The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-10-15
INCORPORATION.

TALK Tor sc VerIl years regarding
the advisability of incorporating
Washburn as a city, and this talk
has been revived during the past
week. Many very good argu-
ments have been advanced from
time to time for incorporation.
and it is very doubtful whether
anything can be urged in favor
of continuing the bulky and
cumbersome township system
any longer. With the feeling
that there exists among many OF
the most prominent OF our citi-
zens regarding the question it
would seem that it was sup to"
someone to take the initiative in
the matter and see to it that the
question is put up to the people
to decide whether or not they are
ready to let so of the old form of
town governmentand adopt a city
form of government in it's stead.
There ought to be some excellent
reasons why Washburn should
be an exception to every town OF
it's size in the United States in
not incorporating, and if that
reason does not exist then the
sooner we do as other places of
our size have done the better.
By all means the question should
be acted upon by the people.
PEOPLE who have followed the
South Carolina shooting affair
are not inclined to be quite so
bitter in their denunciation of
Ex-Lieutenant Governor Tillman
for shooting Gonzales, and there
are in fact, many who areinclined
to sympathize with Tillman and
to attempt to justify his action.
Shooting is not considered avery
grievious crime down in South
Carolina, anyway, and Tillman-
goaded to desperation by the as
saults upon his character by a
virile editor, and believing his
own life to be in danger, and no
doubt acting under intense ex-
element, took the life of the
editor. Tillman made the great
mistake of having taken the law
within his own hands, and all
such should be made to suffer.
There is nothing, hardly, to JUS
tify the shooting of fellow being.
but on the other hand there is
brought to light in the case in
question the fendish bounding
of a public man by a bitter news
paper publisher. The newspap-
er man who will use his paper
week in and week out as the or
gan to work off his personal
bitterness has no right to the re-
spect of good citizens, and it is a
great mistake when they are up
held by political parties, and poll
itcians who court such a support
for the reason most likely that
they are afraid of being attacked
themselves. Public sentiment
all over the country has been
educated up to standard where
clean journalism is expected, and
when men of the type of Gonzales
are shot down upon the streets
it is conclusive evidence that
human passions will not stand
the scurrilon abuse of venemous
newspaper writer's. The pro-
gress of the world Las evolved
newspapers into such stage
that they must be organs to pre-
sent facts and to sustain opinions
by argument, and not seek to,
fortify themselves by abusing
people. In Wisconsin such a
thing as this murder would not
have occurred, because the courts
would likely have had both the
principals to the tragedy in Jail
long before the shooting, but.
down south the gun is more
popularity resorted to, and while
Tillman may have little justifica-
ton in the eyes of the people of
the country, still it is something
Il