Milford chronicle., 1910-10-14


in plain and understandable language.
Colonel Townsend's letter to Chairman
Mitchell explains his position fully and
puts new light on the situation. The
correspondence is as follows:
Wilmington, Del, Oct. TO-, 1910.
Colonel Theodore Townsend, Editor Mil
ford Chronicle, Milford, Delaware
Dear Sir The attention OF this COM
mittee has been called to articles which
have recently appeared in the public
press detailing a correspondence between
Yourself and q. Layton Grier of Sussex
County. 1t has been made 10 appear
that your attitude in this controversy was
in a nature OF a defense of the use Of
money at elections, and while a close
perusal Of this correspondence does not
carry out this assumption, still the Dem
ocratic newspapers have attempted 10 so
cOnstrue IT, Your attention il called to
this matter because il is the policy aud
will be the practice OF this committee
and the Republican party to adhere
strictly to the declaration OF our State
platform which is against the improper
use Of money at elections. Feeling that
your action should be in harmony with
the party declarations, it is thought de-
sirable that you should define your pres
ent position during this campaign as
well as the circumstances which are the
cause of this controversy.
Very truly yours,
Edmund Mitchell
Chairman Republican state Committee.
To this Colonel Townsend made the
following reply:
Milford, Del, Oct. 10, 1910
Mr.. Edmund Mitchell, Chairman Re-
publican State Committee, Whining
ton, Delaware
Dear Sir II have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter of this
morning in regard to correspondence with
G. Layton Grier, in which you request
that l should define my present post on
and the course intend to pursue during
the campaign also that ! should narrate
the circumstances which caused the con-
troversy between G. Layton Grier and
myself, to which l shall also add the
motive which ! believe underlies the con-
treversy. The facts are briefly as follows
was absent from home during the
greater part of last week, and in that time
q. Layton Grier went to the Office of my
paper, the Milford Chronicle, and made
an agreement with the business manager !
for advertising space for five weeks to be
used for political advertising.
When this matter was laid before me, |
called Mr.. Grier over the telephone and /
asked him the nature of the matter to be /
used in this space. The reply was that
the first advertisement would be simply |
a display advertisement subsequent issues
10 have articles written on political sub
ects.
/ stated to Mr. Grier that personal at
lacks on any candidate or candidates
would not be permitted in the columns
If the Chronicle and any attack on the
ticket as nominated would
lot be tolerated. He assured me that he
would be fair in the matter ] then
tated to him there would be no objection
o his using this space under those cir
On Thursday last while on a business
rip to a neighboring town, ! was in
ormed by persons in whom ! have the
.reatest confidence, that the object and
purposes of the advertisement for which
pace had been engaged in the Chronicle, ,
vas not for the purpose OF suppressing
bribery in the elections, but for an utter
or and selfish purpose, and that was, to
.efeat the candidates in the First Sena-
orial District of Sussex, the Fifth Sena
orial and the Tenth Representative Dis
ricts of Kent County. This purpose and
bject was to be further accomplished by
n agreement made by DR.. GrfeT with
ertain well-known Democrats of Milford,
7ho of course, desired to defeat those
andidates.
On arriving home from my visit | saw
hat that the Chronicle contained the ad-
ertisement according to the agreement
nd in accordance with my conversation
nth DR.. Grier, which was against brib-
cry at elections, and with which l
m wholly in sympathy, as it is in [
ltherance of the purposes OF the Repub- ]
can party, as stated in its platform, and g
~ editorial utterances from time to
me, notably my editorial in the edition 1
{ the Chronicle about four weeks ago.
here is no objection upon my part now,
nd there will be no objection on my ?
art in the future to any and all adver- ,
sements of the same character as the
ne published in the last edition OF the e
by DR. Grier; but, having been b
iformed and knowing that the copy was 7
} be changed for the next publication of !,
le Chronicle, and that the lines along
hich the space in the paper would be
sed, would be to assail the personal v
laracters of candidates on the Republi- r.
IN ticket, l Immediately returned the
neck with the letter, which has already D
zen published, and in that letter I stat o
/ as have in this letter, that my rea-
m for refusing the advertisement was
rat it was the purpose of DR.. Grier to
AXE an attack on the ticket as nominal u
I by the Republican party. This was v
le sole and only treason for canceling Il
le agreement. IT
In conclusion beg to say that the :
hTonicle is a Republican paper and its r
lvertising space is open to everyone for n
roper advertising purposes, including, e
course, the offering of rewards for the 4
,nviction of vote buyers. The paper :
nnot, however, be used by any person q
persons seeking to accomplish selfish +
,litical purposes, or the defeat of Repub- n
an candidates, by unfair and improper !,
rsonal attacks, such as / was told and u
lieve il was the intention of DR.. Grier q
print. p
the foregoing fully answers h,
uF letter, believe me, II,
Very truly youRs,
Theo. Townsend. o.