Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-01-30
LoNGFELLow MADE LONGER

honored by quarter column from
the virile pen of Mr.. Bronson and
nearly two from a new authority
Willie Waddel. Mr.. Bronson, a
wise Solomon that he is, realizing
that Longfellow's figures could not
be disputed devotes his time to an
article that he evidently intended to
be humorous but he forgot to label
it so that his readers would know;
and delegated to Willie Waddel the
task of proving Longfellow liar, if
it were possible.
Bronson's lamentable ignorance as
to who Longfellow is can, of course,
be accounted for. Any intelligent
man who peruses the editorial
columns of the World must realize
that at present its editor has a very
aggravated attack of the political
iimjams and therefore his vaporings
must not be taken seriously The
gold" cure in the shape of 1000
new subscribers paid for 10y the
"high taxes league, seems to have
aggravated this complaint. Cause
and etfect) The very flct that be
charges that because the writer does
not sign bis own name heis not to be
beliyed. does not do credit to the
profession that Mr. Bronson adorns.
He doesn't seem to realize that NJ.
Quad, Petroleum, V. Nasty and a
great many other writer's became
famous under nom de plume and
then why try to discourage Long
fellow from seeking renown in the
same way IS one of the things for
which the writer can find no reason.
1t does not seem possible to attri-
butte it to realously, because writer
like Bronson who has already won
fame would not stoop to discourage
new writer who is seeking to win
his spurs even if he does write
under an assumed name. Is it any
worse than citing the Day County
Kicker?
Willie Waddel follows up Bron
sons lead with an article which
ought to squelch Longfellow. In
the second paragraph he makes an
assertion that he would have his
readers believe and that is that he
doesn't know who Longfellow is
That may be true but if it is il
doesn't do credit to Willie Waddel':
abilities because we are morally
certain that he has been told because
he has many friends that know ano
among them Mr.. Bronson. 1t i,
hardly to be credited that when tn,
chief editor assigned this task t.
him that he did not tell who Long
fellow is The paragraph is clearl,
meant to convey false impression
In fact it is clearly a misrepresenta
ton. Can it be possible that al
article charging somebody else will
a misrepresentation can contain on
itself.
Willie Waddel has apparently
used some valuable time in find:n,
out that Longfellows figures wer
correct and is evidently greatly dis
gusted to find them SO, and accuse
the writer of bad faith in using then
If Willie Waddel will carefully rea,
the former article he will find til
purpose of it in the heading, Farm
ers VS.. Railroads." and farther o.
he will find that the purpose of tn
article was to show how the farmer
had been treated in the matter O
taxation in comparison with rail
roads. Is there anything unfai
about thatY Should the writer TAX
the figures for Webster city or Wau
bay village and compare them witt
Kidder or Morton townshipsg VIVA
material difference would it make Il
a farmer in Kidder township if tn
one mile in Webster city had beel
, assessed at $lOO,0O0s Why shout,
, not the farmers be entitled to som
of the benefits of the higher valua
ton of the mile in Webster whel
they are paying the money to main
tain its What is there so "diabol
ical" in table Of figures that show
exsctly the condition of things
Why doesn't Willie waddel prov,
that these figures are not correct
I Simply, Mr.. Farmer, because b,