The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-21
Journalism 1T Its Best.

An example of righteousness in jour
nalism has been given 10y tho Troy, n.
Y, Times which is worthy of wide
spread notice.
Some Of our readers may recall the
circumstances to which we are about
to allude Several months ago the tax
payers of Ronnselacr county were
shocked to learn that George II. Nor
rison, the treasurer Of that county,
had defauted in a sum approximating
S2j0,000. Steps were promptly taken to
prosecute Morrison and in due time he
was convicted ard sentenced. The ques
tion of recovery then arose Morrison
had buudsmcn who were good for the
respective amounts OF their liability.
They and he were Republicans: the
board of supervisors at whose instance
the necessary legal steps had to he
taken. was Republican and the Troy
Times IS the recognized exponent Of
stalwart Republicanism in the large
community in which it circulates.
Pressure was exerted on the board
TO set ii to release these bondsmen
ana put the burden of Morrisons de-
talcation on the taxpayers. 1t was a
formidable presSur" and we under
stand that an element in the board at
one time gave signs of yielding. There
upon the Times, under the direction of
its intrepid editor and proprietor,
Charles s Francis, came to the res
cue. 1t insisted that such Compro-
mise would irretrievably stultify the
Republican party in Rensselaer, county
and exhibit a betrayal of trust for
which there could subsequently be no
apology before the people. 1t praCtiC-
ally read the riot aCl to the WaVererS
on the board and ultimately carried its
point. The bondsmen were made to
discharge their liability and the county
to that extent was protected.
But there remained other items to be
adjusted. When MOrrisons ill-doing
was exposed Morrison, instead Of turn
ing his personal property over to the
county, conveyed it to personal friends,
In this personal property was $4,000
worth of notes held by Morrison in
lieu Of county funds personally and
unlawfuly loaned by him. The coun-
tvs right to this sum is clear; but the
present holders of the notes ask the
county to compromise with them for
$1,000 and again the Times objects, as
it does to other propositions Of a like
character. This" it afiirms, lis a
question of right as against easy ac-
quiescence in public loss, of the peo-
a. ha int nf
Morrison's endorsers, who, having been
held to their bond, seek to make the
ultimate deficiency as far as possible
the cOunty's and not their own. The
Troy Times stands on the side of right
and the public interest. The Times
will continue to stand there, in spite of
coaXing or hulldOzing, of threats or of
blackguardng from quarters whose
motives must be judged by their acts
The Troy Times will oppose and de-
nounce, if it he the only paper to do So
any attempt to settle this matte by
dark lantern methods or snap judg-
ments. The county must not suffer by
the infidelity of its representatives
The public treasury must be pro.
tected."
The attitude taken by our esteemed
contemporary is impregnable and in
taking it the Times has given to the
defamers of party journalism a re.
freshing and most valuable object les.
son in true independence. 1t is per.
forming a heroic and noble service not
simply for the taxpayers of Rennse'
laer county but for Republicanism anC
Americanism everywhere. We wisl
for il the support and appreciation
which such work as ii is doing so OBJ
viously merits.