The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-11-24
eMlrH'S SHORTER,

making
sMlrH's SHORTER.
From the way the editor Of the
Mercury sQuirms this week. some of our
shafts in last week issue seem TO have
struck some very tender and vulmer-
able parts Of his anatomy. The effects
seem to have been disastrous enough
to badly rattle both his reason and
memory. In his article this week, which
he privately announced beforehand was
to he q crusller, he seeks to dodge
the effect uf ulir asst article in aliSW er
TO his spiteful attack OH the large num-
tier Of citiZehs who hal the hardihosl
10 criticize the actions of the scl,OOi
treasurer, and attempts 10 distract the
attention of his readers from the mat
ter in discussion by making certain
statements of matters which lie says
occurred three years ago, and baslng
un them comments OH the conduct Oi
the editor Of The GRAPHIC at that
time. But in this he is III badly mis-
Informed, and his memory il equally
AS treacllerOus, rs It was OH the subject
of the school money.
He starts out with this assertion:
We can remember quite distinctly
that when the Edwards County Bank
failed Bro. French WAS then. as now.
III editor. and according To his idea a
censor of the public morals. More
than this. he was The county attorney
and WAS charged with the duty Of pun
ishimg crime' Tie Edwards County
Bank failed on the Goth day of October
1890. AT that time the present editor
.f The GRAPHIC was not an editor,
and had no connection with any paper
whatever except as a subscriber.
We did not take control IF The
GRAPHIC until August 5th, 1891. over
nine months after the failure occurred.
Neither was the editor IF this paper
county attorney at the time. w. IL.
RObb was county attorney for nearly
three months after the failure occurred,
and commenced what suits aud pro-
ceedings he thought proper at the time.
Tie statement of fact upon which he
bases his comments being utterly at
variance with the truth as every "ne
knows, who lived here 1t the time,
the superstructure Of criticism he
erected on the slippery foundation
topples with it.
We do not consider it necessary to
take up any space in defense of our
administration of the Office of county
attorney. His comments are AS
fallacious rs his statements Of fact
are false. He refers to the opinion
that we gave the county treasurer to
the effect that he was authorized to
pay county warrants issued during the
year out Of the funds raised by taxa
ton for that year, regardless Of tie
warrants that had been issued several
years before in excess IF the levy, as a
.'famous Decree" This opinion that
he refers to sneeringly. saves this
county several thousand dollars al
nually, and has been followed by all
the western counties in the state SIM
iIxrly situated. If We had done MOTH
ing else during our term We would
have abundantly earned our salary.
Besides, this whole matter was dis
cussed during the Campaign Of 1891.
and when the explanation was made
The republicans dropped the subject
very suddenly.
Bro. Smith winds up his article by
a reference To- the failure of the Kins-
ley Exchange Bank, and asks us;
where were you then Bio. French?''
To that We simply say: Where were
you Bro. Smithr'' Out of your oxn
mouth you convict yourself of hyp,c-
risy and Discrimination to the public.
You say the Exchange Bank undoubr-
eddy received deposits after the officers
knew it Was insOlvent, which was n
crime. Why did you then in your
paper conceal those facts and write Al,
article highly Mandatory of tile officers
Of TIM bank when they removed from
here? On your own confession you,
are guilty Of misleading the public.
We had no information that justified
w in charging the officers ut that hank
with criminal acts, and although they
belonged to tho opposite political party
to rs, and although We were loser il,
the failure to tho extent Of $72, Ne
gave them such criticism n, Ia oul
opinion, the facts warranted.
Thus - hes been shown tho very
article In which tlss sditoe a ~ ~
0'y eseks % avoie IL. esnsslyspssl
- - - ---- ---------Y