Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-09-14

A CITIZEN TALKS.
Another Phase of the Troubles
ofEditor Spencer atAtwater.

EDITOR WILLMAR TRIBUNE:
were surprised to see you devote a
column of your valuable space to a
reproduction Of one of Editor Spen-
GERS TRADES against the citizens Of
this place under the startling headline
"Persecution;" and more surprising
still was your suggestions that unless
the guilty parties are detected and
punished that the blame will be laid
at the door Of the "anti- Spencer fac
ton" as you term it.
We wish to have it thoroughly I'M
derstood that the outrage committed
on Mr.. Spencer's Office is condemned
by every citizen Of this place. It is
deplored by all alike, and the author
tiles, backed by the united sentiment
Of the people, will do their utmost to
detect the guilty party whoever it may
be.
Now as to your comments referred
to: What you are pleased to term as
the "lAnti-Spencer' faction; by
which we presume you mean those with
whom Mr.. Spencer's course among US
does not find favor, constitute ninety
nine per centof our population, These
people lay claim to a; least fair treat
ment in the columns g: your paper and
your sweeping assertions that unless
the guilty parties Of said outrage are
detected that the crime will be laid
against these people collectively seems
rather serious.
Here in Atwater Spencer's endless
TRADES are passed unnoticed, as with
people who have learned to know him
they are without effect. That you
should dignity his utterances by plac-
ing them before your readers and cast
unwarranted reflections upon the peo-
pie OF Atwater is indeed surprising.
Mr.. Spencer seeks hard to carry the
impression that he has been made a
martyr on account Of advocating and
standing up for certain principles.
w 18th the READERS Of his sheet this pre-
tension must fall Hat for it j; too we'll
known that he has never advocated
any principles, politically or other
wise. His mission appears to be to
carry on a guerrilla warfare> against
individuals, to deal in personalities
only. We do not consider it to the
discrcdit Of the people of Atwatcr that
in common with other Justice loving
communities they disapproyc Of such
a culrse. Tut whatever Mr.. Spcncer's
opinions are, politically Or otherwise
what oile.} arc no enc has l;een able
to discovery lie has always l;een left
a?orc 20 crjcy them.
HI makes <numbcr ofcharycs against
his imagined enemies some Of them
wonderful as it may seem new mat
ter' never having appeared in print
before They may however be con-
sidered On a par with some Of it's
other uttcrances, products of his fertile
brain. He has evidently been saving
up matter with which on a fitting oc-
casion and at a critical time to make a
"grand stand play' for public SYM
pathy. He makes a charge Of attempt
ed arson against himself when last
winter an adjoining blacksmith shop
burned and endangered his and ad-
joining property, u charge for which
any sane person with knowledge Of the
circumstances knows there is no
ground, At that time, it may be OBJ
served the fire department aided by
the willing hands Of all present, con-
centrated their efforts on his building
until it was out Of danger, saved his
property from destruction and the
flames in the American house adjoin-
ing were extinguisbed by hard work
after Mr.. Spencer's property was made
safe. Such work, Mr.. Spencer, it
seems considers evidence Of i'll will.
He says he has been arrested on
''trumpcd charges. - We have not
heard Of but one case in which he WAS
made defendant and as to that we
would hardly consider it in the Inter
est Of public morality to go into de-
tails Of in the columns Of a. lamiy
newspaper. But US he with his char
acteristic amount OF "yall" OF which
he has a remarkable yjft) has alluded
to it, We will simply say that the court
record OF the evidence produced
ought to be enough to satisfy
anyone and that the verdict of ''guil-
ty" rendered thereon rather disap-
proves the assertion that it w;ss a
''trnmped up charye.''
Now /. few more words in reference
to the recent outrage on Mr.. ;5pencer:s
Office surrounding which there seems
to hang all air Of mystery. The
authorities offer d reward ofzSl00 for
information that will lead to- the con-
viction OF the perpetrators and in their
diliyent Orts to detect the criminals