The Washburn leader., 1904-09-03
WHAT REPUBLICANS mn. u
OF HARRIS.

In the last issue of the Miner
editor Harris wants to know what
the rank and file of the Republi
cans Of Mclean county think ot
the way the Miner has been usec
in regard to the distribution o1
Republican patronage" by this
meaning particularly the distribu
ton Of insurance statements fol
publication last spring. If we &C
not mistake the temper of the Re.
publicans of this county, and if We
are not misinformed regarding the
custom in other counties, the dis
tribution of Republican admins
tration patronage in the way Of in
surance statements in Mclean Co.
was entirely correct. There were
twelve statements to be published.
The Commissioner of Insqrane e
asked to be guided by the desire of
the regular party machinery-the
advice of the regular county CON-
mittee, and it is true that the chair
man of the committee advised the
sending of three statements each
to the Wilton News. Goodrich Cit.
izen, Denhoff Voice and Washburn
Leader as the four legal newspa-
pers of the county that supported
the straight Republican ticket two
years ago, or have been loyal since
the beginning of their existence, if
started since that time. The Wash.
burn Leader supported the Repub.
ican ticket two years ago, from top
to bottom, governor and all, as the
files of the paper will show. The
Wilton News and Denhoff Voice
did likewise. Editor Harris aims
to split straws by declaring that
the other paper, the Goodrich citi-
zen, started after the campaign of
two years ago and could not there
fore have supported the ticket in
the campaign of 1902. This is tech
nically true, but take the case Of the
Goodrich Citizen. 1t was started,
and interest taken in it, by the lead
ing citizens and business men of
Goodrich, and that they were Re-
publicans is shown by the vote Of
the precinct, IS to 4 for the Repub-
lican ticket right through; and fur
ther, as a rebuke to Otto Grethen,
who was misinforming the commu-
nifty in the columns Of the Flicker
tail Flicker.
As the chairman said in reply to
a letter Of inquiry from Harris un.
der date of June 9th of this year,
he understands the rule to be that
this sorto of patronage is given more
for past loyalty than present or fu-
ture promises, and he also assured
editor Harris that in event the
Miner should, in the forthcoming
campaign show its answering 10y
atty to the Republican ticket, he
would be pleased to recommend its
recognition thereafter on the same
footing as the other newspapers of
the county. Nothing wrong about
that, is there? The facts are, how
ever, that the Miner is not now nor
ever has been loyal to the Repub-
lican ticket, and it's editor, Fred
Harris, from the very beginning Of
his newspaper career in this county,
has refused to declare his intention
to support the Republican ticket.
In fact, at the very outset, when he
took charge of the Miner at Wash
burn, in his prospectus declared in
effect that he would not support
any party, faction or man. Here is
what he said:-
'In regard to my personal, polit-
ical, religious or other belief = n =
is is none of yer dinged business.
The Miner will be run n for no
particular party, faction or man un-
less it is Harris. am in the
newspaper business for what
Money can make"
That was the declaration Mr.,
Harris made in his issue Of the
Miner. April 3, 1903, and having
followed that principle ever since
he wonders why Republican pat.
ronage is not diverted from news.
papers that are loyal to those that
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