Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-12-05

Wltn Ine DralIS VI lHe eulUOr OF UHe
Progress. Blinded by prejudice he allows
passion to rise above prudence, and,
without the least regard to facts or the
question at issue, gave vent last week to
considerable gush and babyish twaddle.
1t was probably intended as a reply to
our article, but, if such was its mission,
it fell short of the purpose.
AS all are aware the issue began on
the subject of postal changes, was turned
by the Progress into a comparison of the
two papers political affiliations, and,
being routed from the position taken on
each of those arguments, the editor of
our contemporary makes change of
base in vain endeavor to lead the con
troversy into Il personal contention.
Brother Buckley no sooner came to the place
than he began to receive public favor by be-
coming clerk of the town council and he has
gobbed every office within his reach and is no
doubt ready for more. This is n world where
every man must help himself, and we are not
envious but to take the tone of our neighbors
articles we are sorry we cannot say the same of
him.
1t is with such drivel as the above the |
Progress would try to retrieve its lost
ground. If the council of Freeland |
borough deemed the editor of the TRI- |
BUNE capable of fulfilling the position of
clerk, and if the duties of that position
have been faithfully performed, then let
the Progress say no more. If the office
has been neglected or mismanaged then
the Progress has not been faithful to the
public, for its duty would be to expose
such negligence. Again, the citizens of
this place saw fit to elect the editor as
one of the Justices of the Peace and the
Progress is challenged to give an example
of that trust being betrayed.
Those are the only offices we hold to-
day. They were held by us before the
TRIBUNE existed and there is no neces-
sity at present to relinguish them. The
Progress may not be envious, but its criti-
cisms and the motives which inspire
them are thoroughly understood, prop
erly appreciated and valued with exacti-
tude. 'The brighter the moon shines
the more the dogs howl" says the pro-
verb. 1t has been so since the beginning
and will be to the end. But for all the
| baying of all the ours since the begin
ming of time the moon has continued to
shine serenely, and so it will be with
the TRIBUNE. The Progress may direct
its splenitic and frivious shafts against
the TRIBUNE or its editor, but it is well
aware that neither can be harmed by
them. Because we had the courage a
few years ago to look up from our sur
roundings, and had also the confidence
in our ability to take the step that has
elevated us above the hardships and
dangers of a humble miner, which occu-
patton we had followed within a mile of
our office for twenty-five years, because
we did this and it was the means of
placing us where we stand to-day-a
competitor of the PrOgreSs-and because,
thank God, success has crowned our
efforts, the editor loses control of his
intellectual store-house and tries to show
to his readers that we are "gobbler of
offices" and envious of the Progress sue
cess. However, our record during a
quarter of century's residence here is
sufficient to dispel any suspicion of be
ing in the gobbling business, and as fol
the tone of our articles denoting envy
we defy the editor of the Progress tc
state single instance in which we have,
through the TRIBUNE or otherwise, done
anything to warrant that assertion. The
ProgTeSs knows that for many years it
had no better friend than the writer,
whose motto is Give and let live," but
how quickly its friendship was changed
to jealousy after the first issue of the
! TRIBUNE. And now, after nearly two
years of careful nursing, the green-eyed
monster has arrived at maturity and
appears to have been installed as the
presiding genius of the Progress sanctum.
And what a change it threatens to
make in the columns of our contempor-
ary. This journal that "has always had
a good word for everybody" that minds
its own business" that "never tackles
anything it doesn't understand" that
'built up Freeland," that "helped to
place everybody in flourishing condi-
ton" and ''to whom the town owes an
everlasting debt of gratitude, - this quiet,
conservative, self-constituted essence of
nicely is suddenly converted into a
mouth-piece through which its editor
may give publicity to the private ami
mostly that seems to have taken posses
sion of him, because we dared criticise
his claim to the postmastership of Free
land.
As we have stated before, our right to
give our opinions on any article that
may appear in any newspaper will be
enforced every time we feel so inclined,
but criticising an editor personally for
principles publicly expressing is not in
our line of business. We acknowledge
the Progress our peer in that respect, but
in no other. The TRIBUNE is a fearless
newspaper and it is not necessary to
subject 1t to microscopic examination
to obtain its opinions. They appear in
each issue and the fact that the TRIBUNE
appears with them is sufficient to assure
us that its policy meets with public favor
and respect. There have been instances