Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-12
A WORD OF EXPLANATION.

Our esteemed contemporary, the
American, has at last acknowledged
that in the DEMOCRAT it has competi-
tor that is slowly but surely sucking the
life blood from its veins. More than u
year ago it became evident that the
American was in pain. Heroic measures
were resorted to, including a reduction
of salaries, while at the same time an
effort was made to keep up appearances.
This did not wholly stop the leak and
quite recently the pruning knife was
again recklessly used.
AS a result nearly every day the paper
il ''scooped" upon important legitimate
items of news. Last Thursday the
DEMOCRAT had an exclusive account of
the fiendish acid throwing case. The
item was accurate in every particular
and was copied in many state papers and
sent broadcast over the country by the
press associations. Friday evening our
contemporary made a ridiculous at
tempt to discredit the story, and wound
up by admitting even more than this
paper claimed. On Friday a wide
awake DEMOCRAT young man obtained
n copy of the report of the distributors
of the estate of the late DIR G. l.. Platt.
The estate was a large one, and the re-
port interested thousands of readers.
Saturday evening the article. clipped
bodily from these columns, was pub
lished in the American. In another
page of the same paper an attack was
made upon "plate" papers, so-called, the
writer's inspiration being drawn from
very sore head. No names were men,
toned, but the contributor can hardly
deny that his alleged wit was directed at
the DEMOCRAT. 1t was the first public
admission of the American that there
was thorn in its side, and intelligent
people will not be slow to draw their
own conclusions.
And now for a few cold facts in re-
ference to ''plate" papers. The Satur-
day contributor charges that the matter
used is not very fresh. Let us see. Last
Friday evening among the news items
printed in the plates of this paper was
one in relation to the trial of a number
of Philadelphia BARRIERS for violation of
the Sunday law, and another about an
unusual CONFERENCE.-The turning of a
vicious bull into field of berry pickers,
by farmers wife. Both of these items
were printed in the American twenty
four hours later than they were publish
ed in plates. More than half of the
telegraph" news printed daily in our
contemporary is clipped by the foot from
~. Il
In regard to state news the old veteran
of Bank street makes itself even more
ridiculous. Last evening it published
in its local column a state item to the
effect that Meridian horse was injured,
Saturday, by stepping upon an electric
wire. The accident happened Friday
evening and, of course, was published
in the DEMOCRAT the following day,
forty-eight hours before the American
readers knew anything about the strange
occurrence.
Last evening we published an exclu-
sive piece of news about the disappear
ance of Otto Flugge, a well-known
musician. Unless this item is KILLED
through shame at being 'scooped" again,
it will probably appear in an obscure
corner of our contemporaries abbreviat-
ed columns this evening.
In conclusion we would say that the
malicious stories circulated that the
DEMOCRAT proprietors are DESTROYS of
closing out the business, is wholly with
out foundation. On the contrary more
than one flattering offer has been made
by conservative business men, who
know a good thing when they see it, for
the plant. The DEMOCRAT is not for sale
whether the American is or is not we
are unable to say.