Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1894-08-31
THE Record believes that the gentlemen


PostoRce as secondtclass matter.
THE Record believes that the gentlemen
who are now so bitter in their denuncia-
ton of those who have criticised their H.
legal acts and those of their friends will,
before the campaign closes, find it .neces-
sary to take the public into their conf.
dence. 1t is not the question with the
average voter as to what things may be
said in canvass, but as to what things
can be proven. The republican voters of
This county are an intelligent, reasoning
class of citizens. They want to hear both
sides. They want to know whether local
presenting themselves for
their support, are what they claim to be.
The Record intends to do its share toward
them to find out. Its editor has
never, during the more than ten years
since he founded the Record, shirked what
he considered his duty to his readers,
where criticism of public official has
been necessary. He asks for criticism of
his public acts, and will cndeavor to re-
fute any charge that may be made. He
does not believe that he swerves from the
legitimate duty of newspaper editor
when he asks other candidates to do the
same. He has repeatedly offered the use
of the Record columns to public officials
whom he has criticised; and he hereby
again makes that offer. He does not claim
to be saint. he does not and has not
sought TO cover up his personal short
comings; but he does claim that he has
pursued and will continue to pursue. res
gardless of consequences, course he be-
lieves to be right. There is no use in
the editor privately. Better come
out and let the people know wherein his
statements are untrue. He has lived here
for years; every dollar he has made has
been invested here; he intends to remain
here. He cares nothing for abuse, and
asks only that both sides may be heard,
to the end that the people of this county
may form an intelligent judgment as to
who is right. In the coming campaign,
he intends to speak out plainly, because
he knows that if men who have striven to
buy votes, who have thrown out precincts,
who have collected illegal taxes on ex-
empted property, who have taken money
for tax.sale certificates on property boug ht
in by the state, get into power again, there
is no use in any one who doesn't stand in
with them trying to live here. What
reason have we to think otherwise? At
the end of the bribery trial the editor and
his friends hoped that the troubles were
over-that those concerned in the bribery
would bow to the judgment. of the law,
admit the wrong they had done, and
promise to do better in future. Knowing
that the man convicted was but tool in
the hands of one more shrewd and crafty,
those who had taken part in bringing one
of the offenders to justice we're willing to
do their share in measures of forgiveness
and reconciliation, and the writer, as
clerk of court, has letters from the man
convicted, thanking him for kindnesses
shown in connection with the settlement
of details necessary as result of the con-
viction. But, instead of dropping the
matter--instead of resolving to buy no
more vetes--instead of attempting to
meet halfway in reconciliation those and
the friends of those whom they had at.
tempted to defeat by purchasing votes -
as soon as they had had time to get to-
gether they at once outlined a policy of
revenge. The editor of the Record, of
course, was the one most hated, although
if they had reasoned on lines of justice
and fairness they would not have blamed
him for seeking to have pu nishment
meted out to those who had sought to buy
votes that under ordinary conditions
would have gone for him. In their bitter
malice they seemed to think that their
crime should not have received punish.
ment, and that it did not amount to much
any way; that in the conviction of one of
their number they had been deeply
wronged, aud that once more they would
go into the political field and seek to die.
tate the ticket of the republican party and
accomplish sweet revenge upon their
enemies. And, painting for such revenge,
in the very first struggle of the campaign
the recent Winona convention Mr..
Van Beck appears as actual leader of the
Baker and Union delegations, working
hard for Mr.. Armstrong--as hard as he
did in Selz precinct two years ago-and
against the writer.
But there are great many republicans
in this county who do not believe in
lightly passing over crimes against the
ballot. There are some people here old
fashioned enough to believe that crime
against the purity of the ballot is as bad
as the crime of one who raises his Rand
against the flag. There are even some
elderly people, with good memories, who
know that the republican party has never
asked anything but an honest ballot and
a fair count. They asked it when attempts
were being made to force slave constitu.
tion upon Kansas. they ask 1t now from
the southern people, and they ask it and
will demand it of every politician, of
whatever party, who may seekathe assist
ance of their votes. Furthermore, the