The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-09-03

in order to fill page three with dope"
are clipping from one of the Helena pa
pers where the previous contest was
conducted The Statesman would
suggest that more care be taken in re-
vising these stories before printing,
as many of them do not apply to the
present fiasco. 1t may be. however. that
the rules of a copyrighted" contest
prevent any changes in the stories
other than the name of the rag in the
interest of which the crooked deal is
being pulled Off
Start Libel Suit.
1t may be well to inform the bunc
openly and above board that suit for
libel may be instituted by the city
editor of this paper because of the
statement in last nights bunc to the
effect that his permission was given
for the thread-bare statement that
appeared at the head of the contest
columns. His permission was most
emphatically withheld, for he was well
aware of the fact that the contestants
in the buncs latest attempt are al
ready working along that line, and
some of the favorites know to a GER
tainty that some little bits are added
to their grand total that should not be
given them. However, if the brilliant
lyric man can think Of nothing bet
ter, objections will be withdrawn at
this time, and other efforts may be
permitted.
1t is highly amusing to watch the
daily changes that are made in the
standing of the young ladies whose
names are appearing in the list
Whether the aforesaid changes are due
to the collection of money long due, or
whether caused by the wholesale col
lection of coupons, has not yet been
definitely determined, but it Is a cinch
that no new subscribers have been re-
ceived A new plan has been adopted
a regular monthly sub
scriber pays for the current month. he
is presented with a special coupon that
is good for $50 votes, and given the
privilege of casting them for any can
didate he desires. BY this method of
accounting, it is impossible for the
public to gain any idea of the inaccura-
cies that are prevalent in the totals
printed each day. Tricks and schemes
Of almost every description have been
injected into the piece of semi-political
jobbery that is destined to produce a
in the history of newspapers in the
west .
From the time names of deceased
young ladies were placed in the con-
test; from the time Miss Edithe Eckel-
brett was barred because of the color
line, after having secured 10000 votes;
from the time Bliss Kennedy, the
Dulin, the young man from Dayton,
were nominated and their vote sWelled
daily to make them believe they were
young ladies" and supported by
friends, the contest has teemed with
shady manipulations that have been
only by the verbosity. persi-
fage and buncombe daily found in
Bunc columns. Several hundred names
have been eliminated from the contest,
only to be substituted by others who
are absent from the city and know
nothing whatever of the contest. One
of the winners, according to latest re-
port, is to be a young lady who has
been away since the opening of the
contest, on her summer vacation
That committee of reputable business
men, according to common report, is to
consist of the henchmen of the political
manager of the disreputable sheet and
of course their verdict will be wholly
in keeping with that Worthy's sug-
gestions. Could anything be more I'M
fair, more closely identified with job
berry and crooked work? And of course
the auto and other big prizes will be
awarded only with the understanding
they are to be refunded to the bunc
manager for a small consideration. in
order that he may not lose money on
the event which he has publicly an
nOunced he wished he had never
started"