The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-06
AN ABSURD CHARGE
WARD EIGHT's QUESTION

WARD FIGHTS QUESTION.
To the Editor of the POST
Dear Sir-I desire, through the col
umns of your paper, to inquire, if any
one can tell me, on which side The
Spy is in this political campaign. The
attitude of that paper, whose editor
has received numerous favors from the
Worcester Republicans, is nothing less
than contemplate. 1t is not a Repub-
lican paper. 1t is not a Democratic pa
per. 1t is not an independent paper.
What is it? WARD EIGHT.
The above quotation in the columns
of a Democratic newspaper that is not
supporting the Democratic candidate
for mayor is interesting, to say the
least No man who has read The Spy
would need to ask where it stands. It
is not attempting to convert the Dem
ocratic party to vote for Mr.. Fletcher.
No man who votes for Mr.. OConnell
will be censured through The Spy, be-
cause Mr.. O'Connell has shown himself
a careful and conscientious magistrate
There is no political or partisan law
that requires this newspaper to say
anything to the contrary. simply be-
cause The Spy is a Republican newspa-
per when Republican policies are at
stake.
If Mr.. O'Connell had been nominated
by the Republican party, if the Re-
publican party had made a bad nomi-
nation, if Mr.. O'Connell had been nom
mated by a Citizens Association in
stead Of partisan body, The Spy could
n va oh ~
is, The Spy supports Mr.. Fletcher glad
ly.
Mr.. Fletcher is a man of more bust
ness experience than Mr.. O'Connell. He
is older, his judgment surely can be
counted as good, his record in the City
Hall WILL we believe, be as good as
Mayor O'ConnelTs.
The Spy is not to blame for the idea
that Mayor O'Connell. as much as any
man in political life in this city has
fostered the keeping of the partisan
lines drawn in city elections. He did
not believe in taking a citizens nom
ination last year. He has made no eff
fort to break down the partisan system
Of elections. What he has done for
-partisanship in city affairs The
Spy has given him credit for That
does not constitute, in our opinion,
enough to create any obligation on the
part of the Republican voters of the
city to re-elect him. If it did The Spy
would be the first to say so.
In all probability Mr. Fletcher will be
the next mayor of the city of Worces-
ter. and it will be no discredit to Mr..
O'Connen, even though he has been a
good mayor, to be defeated at this
election.
If he had been a bad mayor this in
sulting communication. which we have
published above. would never have been
written. There are some men so mar
row and preiudiced that nothing but
bitter abuse and viliication of political
opponents, regardless of the truth will
satisfy them. The Spy, as a newspa-
per- is above the policy of heaping
Misrepresentation upon political oppo-
nents' motives and actions If it fails
from this policy, we shall be glad to let
Mr.. Ward Eight, or any other anony-
nous contributor discuss The Spy as a
Republican newspaper.
In municipal affairs it will support
the candidates that are in a position to
give the city of Worcester the best ad-
ministration. The one vital thing that
we all want in supporting this business
corporation, called the city of Worces-
ter, in which we are all stockholders,
and of whose prosperous future we are
all confident, is business ability in the
City Hall.
The Spy is Independent enough to be
ready to support the right kind of a
man for mayor and competent men for
city officials, without regard to their
politics. This may be Contemplate"
from the point Of view of a ward
heeler. who believes he has earned
an office when he has manipulated a
caucus, but it is a right and just and
decent course in politics, and it will
win in the end.
COUNSELS CAUTION