Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-04-07
Lime SPRINGS.

Gle, are almost too infantile in charac-
ter to deserve a reply. 1t is very
much the language of child in the
primary department, who, when call
ed "cry-baby," "tattle, tale,' etc, by
a companion, replies: 20, you are a
'cry-baby' yourself and the like. Cit
izen's remarks are like the snarls of
whipped cur, or the aping mutteringS
of an unsound mind. Though not
deserving a reply we send one, MS
Citizen courteously extends us the of
fer and we desire to ask of Citizen in
these columns what real replies he
made to our former article and where
in lie defends statements ia his arti-
Gle. How Christian Citizen can eX-
pect or hope to stand before his Max
er on Judgment Day with clear CON
science after having used the would
be binding veil of deceit and I'M
truths in his article coupled with his
words of Ca'i :ian love(D We leave
for him to decide. He obstinately ex-
claims, "There has been no change ia
principle, for the men elected stand
on the same license p O )rn. We Re-
i it rate W hat we said before Thu there
were no platforms, no principles, in
particular regarding the saloon issue
up at election. We explained the
causes of defeat. What defense did
you offer? We leave the people to
judge and challenge you openly, Mr..
Citizen, TO prove that our present
! Mayor or the two preceding ones
stood, or now stand, on license plat
form. Why do you not defend your
self from the charge of insults you
offered so many in your first article?
You simply reply that YOU defined
no line of action for the honorable
body elected to Office What greater
insult could you offer than saying
their election was q grand triumph
for King Alcohol? Bah! You have
softening of the brain! You insinu-
ate line of action even though you
do not say so opealy. We We're not
aware of the revelry on election night
of which you spoke. But even if
what you say be true, what does it
augur? What if certain ones celebra-
ted the republican state victory last
fall, does it mean that your sainted
,lrepublicanism is a particle lowered?
We denounced the council of last
year for foolish expenditures of mon
ey and told why they deserved it. If
you desire, let us know through these
columns and will arrange Il meeting
with you to look up statistics. Do
you, by your aping endowments, by
which you lay claim TO our having
slurred them, seek to justify them
and yourself and cover up your fail
ure to intelligently reply to our for
mer article? To recapitulate, what
reasonable replies have you made in
your recent article? Why did you
not expose the saloons, blind pigs,
ETC., why did you not prove our pres
emit administration as low and con-
temtible MS you insinuate; why did
you not defend the unwise ways of
some of our former Officers; why did
you not show you insulted no one;
why did you not prove our words to
be q slur upon anyone, and why did
you not think before of your words.
Perhaps it would have been better
to have remained SILENT" the only
truth you have spoken during our
controversy? The only argument you
have used during the time is abuse
that signifies nothing. When an
argument is lost to a certain shallow.
minded disputant, what will he do?
Generally says: What do you know
about it?' That is the sum and sub
stance of Citizens argument. In his
former article he states that there are
card games, dice, and blind pigs run
ming in our town and we left the bur-
den of proof with him. Young Blood
then told him where all the pigs he
knew of were running. He fails to
state where his are located! But
says it is the duty of Young Blood
to prosecute. Now he has raised a
great cry about them and has been
shown where they are according to
Y. B. and jollies himself up as a re-
former, why not live up to his
teachings? Consistency, thou art a
jewell"
Citizen" we consider is good
thing where are situations open in
all cities where they have dime
museums, for such as citizen--freaks,
and would also furnish living for
him and the burden would not de-
volve on the balance Of his family.
Citizen should go to night school;
his Latin phrases are properly "on
the hog" very rank, indeed when
he gives it the lie by becoming per-
sonal at the expense of public welfare.
And now we have done We tender
you the like courtesy of reply. And
unless inside of another two weeks
you can write no deeper, more stable
article than your last we will not
deem an answer necessary. If you
cannot combat truth with truth, ar
gument with argument, and withal
be fair and above board we will hold
to our promise and remain silent.
We do not seek a disguise behind q
Nom de Plume: we attempt no de.
ceitfulness by our signature, but