Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-19
O. B. MooREs REPLIES.


cIsry 81 large amount d 4 per cent.
Doodle absorbed by me a. . member Of
the last city council. Little pleasant
ries Of this kind 20 long way toward
softenIng the ssperitIes Of life, and am
sorry that the extreme modesty Of my
friend In copcealing bis name makes IL
impossible for me to return the COM
pliment by denouncing him personally
~ an unmitigsted liar. II however,
this writer is not q mere sensational
scandal -monger, but is really In earnest
In his efforts to unearth political cor
ruptiop, and will call on me In the rural
retreat, where In fancied security, 1
have recently been enjoying the pro-
ceeds Of long and successful career as
o political boodler, think can con-
viuce him that commission of per
cent on street contracts In q town the
size Of Salem is q rather narrow margin
on which to base any hope of great sue
cess. He ought by all means to ''raise
the ante" to more respectable figure.
1t 10 . reflection upon the profession.
You will agree that any man who has
been for two years member of the city
council must be abnormally sensitive
who objects to being called anything
from murdererto 10 . petty larceny thief
when he is abused in general terms,
but when specific charge is made 1t
should be either met by him or admit
ted. Your correspondent instead OF
fortifyipg himself with facts, and then
In . manly way making his charges
openly over his own signature, writes
under an assumed name and even then
indulges only in insinustion and In
nuendo. We believe that honorable
men everywhere have more respect for
the most corrupt politician boodler than
they have for the scandal monger, the
peddler Of street gossip and the assassin
of character who will from under cover
make charges by iudirection which he
has neither the facts to prove nor the
courage to openly avow. The meaning
however of your correspondent is un.
mistakeable. He intimates that mem.
bers of the late city council, taking ad
vantage of powers conferred upon them
by the people. exacted in the way ol
blackmail commission of per cen,
from bidders for street work, and that
member Of the present city hall build
Ing committee are doing the same thing.
This 10 . matter of vital concern to the
public. Servants of the people, acting
In public capacity, are charged with
an act which 10 punishable as crime
and which cannot be condoned. Ifthe
charges are untrue there is no penalty
too severe for those who give them cir
culation, as the officials themselves suf
fer unjustlv, and the confidence of tn,
people In all public officials is in Z
measure undermined without cause
The people need protection fully a
much against those who indiscrimin
ately vilify public officials without 9
cause, as they do against corrupt Off
cials. As your correspondent has seer
III to use my name In his communica.
tion respectfully ask him to come ou,
from his place Of concealment and
give his name and make his
charges specific. There should be
no beating of the devil around the stumE
in this matter and II his intimationi
have any basis OF fact, he should, instead
Of writing anonymous letters yelled In
Obscure language, go like man before
the grand jury which is now In session.
aud tell all he knows. Messrs. Mason,
smith and Goodhue, who have done
ell the street work for the city are here
and easy of access. The records In the
Office of the city recorder will show all
bills that have been approved and paid.
II the undersigned or any other mem.
ber Of the council has used his public
position Ia any way for the purpose of
furthering his Individual interests di.
rectly or indirectly, he should be called
to account for 1t by an appeal to every
instrument aud remedy which the law
provides and, all public outcry about
ring aud boodlers that stops short Of
this, and consists only of indiscrimi-
nate abuse should be treated with con-
Tempt VIII your correspondent back
the charges contained In his letter by
An open avowsl, aud an appeal to the
proper authorities for remedy for the
abuses complained Of? He should eith-
or do this or publicly acknow ledge that
all bis charges are willfully malicious
asd without shadow Of foundation.
The public are Interested In this matter
even more largely than are the parties
accused. Q. b, MooREs.
simmons Liver Regulator IL medi.
~ A.. = A..