Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-02
WHITESIDE'S NEW SYSTEM.

s'
1t was merely the Hon. Fred Whiteside
licking an editor.
1t appears that Faust. the editor of
the Libby News-who years ago was i'm
mortalized by the inspired pen of Goethe
met Whiteside in the court house at
kalispell, whereupon sundry and di-
verse statements that had been published
passed in rapid review before them.
The discussion had not proceeded far
when adjectives. which-like the sup
pressed opinions of Governor Smith on
the Spriggs affair-would not be admit
ted to the mails, were trotted out on ex-
hibition.
Finally, the reports go on to show,
Whiteside deposited several ~pro-knuckle
arguments IN the mirror of the soul
which Faust mad been using for a face,
and the exercises began in earnest.
The combatants were finally separated
by the sheriff. and a flow of blood which
Threatened to inundate the Flathead val
ley was averted. nj
Nothing now remains of the incident
but the serving of a warrant for the ar
rest of Whiteside and the equally inn
portant moral which is to be drawn from
the affair.
At the beginning of this moral the
chief thing in issue is the safety of news
paper men.
&c., When a witness before the senate
committee on privileges and elections,
Whiteside administered a blow to a great
many newspaper men in this state, by
assuming to know more about what con-
stitutes a lie than they do.
Even the Anaconda Standard, backed
as it is by long years Of practice, cannot
recoversits, original prestige since White
sides; definition of a lie went on record.
Not only has Whiteside absorbed with
in his own personality a ~prerogative that
belongs to the press, but he has inaugur-
ated a new system of licking the editors.
Commencing operations in his own
county. probably through a spirit of pa
triotism, and in the belief that all sub
stantial reform movements should begin
at home, he is likely to extend his sphere
Of activity in all directions until the
state shall have been thoroughly COW
cred! t- .
Faust is only the beginning of White
sides campaign against he press
Other editors who have said things
about Whiteside should put on boiler
plate armor without unnecessary delay,
or flee the state.
Probably, nothing would excite more
interest in this state thar to see White
side go from town to town licking the
editors who have inadvertently said
things which they would have left I'M
said had@they foreseen what was COM
ing. 2 -
He would have to tax several days
off in order to get through with Butte
and Helena in a thoroughly workmanlike
manner, though we want it distinctly I'M
derstood that the Inter Mountain has
always praised Whiteside to the sky.
even going so far as to intimate that he
ought to run for governor, as he would
make a worthy successor to Bob-to
Bobert-to Rob-to Robert Bees NTH
and that his reputation for truth was
all right, whatever might be said about
his veracity!
Whiteside's attention Is called to the
fact, however, that the Butte Miner and
Helena Independent need a few pugilists
to run at large for a few days among
their respective editorial stats, until
they have a full realization of the great
fundamental fact that " a lie is not a, lie
if told to some one not entitled to know
the truth"
While we know that Whiteside has the
kindliest of feelings toward the Inter
Mountain, since we brought him out for
governor, if he will let us know when he
is due in this city, we will retire for the
time being to Rocker, or some other sea-
port town, so the Butte Miner cannot
call on us for help when he starts up his
new system of dealing with the press in
this section of the state.
Confidentially. we will state that the
editor of the Miner would have been a
better field for Whiteside's original ex-
ploitations in his new reform movement,
than the editor of the Libby News.
But, of course, we do not want to dis
courage the Flatheaded gentleman in the
work he has undertaken, for he is doubt
less backed up by the Anaconda dem