The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-12-09

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THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER, under It's
new administration, starts eff rather
bfiskly. We quote:
"THE Progressive FARMER has been
boycotted by the News and Observer.
We no longer 10 it, but a friend has
kindly handed us some clippings from
it, by which we learn that it is still
doing business at the old stand and
with it's accustomed persistency in
misrepresentation. It falsely charged
President Polk with being in a ring
to elect Mr.. Calhoun, of Georgia, to
the Senate. We ask the editor OF
that paper to publish the following
letter from President Polk, written to
the Atlanta Constitution"
Now the first statement made above
is untrue; but the new editor was
probably misled about that. Connect
Meeting the NeOs and O6s=rver with
accustomed persistency in misrepre-
sentation" is an untruth for which
there is no excuse.
What we said about Col. Polk in
connection with the Georgia election
we think was entirely justified; nor
do we think that The letter which The
PROGRESSIVE FARMER asks us to print
is proof to the contrary of what we
said. Had any friend of Col. Polk
called that letter to our attention IN u
decent way we would have printed it
cheerfully, just as we we're the first
paper in the State to print his letter to
Mr.. Norwood. But the contemplate
manner in which the matter is brought
to our attention forbids US from doing
what is asked as an act of courtesy,
and we do not think that justice to
Col. Polk r quires it, as in our opinion
the letter does not put the matter in
an aspect inconsistent with what we
have heretofore suggested.
The above article appeared as an
editorial in the NewS and Observer of
the Sd inst.
If the editor of the New8 and OF
SeTVer had been as careful to ascertain
the truth as he was to resent a fancied
insult, he would have known that "the
new administration had nothing
whatever to do with the issue Of The
PROGRESSIVE FARMER in which the
article he complains of appeared.
Brother Ashe could have savel this
draught upon his "genius for blum
dering" by simply looking at the
name at the top of the editorial page
of The PROGRESSIVE FARMER. But no.
Our neighbor was not looking for
names. He seems rather to have been
looking for a red rag. He was sure
1.-THE new administration " had a red
rag somewhere about his person, and
he was expecting the new admins
tration" would shake it at him; and,
mistakipg the red glow of his own
heated imaginati N for the red rag
aforesaid, ne rushes into print and
denounce3 "Bhe new administration "
for circulating an untruth, for being
misled, and for calling his attention
to. Col, Folks letter in an indecent
way. Brother Ashe published the
above article on the Sd inst in the
face of the fact that the new admin
istragion " had written him on the I'd
inst that he knew nothing of the mat
ter complained Of.
The new administration " intends
to be entirely fair and courteous in
his treatment of his brethren of the
press, including brother Ashe, of the
News and Observer and he intends
to expect the same fairness and cour-
tesy from his brethren of the press,
including brother Ashe, of the NewS
and Observer. And brother Ashe may
save himself some annoyance by max
ing a careful note of this fact and
wearing it in the crown of his hat, if
he cannot trust his memory.