Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-21
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THE HERALD AND 6LAISDELL
The Grand Forks Herald, which Is
sometimes one of our most eminently
respectable muckrakers, recently pub
lished some bismarck correspond.
ence" whose object was to show that
the postage used in the Office of tn
secretary of state was a greater
amount than that used in other de-
partments at the state capitol, and
that therefore, the secretary of state
was using state postage for the pur.
pose of boosting his campaign for con-
gress. When Mr.. Blaisdell replied to
the article in the Herald, that emin-
emily respectable muckraker stated,
with dignity and calmness, that it
had published the postage stamp ar
ticle regarding the secretary merely
as news" and published his reply
in the same spirit Of desire to keep
the public informed.
Anybody who read the original ar
ticle attacking the secretary knows
that it was not published as news"
It was published with the intention
of placing Secretary Blaisdell in a
wrong light before the people of the
state, and there was just enough in
nuendo in the correspondence" to
poison the minds Of readers, who
might not hear the facts.
It Is true that the postage of the
secretary's Office Is probably greater
than that of other Offices, and there
is reason for 1t. The secretary's
Office is the distributing center for
documents to all parts Of the state
blue books. laws, and other books and
documents desired by the people of
the state, the schools, and the vari-
GUS institutions. There is a largo
volume of departmental mail, for the
office Of the secretary has multitude
Of duties, many of which have to do
with the free and frequent use of
thu United States mail. It is not
true, as stated, that blue books and
all documents are dispatched by OK
press. A great number of them go
out by mail. There are some 5000
blue books alone distributed from
the secretary's Office. And there are
laws and many other documents
mailed, the total number of which
will reach a good many thousand in
year.
Mr.. Blaisdell's reply to the Herald
sets the whole matter forth very
clearly. There may be proper differ
ences of opinion as to Mr.. Blaisdell's
candidacy for congress, but there is
no reason why he should not receive
square deal, so far as the conduct
Of his office is concerned, and he
should not be attacked with innu-
endoes and be stabbed in the back
with misstatements of facts. Mr..
Blaisdell in his letter to the Herald
says:
I have noticed the report in your
paper of May II concerning my use
of state supplies and official station
cry for campaigning purposes. While
I do not generally believe in denying
campaign stories sprung so short
time before election, yet as the Her.
aid has such large circulation, l
think it is best for me to make this
statement and trust the Herald will
give this statement the same pub
Hcity which it gave the first article.
Mud-slinging invariably begins the
few short weeks before every cleo
ton. It must be expected. The vot-
or will Judge for himself the fairness
and justice of any attack and the
lateness Of it's making. The voter
knows what fair play is and also
knows that bona-flde charge should
be made in the open, not by insinua-
ton and not a few weeks before the
election date. Out of fairness to N.Y.
self I must herewith brand that
dope" as a contemplate piece of
clumsy, vicious falsehood, and wish
to pay my humble respects to the
instigators of that lying article.
am not the secretary of either Of the
boards of pubic property or public
printing as the article states, and
never have been, save for when l
acted as secretary Of the board of
public property for about three
months, about three and a half years
ago.
Your informants know very well
that the correspondence Of the secre.
tary Of states ONCE averages at near.
" twice II not more than that OF
other departments. Every letter OF
inquiry written by the taxpayer,