this one was, is u
motion then in order to amend the re-
solution Clearly not; the only way
this could he done would he by the
adoption of motion to reconsider,
which would then bring the resolution
before the convention tor amendment
or rejection. This was not done, and
you do not claim it was done. There
fore from your own showing Mr.. Har
lans' motion. whatever it was could not
have been in the nature OF an amend
ment to the resolution, but was as a
matter of fact an Independent motion,
made as you say after the passage of the
resolution, and it included not "all the
papers in the County" but "all the pa
pers of the Country engaged in oppos-
ing monopOlies." But there is better
way TO settle this matter. am not a
lawyer, but l have read that when
questions arise in courts of justice as to
the contents or meaning of I'M instru-
ment in writing that the instrument it.
self if in existence is the first and best
evidence to determine its real meaning.
| would therefore call upon Mr.. Haigh.
the secretary of the convention for the
publication of the original resolution in
his possession which ought to satisfy all
impartial men as TO its true meaning.
You say was governed in my course
by partisan motives. l am at loss to
know what you mean by this. do not
act and never have acted with the poll
teal party 20 which the editor of the
Reuie,o belongs. l am Republican
now rs have always been. The truth
is the farmers met Mt Good Thunder
without thought of partisan politics,
and we did not pause to consider who
would be helped or hurt by the free cx-
preston OF our sentiments upon qurs-
tiOns bearing upon our interests. There
are other references in your article To
me personally which l pass without
reply for the reason that what my priv.
ate imperfections may be is not mat
ter of public concern. but it is a matter
of public concern for the people to know
that the charge that ! fa.isfied public
report for partisan purposes is untrue
and unjust TO me, and / would certainly
be more or less than human if did not
resent it and demand hearing in the
same columns in which I was assaiied
and if this privilege is accorded me,
am willing to leave the question at issue
to the unprejudiced decision of my fel-
low citizens. WIN. WEBB, JR.
Sterling, April 2, 1889.