The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-05-23

halt. In every fight in the interest OF
the citizen and the taxpayer the States
man won and the grafters and tax
dodgers went down to defeat, branded
with the public odium they deserved.
That the victories achieved were only
temporary in some instances were due
to causes beyond the control of the
Statesman and its owners.
| Many times have the enemies of the
Statesman organized to drive it out or
| existence. Times without number boy
colts were formed to destroy it's bust
ness standing, injure the credit of its
owners and resort to questionable
! means of intimidation to throttle its
free speech and smother the fearless
exposes. but without success. Each
time the Statesman suffered losses
financially, but its fighting capacity
was increased and the results are
well known to the reading public.
Many times, too, efforts were made
to bride and purchase the owner and
his employees, but without success. 1t
is the proud boast of the mana cement
that not one dishonest dollar ever
passed into it's possession, not one cent
of bride money, or graft, after its own
err took charge. On the contrary, offers
Of brides, or graft, were met with swift
and sure punishment.
Cne instance may be cited that is
well known, within two months after
the representative of one paving con-
Germ entered the Statesman office and
made his last cash offer to its owner,
that company packed up its plant and
departed to other cities too thoroughly
exposed in its graft methods to ever
be acceptable to the honest property
owners of Walla Walla.
That the fight against municipal and
financial corruption, against the tax
dodgers and the taxeaters, could have
been kept up successfully goes without
saying But it was a strenuous life. The
enemy was, and is, strong and we'll en-
trenched His business connections are
wide, and firmly dashed together Ad-
vertisers who fully recognized the
value Of the Statesman as a medium
bringing quick results were browbeaten
until they were afraid to advertise to
any extent in the Statesman for fear Of
d. ing injured financially and through
destruction Of their credit.
Others already in the grasp of the
taxdodgers were compelled to obey or
ders and refrain from public support,
although secretly assisting the paper to
the full extent of their ability.
SO, too. the owner Of the Statesman,
was compelled to venture into outside
, business fields to keep up the fight.
These new interests developed SO rap
idly they required all of the time OBJ
tainable TO bring them to success, a
success which resulted in the estab-
lishment of the finest and largest print
ing plant in this territory, second to
none in the entire northwest.
There came changes affecting the eff
/ iciency OF the Statesman as a medium
! fighting for the property owners and
the people It's owner was compelled
! to devote all of his time to the new
, business and leased the newspaper. In
/ the change he lost his editor whose
/ brilliant paragraphs and able fearless
writing. backed to the limit by the
management, had made the editorial
page of the Statesman second to none
! in the state, and one of the most wide
ly read ard discussed in the entire
northwest other changes followed I'M
til the paper became a burden to its
owner.
! Then came the opportunity to retire
with financial profits. the first actual
profits enjoyed in four years from the
news paper. 1t was accepted and the
! change in ownership in the printing
plant and the Statesman takes place
at once.
To those who have supported us we
return heartfelt thanks with the ex-
pressed wish that the old times could
continue with profit.
To our enemies we say we have
fought good fight. and have enjoyed
it from beginning to end, and We're It
not that We are leaving with better
financial results entering a field that
promises larger opportunities and more
successful business, we would stay to
the end and keep up, or renew the mer-
ry chase. AS it is not We have lost
nothing except time which is balanced
by the satisfaction of having fought