Amador ledger., 1905-02-24
SOMEWHAT RUFFLED.

The editor of the Ledger does not
seem to like the idea of q newspaper
man asking for a public Office, and ex-
presses himself on that strain anent
the editor of this paper applying for
the position of clerk of the district
court of appeal. The Ledger man con-
cludes by saying, Gin all serious
ness the governor might do much
worse than to appoint Mr.. Wood to
the position for which he is now men,
toned" In this we concur, but there
is only one worse piece of humanity
| whom the governor or anybody else
may appoint to be dog catcher or any
old thing, and that is the editor of the
Ledger. Since the Ledger is the self
appointed high priest of Amador county
politics, we should have asked permis-
sion of his magnitude, the great die
tator, before proceeding. 1t is well
known fact and common talk that who
soever the Ledger supports for any
Office, straightway is he ruined, and
this is said to be the reason why Gov
ernor Pardee came near being defeated
in this strongly republican state two
years ago. In this case as well as most
always, our Jackson cotem, in continu-
ing disturbing element, is meddling
| with other peoples affairs aud displays
gross ignorance. It would be we'll if
our esteemed friend would become ac-
quainted with the facts before blowing
off again.-Amador Record.
We are pleased to publish the fore
going, giving it the benefit of the
Ledger's larger circulation. Our
contemporary should be more circum-
spect in his criticism, and not ruffie
his feathers in the wrong direction.
The editor of the Ledger has said
nothing about the Record mans lat
est-born aspirations for Office. He
penned not syllable of the article
referred to, and had no knowledge
of it until after it was in print, be-
ing absent from the county at the
time. The editor of the Ledger is
not opposed to newspaper men as
piring for public position per Sc;
but we may as well remark right
here, that the Ledger is emphati-
cally opposed to the idea that the
mere possession of newspaper is in
itself the all-important recommends
tion for public position. Further
more, we may say that as a rule it
is the featherweights of journalism
whose aspirations have the chronic
officeward drift. The real journalist
has higher opinion of his profession
than to degrade it by using his
columns to promote his personal
ambition. 1t may also be remarked
that the fotsam and jetsam of news
paperdom-those who are but the
playthings tossed hither and thither
on the surface of the political whirl-
pool-are afflicted with hungering
and thirsting for office, and too
often get there.
The flattering opinion of the Record
concerning the Ledger is a matter
of supreme Indifference to us. But
we dissent from the intimation
that in discussing this matter the
Ledger " is meddling with other
peoples affairs. When a man puts
himself up for office, whether elective
or appointive, he thereby voluntarily
places himself on the firing line of
criticism, and his fitness or misfit
ness for the position sought become
legitimate subjects of discussion.
Moreover, the we concur" bit of
self-laudation seems to us in ques-
tionable taste, and while fully recog-
nizing the genial qualities of the as
pirant for clerkship of district
court of the supreme bench, we
also willingly concur that the
governor might do much worse
than to appoint Mr.. Wood" at the
same time we indulge the hope that
after careful survey of the field of
eligible candidates, and animated by
desire to promote public interests,
he may possibly be able to do some
what better,