Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-09-21
Troy, Idaho, Sept. 10, 1905.
B. L. French,
Moscow, Idaho.

MOSCOW, ludnO.
Dear Sir: Your letter of the 18th at
hand and your denial read with feel
ing that has not increased my opinion
OF your good sense and some other
qualities highly priced by all truthful
men. And since it is your desire that
your letter be published I shall accom-
modate you in the next issue Of the
Troy News, and append few opinions
OF my own, some being equally inter
ested in what l think regarding this
controversy. You should understand
that l did not take up this matter un-
til l had thought it all over well and
until / had plenty Of evidence and
reason for the faith that is now in me,
and that too, against my desires and
wishes.
From your letter l take it that you
are laboring under the opinion that a
simple denial from you will be suffici-
ent to forever settle the question, and
that the people are going to swallow
the pill because it comes from you.
You seem to think that your unsup-
ported word will outweigh both facts
and evidence Of kind that ought
not be questioned, and would not be,
were some one less important than
Burton L. French under considertioI.
It might do you good to know that
there is scarcely prominent republi-
can in this community who believes
you when you make that denial. 1t
might also do you little good if you
could realize that your denial has
caused many of the best men here TO
express themselves in way not en-
tirely complimentary to you. The
public believes you are interested
in that paper, and I am frank to admit
that the editor Of The Troy News
holds to this view.
If your denial is true you would have
the public infer that Mr.. Fields went
into this newspaper venture, requiring
an outlay Of from four to five thousand
dollars, upon his own hook, and that,
too, with not the slightest preparation,
and with absolutely no practical know
ledge OF business that requires some
years TO learn. And more than that
you ask US to believe that this man
Fields, without support from you, with
the knowledge that practical newspaper
men had looked over the field and
turned it down, has invested several
thousand dollars which he could not
possibly have had. If you are correct then
you have convicted your young friend
Fields Of being the biggest idiot outside
an asylum.
But the most patent reason for be-
lieving there is no truth in your denial
is the well-known fact that for some
three months previous to the launching
Of the Post, Mr.. Munson, who pre-
tended to speak for you, exerted every
possible effort to induce some compe-
tent newspaper man to start just such
a paper in Moscow as Mr.. Fields is
now starting. Neither Mr.. Munson
nor yourself will deny that all these
former efforts we're for the purpose, and
no other, Of placing a ring organ in the
field, and that organ to be controlled
and run in your personal INTEREST," But
you ask the public to believe that you
have changed your mind; and Mr.
Munson, who pretends to be your man
ager, insists that you and your friends
have abandoned the idea Of establish
ing a newspaper, and have withdrawn
all support and encouragement from
Mr.. Fields, whose allegiance to you no
one would think Of doubling. And all
this change Of heart has taken place
right in the beginning Of political
campaign with you candidate for re-
electionl Your position is ridiculous,