Ladysmith news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1906-1907, 1906-09-15
Peterson AND BANKWRECKERS
The official Organ of the Political
Ring Wants Information.

The Budget wants to know why the
News doesn't tell how Peterson wreck
ed the bank. We haven't told because
we don't know. Now let us reverse
the order of things. True, the owner
of the Budget, was cashier at about
the time that the Budget inslnuates
Peterson wrecked the bank. Why
didn't the Budget tell it at the time?
Why hasn't it told it since? If Peder-
son was bankwrecker and True knew
it, what was True? Lawyers have
terms that closely define the situation.
Again we ask, if you have the in
formation you pretend to have, why
didn't you complain then? Why didn't
you do your duty you who are long on
"duty?"
When Peterson ran the bank, the
bank ran that is all outsiders know
about it. The cashier is supposed to
be custodian of the bank funds-the
real boss of the cash box-does True
want the public to understand that
he or some other cashier silently watch
ed it's looting? What conclusion is
intended anyhow? We are little con-
fused on this point. Notwithstanding
True's violent and slanderous abuse OF
the writer, we do not want to do him
an Injustice, and so we leave to him
to show whether or not he consented
to this matter, helped it along or tried
and failed to prevent it. Also why he
said nothing about it until years after
ward.
Newman and McGill must have
known what Peterson had or had not
done. Does the Budget want the pub
lie to understand that they, too, shield
ed Peterson? Probably the Budget
will tell about this too. Then there is
story about how the Newman-McGill
combine got control Of the bank-per-
haps True, in his new role OF journal
ist, will tell about that too. Don't
forget the trip to Milwaukee and Osh-
kosh and the judgments that followed
and the 100 per cent assessment on
the stock that became worthless. Tell
it all.
; And then there is that race to La
Crosse when witnesses were to go
before the grand jury. Peterson staid
at home.
According to Dame Runor there are
some sweat box stories that would be
tart and entertaining. When a man
jumps from a fat Office into journalism
and attempts the huge task Of making
black appear white, he needs some
ability or assistants who have some
idea of the eternal fitness of things.
''Whom the gods would destroy they
first make mad" The News has noted
that a coterie of politicians have been
madder than usual for some time and
concluded that an explosion was due in
the Budget.
The conclusion evident from the
Budget is that the Peterson disease
wasn't fatal to the bank, but that the
Newman-McGill cure killed it-and we
guess that is about right.
The News has no apology for Peder-
erson. He doesn't get mad when we
use the term "bankWreckers, he has
never slandered the editor Of the News
he talks good government, either from
original sense of decency or reformed
!. motives, he doesn't associate with those
who SANDER the writer-and that counts
for something. We leave his fate tc
the Budget-to the gang of whom We
recently heard an outsider say he
wouldn't give Five dollars for the
whole bunch"
We have no doubt that the receiver
will be interested in the Budgets his
tory of how Newman and McGill didn I
do it.
What We Said.