Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-11-02


an Gazette published a campaign
edition to every voter in the coun-
ty. 1t contained a broadside of
editorials aimed at Lawson, candi-
date for senator, which were calcu-
lated to stir up old party prejudices
and cause people to forget their
principles and vote for the party
organization for the benefit of the
bunch of office holders who are now
scurrying thru the county.
A year or 50 ago the Tribune
made a present of twelve bound
volumes of it's files to the city H.
brary. We are not ashamed of the
newspaper work we have done at
Willmar and we are glad that by
the exercise of little forethought
in saving extra files we could place
in permanent form a local history
as reflected thru the Tribune, at a
place where anyone interested may
have free access to the same.
The politicians hired to conduct
the campaign for C. w. Odell set
to work to search thru all the
twelve years Of files to find where
the editor had made some mistake
or where they might find some Ian
guage used in the heat Of a cam
paign which when separated from
its context would furnish them a
peg on which to hang up signals of
distress for standpat voters.
The first such place found was an
opinion expressed at the beginning
of the Spanish-American war in
which the editor said that more
prompt action on the part Of the
Government might have averted the
Maine disaster. This is construed
as being a libel on President Nc
Kinley and is held up in holy hor-
ror in order to prejudice the minds
of all patriotic voters against the
editor. The offending paragraph
was not reproduced. 1t may have
been a mistaken opinion. We do
not know. The fact that Mckinley
is dead, killed by villainous
crank, is referred to, with the fur
Their purpose of creating prejudice.
It seems to us to be far cry and
an evidence of lack Of real issues
to hold up such items as these.
How many things could we not find
in the Gazette files for instance
about the late Gov. johnson, which
if reproduced at this time after his
death would not appear in the light
which they did when they were
published, but would be very dis
tasteful to all citizens regardless of
party.
Then follows extracts from edi-
torials regarding Roosevelt. These
the Gazette are welcome to make
the most of. The Tribune has
tried to be fair in it's comment on
Roosevelt. We have never been as
severe in criticism of him as have
many of the Republican politicians
who now expect to profit by the
return of Kandiyohi County to the
ranks of the reactionaries.
Some brief extracts from the
Tribune comment during the John.
son-Jacobson campaign are brot out
in the attempt to prejudice Norwe.
gian voters against Lawson. We
are not so sure that Editor Lawson
is personally responsible for the as.
persion regarding Jacobson's gift
of speech, but we admit it was
wrong to publish it. However, this
attempt to create prejudice against
Lawson will fail miserably. for he
has hosts Of active and enthusiastic
supporters in this campaign who
were Jacobson men two years ago
Many of them have stood shoulde,
to shoulder. with him fighting the
brewery interests in this city anc
county when the Gazette Grove
were lined up pretty solid1y for the
other side, and will not now be sc
easily switched to vote against
their convictions by such cheaE
campaign methods. BY the way
where is. jacobson in the presen,
campaign? ..>"@..