The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-21

returned to the place from whence
it came. Like SOW to its wallow,
a dog to its vomit, it has returned to
the bosom of the Democratic party.
1t has not only thrown out the Re-
publican county ticket from its col
umns, but it has replaced it with a
portion of the Democratic ticket.
the election of which it advocates,
while it attempts to cloak its treach-
cry and disguise its ulte-ior purpose
by still keeping up the name of Col.
Quay, who will be elected by ma
iority Of many thousands, and whom
it could not injure by doing its dirty
best against him. On taking down
the Republican ticket it grossly, ma
liciously and falsely assaults the po-
litical and personal character of
John C. Barron and further attempts
to sustain its position by denying
the existence of a County Commit
tee, or any rights or power to its
Chairman. OF the personal charac-
ter of Louther A Smith, ostensible
editor of the Commercial, we have
nothing at present to say, but his
assault upon the political character
of the Republican candidate, whom
he attempts to dishonor, invites and
demands a comparison with his
own political and public career.
1t is an undisputed fact, We be-
lieve, that before the war Smith was
a Democrat. After the war he be-
came connected with the I1adepend-
ent, published at Salisbury, pro-
fessedly neutral paper, with Demo-
cratic tendencies. This paper was
afterward moved to Meyersdale and
he obtained control of it, where it
miserably perished for want of pat
ronage, and by reason of misman-
agement. Subsequently the Mey-
ersdale Commercial was established
by a syndicate of business men as
an advertising medium, with the
understanding that it was to be a
non-political sheet, and Smith was
placed in control of it. After a Pc
riod of time he apparently conceiv-
ed that it would be a stroke of f.
nancial policy to become Republi-
can for revenue, and, presto neu-
trality was dropped, and to the dis
may of It's Democratic stockholders
the Commercial was launched upon
the political ocean as a Republican
journal. During the campaign Of
1873 its editor made poor mouth,
complained of pinchihg penury,
and through the intercession Of
friends, the Republican State Com
mittee was induced to forward him
two hundred dollars to sustain his
paper. He then demanded and re-
ceived full share of the printing
the County officials had under con-
troll and became a persistent beggar
Of official patronage. So grasping
did he grow that in 1888, without
the consent of the Commissioners,
who had previously refused it to
him,h published the Annual State
ment" and presented bill for $50,
which the Commissioners refused to
pay. whereupon he sued them be-
fore a Justice at Meyersdale, put the
County TO the expense of their at
tendance to defend the suit, ard
when the Justice gave judgment
against him took an appeal and en-
tered it on the docket in the Pro-
thonotary's office, but failing to
bulldoze the Commissioners he let
Judgment be taken against him for
the costs, which to-day remains up
on the record unsatisfied. Having,
in 1882, devoted all the energies of
himself and his paper to the defeat
OF General Beaver and the district
and county tickets, and in assisting
to place the present Democratic
State authorities in power, he in
1884, was refused recognition by the
County Committee and theChairman
declined to furnish him the cards
of the candidates at the primary
election to be paid for as advertise
ments. Thereupon be published a
list of the candidates, announcing
conspicuously that he did so "Free
| of cost" Some months afterward
he presented a bill to the Chairman
for s22300, but subsequently accept
ed $4,000 in payment for what be
published without permission and
over and over again announced he
did it 'free of cost"
In June last, he published the
card of Chairman Scott announcing
the adoption by the Committee Of
Messrs. Barron and Custer as the
Republican candidates, placed Their
names at the usual place in his pa.
per. and on July list presented bill
to Chairman Scott for $500, which
was paid. being the first time with
in our knowledge that q paper in