Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-05-31
TnE COWAIsDLY ASSASSIN.

A mans political character is 8
proper subjec1 of discu sion: and
10 is lis priv4t' characte-, it be
aspires to public plac'. But it is
eOwasdiy, despicable and Infamous
TO make annoyn Gus ttacNs; the
more so, of course, if they are
malicious and false, ss are the at
taeks o Jonathan B urne, printed
Ana circulated b thousands. IN the
Aope Of defe tirg him for the
limited S e. Senate.
VINO are the c W, rd Y calumDi-
Etors and as 'ass,ns, Who % this
work aud shieii Il emse, yes under
snonymity? Evidently they are
persons who have money to back
their malignity, oa the one hand,
and their se.tis desire 10 open the
Senatorship to purchase, on the
etner. Circulars by tens of thou
sands cam ii be printed aid sent
through the mails without money,
aud good de of t. What
plntocrat, or group of plutocrats, is
putting up for these nl louymous
defamations? They probably yet
will BE- dis covered, and branded
With the infamy they de, erve.
No creature is so despicable as
he who uses the assassin's weapon
es anonymous attack. Criticism OF
tie polite. career Of Jonathan
Eoosne, or of any other public
mar is, allc wab'e, if done openly
and decently; but even this never
be done by those who work
in secrecy and ncealment, afraid
to avow themselves. Attacks on
tho personal and private character
of pablo men by a malignant
.eowardice that conceals its own
,pazsonality and u,n RS 'alamnit 8
ilom under cover, should be treat
ed always with the contempt that
such despicable work deserves.
To IA anonymous circular no
Iight-minded persoo can pay any
attention whalevei; and If calum-
Nous, tie work can only excite
bathing towards those guilty of it.
Taking some of these libelous
circulars to the Investigation COM
znistee Of the Municipal Associa-
t5on Of Portland, Mr.. Bourne re-
Gnested an inquiry into the
charges they contain. Several
persons> believed to be the authors
or promoters Of the accu 80 tioDs,
were cal ed to come and testify,
hat all Of them refused or declin-
ed The committee had no power
10 compel the tttendonce of wit
Aasses, and the gentlemen who are
known to be among those who
carry the dagger of libel and
ssander in the sheath of anonymity
refused to appear. CorwardIy
scoandrels, always, are those who
pursue the work Of secret defama-
tDn. But as some of these men
a1e known, they yet probably will
Eave the advantage, in spite of all
their efforts for secrecy, to tell in
open court what they pretend to
Know.
To oppose a man in politics is
Gao thing, to defame his personal
character is another,-especially if
ii is done under the cover of d
es@ardly AMI malignant anony-
Ealty. Nothing that affects the
character of men should be pub
ilzhe d anony mously. Fortunately,
kGmsn nature is so constituted
hat such publications usually de-
Fat the purpose Of those who utter
them.
The Orpgonian has opposed Mr..
Bourne on many occasions hereto
ore. In former years, when the
money question vas supreme, it
irfered from him most widely.
hat was ten years ago, and it is
ast. The Oregonian never ques-
Dped the honesty of his motives,
nj it gave him credit for the
Ourage OF his convictions. That
ns more than it could say for
any or most of the conspicuous
IN of the Republican party who