The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-08-27
CONFUSES SITUATION.

The editor of the Bulletin in last
weeks issue of his paper could not
have done more to confuse the situa
ton regarding the electric light fran.
chise than in what he said in the vic
ious attack made upon member Of
the company. The Bulletin editor is
certainly the champion mischief maker
when it comes to dealing with ques.
tions between the city and public
utility company. He works himself
into frenzy in an effort to induce the
members of the city council to be.
lieve they have been grossly insulted
and abused and all because member
of the light company had the temerity
to assert that he had not agreed to a
certain franchise recently prepared
and brought to Denison by Kansas
City expert, Notwithstanding it is
conceded the member was not at the
meeting when the alleged agreement
was made. The members of the city
council know this fact and the Bulle-
tin has been advised that such is the
case and yet the space in two recent
issues of that paper has been taken
to describe the indignity heaped up
ber of the light company made state
ment which is not disputed and can
not be disputed by any one. Why
then the necessity of harping about
it in the newspaper as a reason why
the members of the council should
have grievance against the light
company or any member of it, 1t must
be amusing to men of sufficient stand
ing and caliber to fill positions on the
city council to have newspaper so
stepped in prejudice as to volunteer to
use its columns in an attempt to cajole
the members of the council into the
belief that they are much abused and
mistreated by competitor of such
newspaper. We do not think that in
this case the members of the council
are so lacking in discernment as not
to see the Bulletin is attempting to
hoodwink them into believing some
thing which does not exist. We quite
agree with the Bulletin that the coun-
Gil are not fools and certainly not of
the type they would have to be to take
any stock in the tweedle of the Bulle-
tin. The Review has endeavOred to
maintain its equilibrium in all it has
said since the first broad side in the
Bulletin and we are twitted by that
organ in its last issue in trying as it
asserts to placate the council. That
paper further admits the Review in its
discussion of the situation preserves a
dignity which is commendable. While
we had no thought of placating the
council for we were not aware of any
thing which had occurred to require
such course we did feel that it was
no time or place for the exhibition of
temper such as the Bulletin exhibited
and if that paper intended to provoke
a like exhibition on the part of this pa
per it must have suffered sdisappoint
ment. We still believe that the ques-
tiOns between the city council and the
light company are but business prop
OsitiOns which require only the ap-
plication of good faith and business
principles to solve them and that if
the mischievous course of the Bulletin
in trying to stir up trouble is stopped
these questions can and will be settled
in short time in satisfactory man.
ner. We do not complain of the Bulle-
tin or any other newspaper for taking
part in full and free discussion of
all questions involved in the franchise
but we do insist that such discussion
should be had dispassionately and not
with view Of stirring up strife and
creating confusion. 1t will not do for
the Bulletin to say that it. is sim
ply publishing the news as is news
papers privilege. The people are able
to distinguish between news item
and the personal assaults made upon
a member of the light company in the
last few issues of the Bulletin and
some OF them have not hesitated to
say as much. If Denison is to so
forward in its prosperity which seems
on the way and will surely material
iZe if properly encouraged it must be
understand that nothing short OF unit
ed effort and good faith one
toward another will bring success. If
the test of loyalty toward Denison is
how much one can gain for himself
by striking at others then our case
is hopeless. We have always made
our best strides in moving forward
in business development where we
have acted in perfect unison and if
in the future We are to attain success
it must come by the exercise of good
faith and charity one for another and
not by tearing each other to pieces.