Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-07

Ii is fair and reasonable to assume that the
space required to answer any proposition, as
compared with that required to state the
proposition, is basis upon which one may
estimate the readiness with which the orig
iDal is answered. On this basis, counting
lines, the matter may be stated thus:
At: 262 :: Guide CLARION
Apply the rule of Proportion, multiplying
the extremes and means, We find Al CLARION
lines equal to 2G2 Guide lines.
The Guide devoted zee lines; there were 10
items in which the name Of this paper or Of
its editor appeared, monopo!izlns space in
every editorial column. OF course the con
tributed items appeared as original editorial,
and all of this that proper defence might
be made against AZ lines IN newspaper Of
such merit, in the judgment of The Guide, as
warrants them in speaking thus Take the
CLARION if any old thing will do."-"That
little CLARIoN" -"Broken down Journal
"Thc snail" and other fish market utterances
that are sarcasms, of kind, and the very
savagest possible to the writer Why, you
foolish people, don't you see that if you ~ers
anybody, how our conccit would be aug
menttd, how strong we should feel to know
that it required all that defense-but we are
bereft of even the poor pleasure Of caring a
little bit for IT. if You only ,oere somebody
sa,rists instead Of mud slineers-conlrovcr
sials's instead Of backb;tcrs-how scrvie
able all this attention wou,d be to lis!
We are more than content to contrast our
method, not different in this matter from
those we adopt in any controversy, with that
of The Guide the editor of that newspaper
is far from being scholarly and as public
writer is open to criticism and in that we in
dulge without consulting his wishes or pray
ing "by your leave" simply and only because
public utteranees and publications are public
property in the matter Of criticism.
We must assume that The Guide corps has
found us invulnerable in our public capacity.
for no one word has been aimed at that
legitimate mark, but instead thereof the realm
of our personal affairs is invaded and by hint,
inuendo and open assertion, the most impu
dent privileges are taken with our private
affairs unwarranted, first, because they are
not legitimate matter tor public discussion;
second, because if they were allowable, we
are not, as by implication, hint, innuendo
and open assertion The Guide AYERS, unchar-
table, an object of charity, needy, etc.
Contrast that method of defense with all or
anything that has, in this or any other con.
troversy, appeared in the columns of the
CLARION, and you will recognize the distn-
gushing marks of coarseness and refinement;
plebeian resources and those of gentlity
That we have commit, ed grevious error
and gotten sadly worsted in this controversy,
we freely admit; the editor of Tho GUIDE
mlstoox us when he, virtually, sent us word
not to attack him at a vulnerable point, OF
which up to that time we had no knowledge;
THE CLARIoN's policy is and under our
management always has been to refrain from
invading the sphere of others personal and
business matters; it is not to our taste; hence
we are strictly mot in it, when it comes to
the ad homanem of The GUIDE.