The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-08-14
THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MOUSE


THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MOUSE
Prompted by a sense of right, and with only
the kindest of fraternal feeling, we sent to
Mr.. Jas. Aiken. letter of retractiOn and
apology, to be published in last weeks Ga
zette, little dreaming that our honorable mo-
tives would be questioned, or our word of
honor publicly doubted. We must give our
side of the question and then forever cease
this controversy. From what the Gazette
says Auditor Tibbetts is not the party to
blame for delays in the copy business. The
following from Aiken's last paper locates the
matter:
The county printer contracted to furnish
copy for all county advertising to both the
or any other court house official does not
have TO furn sh anything but the official copy
for such publications.. If any fault exists it
is ours. and we have used at least ordinary
diligence to send these proofs as csrly as p:,s-
sible. That is all there is to it,.
But during all this TIME that the Leader
has been criticifing the Auditor, knowing full
well, too, as he now admits, that he was the
one in fault, Aiken was not the man to come
forward and clear Mr., Tibbetts. Wen not
say anything about "imputations to self in
tcrest." But there is,a cog loose somewhere,
because the reprint copy which Aiken sent
us, and which got here Thursday night, had
written across the back Sent by request of
Auditor Tibbetts" The handwriting was
quite like the Gazette mans. Why, if Aiken
was to furnish copy, did Tibbetts request it
sent? Funny, ain't it? Has the Gazette man
forgotten the talk between Bro. Hays, him
self and the writer in the Revelle Office about
copy? Aiken says he sent the proof slip We'd
nesday. Now, we might be so unkind and I'M
gentlemanly as to insinuate that he Gid not,
thus rcsos tilig to his own style OF argument,
but will not,= preferring to leave that to the
highly m 3ruEGnzcttc. But notice, please, the
shrewdnesS OF this man, Aiken. On the re-
verse side of his paper, in another article, he
uses the following:
IF you ha:n't exposed us, both editors
might still pose as free, fearless and unshackl-
ed ana when they laid themselves too much
open to imputatiOns of self interest. they
might easily attribute the Offending express
sion to the foreman Or the 'devil." Speaking
for the Gazette, the foreman is authorized tO
publish To the world that it's editor would
rather be right than justice of the peace-Or
even census enumerntOr."
Tbs above is directed at the Leader editor,
and is from an article about our heading,
MEMS Opinions Vary With Their Interests
In the above clipping is where he gets in his
work. Here he insinuates that our letter of
apology was written in bad faith. The words
they might attribute the offending express
sion to the foreman or the DEVIL" clearly
says that Aiken thinks we wrote the article
Tor which we make ample AMI gentlemanly
| apoE gy, for the purp Sc of misleading. But
the Christian gentleman lays aside his pre-
tensions for q time and covertly says the let
ter we wrote is sham and a lie. 1t means
nothing else. Nice language for a man, whose
church relations are such as is the Gazette's
editor. Now we do say once, and George E.
Lance will say also, that he did, and did not,
| in spite of the base insinuations in the above
clipping, write the item referred to- and
without my advice, knowledge or consent.
Furthermore. we shall furnish sworn affidav-
| ltsas to this fact if it seems necessary. We
do not propose to rest quietly under Aiken's
impeachment of our word. Just what is meant
by the slurs about our being justice of the
peace, a"d census enumeratOr is more than
we can possibly imagine. Is it anything to
our discredit that the people of Lamberton
township saw fit to give us positions? 1t has
been our opinion that the flee of Justice was
a position of which to be proud, and that any
stigma attaches to it Is certainly new. Pos
sibly AK ems code of ethics, or religious creed
| teaches otherwise. AS for census cnumerat-
or, We asked for it in order that an honest
dollar might be earned, and did not for Il mo-
ment suppose it was n position to cause the
casting Of newspaper slur? Why not add the
fact that Was delegate to the County and
State COny entiOns this summer? Ample cause
here for another sly dig. For shame on a
man who thus, without the slightest provo
| cation brings brother editors published
statement under the shadow of doubtful We
racity. This. too, from supposed, gentleman
Christian gentleman, If you please. We are
| done. Not one single word of this. or any 9th.
| er controversy between US, shall ever appear
in the Leader while we own it. However. let
| it be understood that there are two things we
shall at all times defend-my family and our
good name. We regret that Bro. Aiken saw
fit to call the latter into Observation-Disclosures
Leader.
Behold the mountain in labor OBJ
serve closely, and perchance a pale
gray mouse may be distinguished
among the rubbish. We reprint the
above for whatever possible value it
may have as vindication of the Lead
er, and also to illustrate the futility of
rushing into print with a personal
grievance, real or imaginary. Howev-
er malicious, the editor of the GAZETTE
may be he can say nothing SO injuri-
GUS to the Leader as that which occa-
sionally appears in its own columns.
The Leader having made frequent in
situations against the GAZETTE, the
writer concluded to try the same
method in expressing his belief that
while Foreman Lance published that
article without authority, he voiced
the sentiments of Editor Smith; and
the above quoted article confirms that
belief.
Simply calling attention to the stip-
ulation above, printed, that this is the
last of the Lamberton end of this silly
controversy, we close our columns to
it also with the observation that the
good name" of either party to this
small war of words does not and can
not hang upon what any rival newspa.
per alleges or insinuates. We are con.
tent to leave our good name to take
care of itself, without dragging ou1
family" in to help us, to public sym.
pathy.