Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-12-03
THURSDAY, DEC. 5. 1908.
Campaign Methods Again.


EDITOR REFLECTOR; do not wish to
NEEDLE with any quarrel between the Times
and Reflector. but kindly do me the Justice
to correct the miscellaneous made In your
editorial column under the date of Novem-
Der 10, which says:
early In the campaign we received an ar
ticle from Mr.. Avery which included and was
in effect an attack on John A. Flack, his OPP
| ponent. The insinuations and statements
were unfair and misrepresented Mr.. Flacks
| position. We refused to publish IL. writing
Mr.. Avery to that effect and stating that the
Refiector's columns could mot be used to at
tack any one unfairly. etc."
wrote no article concerning Mr.. Flack or
even mentioned his name in any article to
the Reflector never referred to him directly
or indirectly. lido not make use Of inslnua-
tions.
On Monday morning before next to the last
edition before the campaign closed offered
the Reflector for publication by apersonal
visit ct their office. q letter that had re-
ceived from W. P. Gates, q prominent Demo-
crat Of this county (the contents OF which are
pretty generally known as 1t was reproduced
in most Of the Republican papers and two.
Democrat papers OF the district.) Mr.. Wilson
read the letter while was in the Office and
accepted 1t and said that 1t would be pub
lished In Thursdays paper. Following this
saw Mr.. Wilson on the street on Tuesday
and again on Wednesday at the q. P. depot
and he said nothing concerning the letter,
but on Friday after 1t was too late to be given
to any other paper received letter from
Mr.. Wilson. saying In effect that be would
not publish the letter as 1t used the term
Banker Flack instead Of MP. Flack. On the
following Tuesday, called at the Reflector
oHice and asked them II they would carry
the letter in the last edition before the CAM
paign closed and leave out that odious word
Banker and they said they would be glad to
do so. Isaid all right run 1t in form that
will suit you. The copy Of that weeks paper
that received said nothing.
The Reflector did not write me a letter at
any time saying the columns Of their paper
would not be open to attack any one unfair
". Neither did they have any occasion to
write any such letter.
with these exceptions so far as the edito.
rial is personal to myself 10 is probably ac-
cuFate. h. W. AIRY.
7 AWsa.e glad to see that Mr.. Evsry
now disavows responsibility for
the article referred to although it was
received from him, It was our opin-
ion at the time that it was poor poll
tics and bad ethics to use such mate
rial in campaign and for that reason
refused to publish it. Mr.. Avery's
recollection Of what occurred is evil
IDENTIFY greatly coniused-the plain
facts are that it was not read while
he was in the Office, no promise was
made to print it as it was written and
when it was read he was promptly !
notified that it would not be used but
that the papers columns were open
to him for fair campaign material.
To this letter no reply was received.
In short this paper would not
allow the publication Of articles abus-
ing a man simply because his BUSH
ness was farming or banking or mer-
chandising for the purpose Of making
votes against him. 1t was not to the
use Of the word Banker" as Mr..
Avery puts it, but the unfair argu-
ment Of the article to which we OBJ
jected and It is qualification to learn
that Mr.. Avery places the RESPONSE
bility for it elsewhere. Had Mr..
Avery had the piece revised SO that 1t
would have been an argument on
principle and not abuse Of individuals
our columns were open to him, as he
was then informed. That seems TO
us the right way to conduct cam
paign and we're the campaign to be
repeated we should make no change
in our action in this specific instance.