Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-31


II anyone has desire to see how it is
possible for a newspaper, claiming to
be enlightened and up with the times
can be stupid, and narrow-minded, and
deceitful, all things To all men and notl =
ing in particular to any one, opinionless
and dumb when policy demands il.
hateful and malicious when there is no
danger of punishment; we say if there
Is desire to see a publication that
combines all these contrarieties, the
files OF the Medicine Lodge Cresset have
but to be examined. On any of the
questions that have agitated the minds
of our people during the past year that
paper has been either as dumb as an
oyster until compelled to speak out. or
1t has been on the wrong side. 1t has
feebly endorsed prohibition, but has
never dared make the strong fight for
the measure that Republican papers
have been making elsewhere. 1t has
courted the fanatical prohibition ele-
ment with one hand and the other it
has extended in full fellowship to the
men who opposed it. The policy of the
paper has been given out as favoring
the enforcement Of the unpopular law,
while the policy and conduct of its pro-
prietors have been to get as much pat
ronage as possible from the men they
are pleased to term "open violators of
the law" At home and abroad the
conduct of the Cresset editors has been
contrary TO the declared principles of
prohibitionists or even temperance
men.
Heretofore we have mentioned the
connection of the senior editor of the
Cresset with city matters, but a review
OF that will not be uninteresting now.
Tom McNeai started out as a prohibi.
ton member Of the city council and as
such last year opposed timing liquor
sellers. He was reelected, as he claims
ON this issue. When the question came
up under the present administration ht
not only favored imposing fines on tn,
liquor men, but he even wanted to i'm
crease the amount from SIS to S25 Del
month, knowing that the latter amount
would not be assessed, and tina
free whiskey would be the result. Fail
ing in this, he was the man who pro
posed to collect a special tax from prop
erty owners TO pay the indebtedness in
cured through the bad management o
the reform council. lie failed in thi
attempt.
The Cresset opposed the fencing O
ranges by stockmen as long as 1t dare
do II, but when II found that ID was Of
the wrong track 1t backed down from
its position, and Is now in favor of any
thing To suit the crowd.
That paper encouraged men to G. m
In here and engage in the stock bushes
long after everyone knew the range wa
full and even crowded, and this, that
few more names might he added to IL
subscription list, OF that its proprietor
and henchmen might make a few dol
lars from settlers who would prove N
on claims.
nthis range Is now crowded and On
water courses lined with men who ar
ready 70 turn this into one immense az
ricultural county, the CreSset and few
others advocating immigration are in
great measure responsible. But N
matter how poor a man may be mad
BY attempting to farm here, where Their
are 50 few favorable seasons, the Cresse
Is satisfied II il gets a new subscriber O
its firm secures the job Of making on
The final proof papers for settler. y,