The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-04-07
SERPENT'S TOOTH
Methods Used by U. 5. Commits.
sioner Coulter to Destroy Com.
petition and Secure Monopoly

L
which. it appears, has stirred up
something:
The citizens of Culbertson are pretty
well stirred up over the methods adopted
by certain parties in trying 10 get Mayor
Mathews ousted as United States Commits
sioner IN Culbertson. The scheme seems
to be to get Mr.. Miller appointed in his
place, and as Mr.. Coulter is already Com
missioner, the firm of Coulter & Miller.
land and real estate dealers. would have a
monopoly. The same tactics have been
unsuccessfully used IN trying TO get {. ).
Stafford ousted as postmaster and Mr.
Coulter appointed in his place. The Ctr
zens are certainly getting tired Of such
methods"
In reply Judge Coulter takes the
matter up and after hurling such
epithets as "Annanias Reed, p"
''liaT," iiend," etc, at the Search
light editor, goes on to say:
We want to say right here. you old
d fiend. that your editorial is an in
famous lie. You knew it when you wrote
It. We are in no manner responsible for
Commissioner Mathews misdemeanors
Neither are we responsible for charges be-
ing brought against him. We do not deny
and have no desire to do so. that an afi.
ddvit was sworn to before us at the sug-
gestion OF certain special agent and a.
the time We requested that i be made else
where. This we can prove. Neither are
We responsible for the investigation of the
affairs of the Culbertson postofhce, or
the charges against the postmaster, who
is postmaster in name only. Neither do
We deny that We wouldn't accept the APP
poIntment. just the same as the editor OF
'Ihe Sesrchlight" remarked he would he
glad To do, not 81 very long ago. All YOU
are trying to do Is IL create false impress
sion tor the purpose Of iniuring u.s. not
onls the writer OF this aTiiclr. but Mr. T..
T.. Miller. whom nc man IN town has a
right to say a word detrimental to his
character or reputation. And you knew
when you wrote the article that such was
It's purport.
There are other things of which people
are getting tired. They are getting tired
OF Your hitting people when they are
down. II you we're as active
in going after crookedness, and other un-
lawful things that are injurious to the wei
fare Of our town, as in condemning un-
fortunate persons, and those who are us
ually unable to defend themselves. it would
be the more commendable thing"
The slush m the standard is too
long aud triiling to publish in full,
but the foregoing is the meat OF
his answer.
We will now take up the answer
in reply to the article, to the best
OF our poor ability, in calm and
dIgnliied manner, without venom
or malice, in the following order:
1. The truth OF our editorial.
2. Coulter's character as a pub
lie official, he holding the office as
United States Commissioned.
;. CoulteT's character as an as
pIrant for the office of postmaster.
4. Coulter's character as the
editor OF a newspaper.
As an Introductory we wish to
say that the doings OF public Of
hcial is a perfectly proper subject
for newspaper criticism. a man
who aspires to a federal ofhce
should be clean and honorable in
MS private life as he is in his ofiic-
ial life. Ii the Judge" has been
guilty of acts in his private life of
which he is ashamed, let us draw
the mantle OF charity around them
and relegate them to the obscurity
to which they belong. But as a
public officer the record of a man
should be as clear as a running
brooklet. Ii should not be like
that OF the Shiny serpent, wrigglIng
in the dark grass and sinking its
poisonous teeth into friends and
foes from that cover. But We di-
gress.
First-lt is a well known fact
that Coulter has been trying to get
all competition out of his way ever
since he secured the appointment
of u. 5. Commissioner about six
years ago. When he secured the
appointment c. s. Stafford was
United States Commissioned in