The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-06-29
Only playing at Dignity.

ne N. ~. StdtfS VI tue iVth hiS'-.
contains a column article headed "A
Dignified Campaign" for which il
takes az its text a paragraph rom
the Chronicles article. Open issues
are Plentiful" In it's comments the
States proceeds upon the seeming aS-
sumption that the Chronicle had n.
knowledge of certain ''mysterious
hints to which il referred when IL
deprecated the liklihoo'I Of mud-sline-
ing in the present campaign. Such
assumption is utterly withunt found
alton. The caption of our article ''s
well as the tenor III our comments
were 40 plain 1t is re'narkab'e the
States should have misconstrued
them. We do not remember To have
ever seen more glaring case OF per-
version sf the facts by the use OF
oDly u part Of the whole.
The States says its remarks We're
based upon certain statements APP
pearing in the Crowley Signal and
Alexandria Town Talk both al which
paperscomplaiI'ed Of the nnpri"ipnl-
ell methods III covert circulaturs ot
personal attacks upon candidates in
tlrirrehpective localities. They Inen-
toned no names, aud the States bad
no means of knowing which OF the
candidates were thus attacked"
The Chronicle was exactly in the
same condition as to it's remarks.
Yet the States proceeded to read the
press of Louisiana lecture about
engaging in a campaign ofmud-sling-
ing, when there WAS nothing Of the
sort in progress SO far AZ the press
il concerned, and the States by it's
own admission didn't know exactly
whit it was talking about. Then
when the Chronicle puts in mild
protest ut this sweeping charge
against the State press ON SO small
foundation, and in our article con-
tend that I'VE believe the State press
to b entirely above the imputatiOn
of desire to sling mud" the Seltes
proceeds deliberately to distort our
expressed sentiments, by asking il
We twill endorse a contrary course. "
In the lace OF our utterance in the
article referred to, that Live and
important issues appear to I've quite
plentiful to keep all hands busy. and
there b NO need to resort to the
muck rake that some seem to fear
50 badly" the query Of the States il
entirely unwarranted and is hardly
responsive to our comment.
The Suites compliment claim to
dignity" is entirely upset by its alb
surd plea to the press to abstain
from thing in which it was no. eu-
gagged One is irresistibly impressed
with the idea that it is a case OF very
curious but mistaken zeal. It's POM
pous hectoring under the conditions
is anything but dignifed.
Aside from the two nebuIous cases
of the Stntes We have seen no discus
sion OF the personality Of the candi-
dates, but if it is engaged IN by the
rural press the States need have no
fear but that it will be kept within
legitimate bounds. As IN important
part of the people the press has this
right. and no one can deny it. III
such discussion, We agree perfectly
with the States that it should only
be in the open, not covert or conceal
ed behind inupndo and mysterious
hints" as in the cases the States was
the first to discover.
The people have a right to the per-
soual aud political history nf cnndi-
aater seeking their votes for election
to Office. This is as much their right
ms are other issues discussed in the
campaign, and there can be no Oh
lection when it ~ done open and
above hoard, i MI the part ycriticisesl
t:.-....-.o ,g..s,- IN !. MOO fss ,,psucor