The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1906-08-17
THB OTHER SIDE OF IT
Republican Press Committee
Presents Some Facts.
Newspaper Should Be Actuated by
Principle, Not Pelf. In Sup
porting Ticket.

To the Voters OF Whitman County:
The published report that the republican
county central committee and the nomi-
nees on the republican ticket of Whit
man county intend ignoring the county
newspapers is an error. At the time of
the meeting of the county central COM
mittee, and the executive committee se-
lected by the chairman to manage the
campaign, it was decided that the
assessments made upon the candidates
for campaign purposes should be large
enough to cover the expenses incident to
caring for the county papers, ,and that by
reason OF such assessment the candidates
were advised that the county central
committee would negotiate with the
papers Tor the support of the en-
tire ticket, and in order to carry out
that decision w. j. Davenport and A. T..
Stuht OF the executive committee, we're
appointed as a committee to negotiate
with the republican county papers for
the support OF the republican ticket but
before the committee appointed had
time to take up negotiations with the
republican papers, the report that the
committee intended ignoring them was
given wide publicity without either con
sulting the executive committee or the
nominees upon the ticket.
On the 3lst day of July, 1906, prior
to the meeting OF the county chntral
committee, or of the executive commit
tee, the Whitman County Press Associa-
tiOn held meeting in COfax, at which
meeting it was unanimously decided not
to run either the democratic or the re
publican county or state tickets unless
fiat fee OF $40 was paid in advance. 1t
was also decided by the association that
ten per cent of the salaries of the vari-
GUS officers be charged for advertising
the respective candidates, and that no
business would be done with the county
central committees except bY the COlfax
papers; and further, that not one Of the
newspapers present, outside of the COlfax
papers and the La Crosse Clipper, would
pledge to support a straight ticket.
The assault on the republican county
central committee and upon the
nominees of the party is wholly unwar-
ranted, and instead Of it being the re-
publicans VS.. the editors, it is the editors
vs.. the nominees on the ticket, unless
the nominees chalk up as prescribed by
them. 1t has been a custom in this
county from "whence the memory of
man ruRneth not to the contrary" for
the county central committees to ar
range with the editors for the support
of the tickets, and until such arrange
ment there has not, SO far as we know,
in the past been a paper outside of the
county seat that has even so much as
published the ticket, with the exception
of the La Crosse Clipper, until the man
aging committee had disgOrged. While
there are none of us now on the execu-
tive committee who are newspaper men,
and it may be, for aught we know, that
the amount of money that the commit
tee would be able to give the papers
would not fully compensate them for the
space and labor devoted to the publica-
ton and support of the ticket, however,
the newspapers as well as the individual
should be actuated by patriotism and
principle, not pelf, in supporting ticket
1t was not the intention of the commit
tee appointed to negotiate with the
papers to open negotiations with any
except those reputed to be republican,
and who believed in and desired the per
petuatiOn of republican principles, and
who were willing to stand for the re-
publican ticket that those principles
might prevail, actuated by the same
motive as is the individual who gives
his time to his party upon the hustings,
or the more humble worker at the polls
Ii the stand taken by the papers Of
the Whitman County Press Association
is right, both in law and ethics, then
patriotism is a myth and no man should
support the ticket without compensa-
ton; which, we're it true, and the voter
waited for compensation for his time
and trouble, it would be needless to hold
an election, for the polling places, except
for the candidates and a few friends,
would be as deserted as the north pole,
Fortunately, however, the editors re-
ferred to herein do not reflect the seDti-
ment OF the average voter. who regards
the right OF franchise a sacred privilege
and not matter of barter and trade.
The statement that the committee
denominated the editors as ''grafters"
and "booders'' is equally in error, as
much so as the statement that it was
the intention of the committee and the
candidates to ignore them; for the CON-
mittee has ever stood ready to deal with
all the papers who we're willing to and
would support the entire republican
ticket. The committee being the man
aging committee of the party in opening
HOulu W 6O IOE anu Oh
behalf OF the nominees. To open negO-
tiations or arrange with a paper not in
sympathy with and who would not sup.
port the entire ticket would be mani
festly unjust to those on the ticket whom
the paper would not support, if not
misappIication OF the campaign funds
contributed by the candidates as a
whole.
1t seems to the committee that the
attitude OF the press association is ex-
ceedingly harsh and wholly uncalled for
in refusing to recognize the managing
committee OF the party, and in demand
ing ten per cent OF the salaries of the
respective officers for their support, an
amount equal to an extravagant assess
ment made to cover all expenses Incl
dent to the campaign. 1t seems to US
that the editors are not only trying to
usurp the powers and duties of the man
aging committee, but to beggar the
candidates, which, if aequiesced in, would
necessitate a much greater expenditure
on the part of the candidates in making
their campaign than has been the GUS