Bismarck daily tribune., 1912-01-09


o'clock on the morning of the day on whc
| publication is desred.)
Editor Tribune
MY experience as a newspaper mar
mas taught me that the fellow will
a communication is the bane of ar
editors life, but l feel called upor
to say a few words in reply to a com.
munication which appeared in last
nights issue Of the Tribune; | will
make bid for your good will bv be-
ing as brief as possible.
I fain would use pointed LANGUAGE
IN replying to the Hon. p. D. Norton
but having been assured that the il,
lustrlous Patrick is truly shocked
over the plain truth contained in Jim
Jam Jems and that he was compelled
to resort continuously to his smelling
salts during the first reading thereof,
will endeavor to use language he
Will dare risk at least one eye on.
for | do sincerely desire that he
read what is here penned.
In the vernacular of the Rev, Billy
Sunday, and surely Mr.. Norton will
not object to my quoting a preacher,
ITS the hit dog that yelps" Jim Jam
Junior touched vital spot when he
dared to insinuate that the present
secretary of state is "off-color" Off
claliy, and | am not in the least sur
prised that the gentleman in ques-
ton broke into print with communi-
cation and attempted to scatter my
vlscera over the earth with the best
language at the command of his chief
deputy.
Pat Norton is pretty small fry for
any man to waste much time on but
even a polecat will compel nobility
TO notice him at times; my inclina-
ton was to leave the gentleman In
question entirely to the tender mer-
cies Of Jim Jam Junior, but my friends
insist that they look for a personal
reply and | would not disappoint them
for the world. so here goes:
1 plead guilty to the charge of hav-
ing a diseased mind; the fact that
editorially told the good people of
North Dakota in the last campaign
that P. d. Norton would be a good
and faithful public servant is evidence
enough to convict me. And, by the
way, Pat thought was a pretty fine
fellow at that time. for when he came
into my sanctum he DOTTED his cady
and salaamed with all the grace and
reverence of a South Sea islander be-
fore his stuffed idol, and his thanks
for my unsolicited and magnanimous
support was what aroused the first
in my "other" brain, for I
have always been leary Of the oily
and sanctimonious fellow; He'll bear
watching every time.
I am probably all that Pat Norton
says that l am; I have been in too
many royal editorial battles to lose
any sleep over what anyone may say or
think of me. TO save time am going
to stipulate 1t with him, and offer
no excuse or defense; but I call Mr.
Norton's attention to the fact that
nave never obtained money under
false pretenses by accepting public
office and then devoting the major
portion OF my time to the pursuit Of
private business, leaving the duties
of office entrusted to me by the peo
pie to bunch of clerks and hire.
lings.
| have never been guilty Of caves
dropping and have never attempted to
learn what my fellow-man was doing
by peeking through keyhole or at
tempting to overhear the discussions
and deliberations of an assembly
which / have no right to honestly
hear. much less dishonesty.
have never set myself up as a re.
former and howled about the short
Of others just to get into
public office and then after hoodwink-
ng the people with my supposed
honesty of purpose, giving them a mis-
administration which savors of wilful
attempt at personal gain rather than
| faithful performance of the trust
imposed
l am no hypocrite and + would far
'ather be Known as Sam Clark with
lis supposed diseased mind than to
)e known as p. D. Norton as secre-
ary Of state. So much for the DR..
Tekyll end of my combination.
AS to the Mr.. Hyde portion, ! am
of the opinion that Jim Jam
unior will be perfectly able to take (
are OF himself and take the liberty !
0 heartily thank Mr.. Norton on be- |
alf Of Jim Jam Junior for the splen-
ID advertising he has given Jim Jam
EMS. which insures a second edition
+ the first volume.
SAM H. CLARK