Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1914-01-31
GEO. JACOBSON, Publisher.
JUST CRITICISMS

Tuesday last, this office was the re
cipient of call from Mrs. f. P. AXE,
who, at the request of Mr.. AXE, gave
us a check for the amount due, and
STOPPED THE PAPER, giving as
a re -" that We had been very I'M
kin r ,r. AXE, In allowing the ar
ticles to appear in the Republican,
criticising the actions of the SchoGl
Board that while the local influence
OF the paper, (where Mr.. AXE was
knoWn,) would have no effect, that
abroad, where he was not known, 1t
might mis-lead people.
We explained to the lady that we
had nothing but the most profound
respect for Mr.. AXE as man, but
as a public officer, his actions were
no more sacred from criticism in the
columns Of this paper, than were the
actions of any other officer, from the
President of the United States down
to the Village Dog Catcher, provided,
always, that the criticisms were real y
criticisms and not abuse. We, OF
course had to differ slightly with MIS-.
AXE as to the local influence OF the
paper, and modestly claimed part OF
the credit as due to the published
criticism for the election of Mr.. B.
+. Thompson by handsome majority
over the combined efforts Of Mr..
AXE, the board and the school faculty,
In their attempt to keep the old
school board intact.
While we are on the subject, and as
there may be others holding the same
views as Mrs. AXE, we will, for their
benefit, define our position.
We are not insensible to, Or ur-
grateful for, the patronage of the
public, and endeaVor to the best
of our ability to give them value re-
ceived, in a clean, reliable, fearless
newspaper, whose columns are free
from abuse, but open to any citizen
for the honest criticism of any public
official, be he high and mighty, or
lcwly and poor.
In our fifteen years of newspaper
work, We have consigned to the
waste basket many communication
purporting to be a criticism OF an
officer s official act, because, in reali-
ty, 1t was only an attack on, and abuse
OF the officer, but the name Of nor the
influence or position of the officer,
never for a moment been consid-
e.au, and this will continue to be
the policy OF this paper, with regard
to official criticisms,) so long IS we
continue to own and publish it.
We are sorry to lose Mr.. AXE s
patronage. We say this in all sin
certify, yet We are just as sincere
when We say that we have no apollo
giles to offer for the actions of this
paper, in its treatment OF school mat
tiers for the past three years, and
would not, for one moment, consider
change Of policy to retain anyone's
patronage.
Three years ago, this paper ask
the powers that be to discontinue
the use of marked tickets, or colored
ballots, to perpetuate or insure the
reelection of the retiring member
OF the school board. Our request
was not needed. The colored ballot
was used, and the voters were COM
PEELED to vote under the direct scru-
any of the Clerk of the Board. The
retiring member of the board, ON the
yellow ticket, was reelected.
The columns OF this paper We're 1
freely given to criticise those acts,
Tor the purpose OF trying to better |
the conditions, with the result that
the colored ticket has not since been