Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-12-22

lIyOu h1O q lull OOlhllill VI
county political forecasts, Of the sort
usually known as dope" in the Fri
day issue OF his Independence West
Side. Many prominent Republicans
are mentioned as possessing the
necessary qualifications to enable
them to represent Polk county with
credit to themselves and their con-
stituents in the next Legislature, and
the article, as whole, furnishes
entertaining reading. Such writing
is harmless, and is usually pleasing
particularly to the men who are men,
toned for office. All men are more or
less susceptible to fiattery, and news
paper seldom runs the risk Of incur
ring a readers displeasure by men
tioning him as suitable timber for an
important office, even If the person
referred to has no intention Of becom-
ing a candidate for such office. The
citizen thus brought into prominence
Is prone to accept the compliment in
the right spirit, although he may
fully appreciate the fact that the good
words spoken in behalf Of his candi
dacy are nothing more than editorial
hot air. Without the least desire to
meddle, however, it strikes the OBsER-
YER that Mr.. Lyon carries the matter
too far when he INDUCES in person
alities against one Of the best citizens
of his town and Of Polk county. He
says:
"The list OF eligibles would be alto
gether incomplete without the name
OF j. M. Stark. Mr.. Stark was turned
down at the last convention and again
in the late city election of Inde
pendence, but brains and fitness will
In time find recognition. There are
those who claim that Mr.. Stark
forfeited his right to run for the legis-
lature by 'butting in to the city elec-
Cion."
To Mr.. Stark's friends, and he has
many of them in this end of Polk
county, the foregoing paragraph
seems in bad taste and entirely un-
called for. No sighting notice is
made Of any other citizen in the article
referred to, and it would appear on
its face that Mr.. Lyon penned it Tor
no other purpose than in an attempt
to hold Mr.. Stark up to ridicule. 1t
is certainly no crime to take part
in city election, and inquiry
develops the fact that Mr.. Stark
took no more active part in the
recent election in Independence than
did many Of his townsmen. Since
when have affairs come to such pass
that an American citizen cannot take
part in an election in his home town
without being accused of "butting
inP" The OBSERVER does not believe
that such a condition exists in our
neighbor town Of Independence, or
anywhere else in Oregon, except per-
haps in the mind of the West Side
editor.
The writer has known j. M. Stark
ever since that gentleman came to
POLK county, ten or llIteen years ago,
and has always found him an enter
prising and public-spirited citizen,
loyal to his home town, and ever ready
to join in any movement for the up
building Of the county. While he
may not always be on the popular
side in advocating methods Of carry
ing out proposed public Improvements,
he has shown his faith in Polk county
by investing his money here, and that
his heart is In the right place concern
ing the welfare and prosperity of his
home town, no one who knows him
will doubt Polk county needs more
men like "Pap" Stark, and the West
Side does ill when it singles him out
as target for ridicule,