Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-09-15
1.-THE FACTS MANI

4
of himself to the satisfaction OF the
entire community. In ais issue OF
the 25th ult., he said;
"The amendment wits published IN
the three papers--sNE TIME occupy
ing about half column solid matter.
Two of the papsrs charged each $25 for
the insertions the HERALD charged SIT.
Nv actnal count there are $50 words in
the puh,cation, at q cent and quar-
ter. SV.75; allowing rs lines for blanks
and iisplay would make at s words per
lie 200 hundred words more, or $3.50,
lor making the pay allowed by law
S13.25, and by no method of counting
could more than $l5 have been exacted
| which would have been fair price,"
Is it possible that the fellow did
not know what he charged for pub
fishing the Charter Amendment ?
He even said it was legal adver-
tisement and made a calculation of
its price at the legal rates-a cent
and quarter a word, and figured it
up at $l0.75; admitting the fact
that he charged 1925 more than the
law allowed. Could he have done
this, meaning at the time some 9TH
er advertisement ? Does his igno-
rance amount to lunacy? Admit
| the fact that his statements contain
ed in the above extract were not
facts at all, and had no semblance of
truth in them, what confidence can
be placed in any statement he may
make hereafter ? IT he told
the truth when he solemnly avered
that he had charged SIT for publish
ing the charter amendment, supple.
mented with an apology for charging
$6.25 more than the law allowed,
how is he to be believed when he now
says he only charged So? Does he
also recall his apology for charging,
as he himself stated, 1925 more
than the law allowed I? Is fellow
who recklessly makes such adverse
statements, giving them as "facts"
worthy of belief on any subject? Is
he cit person to attempt to discuss
any matter of public concern The
"facts remain.'' We said he was
| either first-class liar or was igno-
rant of what he was writing about
and this fact still remains.
He makes reckless and unfounded
charges in one issue of his paper and
in the next, simply says, it was a
"careless mistake" And thisis the
fellow that sets himself up as the
special guardian of the tax payers of
Martinsburg.
Here is another specimen of his
"facts." He takes the Treasurer's
report, which not infrequently en-
braces amounts that have been due
two or three years, and only pre-
sented and paid within the year in
which the report is made land asserts
that S22425 were expended for
printing in the year 1882. That is
simply on a par with his other state
ments. He don't want to state the
facts, and by every kind of trick
and chicanery, attempts to falsify
and deceive. The estimates made
by the Finance Committee, las shown
on the records, for printing in 1882,
was just as we stated, $3.50. The
expenditures for the same fiscal year
was $75-as shown by the Clerks
books. Anybody who will take the
trouble can call on the Clerk of the
Corporation and be convinced of
this fact, and at the same time of
the utter unreliability of the fellows
statements.
| We have only to remark that the
charges of the INDEPENDENT are
not regulated by those of the Herald
| The INDEPENDENT has more than
| double its circulation but its charges
for county or corporation advertis-
ing are made according to its pub
lished terms. We challenge this
fellow to show that we have ever
charged any more than our published
rates. The Charter Amendment
made fourteen squares, and we
charged S14. The management of
the corporation finances is a matter
for the tax payers to decide. We
have had their verdict against the
senseless croakings of this new hedg,
ed 'reformer," and are satisfied.