The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-12-10
WAS 1T GREEN?
Asks The Somerset County Star, Re-
ferring to Some Prediction
TWaddle.

CHueE IIe caption w as 1t OTeen!
the last issue of the Somerset County
Star contained the following article
with reference to some prediction
publications made in the Garrett Journal
and severely rubs it into the editor of
the Journal for betraying the confidence
of a correspondent:
During the late Presidential campaign,
letter appeared in the Oakland JOUrn-
al, signed "A Republican" purporting
to be written at Grantsville, and in it the
writer attacked Candidate Taft on ac-
count of his religion, and urged all vot-
ers, irresponsible Of party, to vote for
Bryan.
The ignoranmus who wrote the letter
dubbed Mr. Taft an infidel, and deliver
ed himself of much other foolish aud
narrow-mnded rot too numerous to
mention.
There was much speculation at the
time as to who was guilty of writing
such silly twaddle, some blaming one
Republican and some another. The Star
was not long in arriving at the conclu-
sion that the letter referred to was not
written by Republican at all. but by a
big whiskey-fud mushy-brained
Democratic lobster, and we still believe
that we are right in our surmises.
However, there is nearly always
room to be mistaken in such matters,
and since a well-known GAINESVILLE
Democrat has recently informed US that
the letter alluded to was written by none
other than Lawrence Green, Republican
member of the Maryland Legislature,
from Garrett county, it would be well
enough for the Republicans of that
county to thoroughly investigate the
charge. If Mr.. Green is guilty of such
monkey like and unrepublican conduct,
his Republican constituents should
promptly ''slt down" on him good and
hard. If not guilty, he should be given
speedy Yindication. Mr.. Green shol Id
explain, and the editor of the Oakland
Journal should also explain for The
Stars informant said: The editor of
the Journal called me in and showed me
the letter, which had Mr. Green's sigma
ture to it, adding that he did not publish
the name because Mr.. Green requested
him to keep his name a secret"
If our informant told the truth, the
editor of the Journal should explain why
he betrayed the confidence of cores
pondent who requested that his identity
should not be made known. That kind
of a request is always construed as one
of the conditions of publication of a
communication, and no publisher has a
moral right to betray the confidence of
a correspondent. unless the publisher
was imposed upon by an untruthful or
unlawful article, which he had accepted
in good faith, but learned afterwards
that it was false. We shall not disclose
the name of our informant, as we prom
ised not to do so, unless we can obtain
proof that he lied. In that event he
shall be thoroughly exposed, as he
should be.
Upon our attention being directed
to the Stars article a letter was ad-
dressed to Mr.. Green, who is at present
teaching school at Selbysport, asking
him for statement either denying or
affirming the charges brought against
him by our Pennsylvania contemporary,
and in the mail Of Tuesday morning Mr..
Green's answer came, which we publish
below;
To the Editor of THE REPUBLICAN.
The charge of the Somerset Star ac-
cu-ing me of being the author of the
prediction articles concerning Presi-
dent-elect Taft's religion is nothing less
than political scheme of some of my
enemies and | challenge them to pro
duce the articles over my signature.
l.. F. GREEN.
Selbysport, Md, Dec. 5, 1908
The above letter is published as re-
quested by Mr.. Green and to tho ough-
ly set him right before the people of
Garrett county the editor of the Journal
should not hesitate, both in justice to
himself as we'll as to Mr.. Green, in
making plain statement of the facts
concerning the publications referred to
in the article from the Star as published
above.
Church Services.