Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-10-02
RANK ZELENKA MUST
PROVE HIS CHARGES

The Republican will make a detail
ed reply to Frank Zelenka in our next
issue. We have given the past week
up entirely to the people of the coun-
ty, assisting in exhibiting Clearwater
county products at the Lewiston fair,
and did not get home till Wednesday
evening. For this reason we beg the
indulgence of our readers. We felt
that it was worth while for Clearwater
county to exhibit her products at Lew
iston, and that the readers Of the Re-
publican would willingly pardon us if
we neglected the paper and spent the
time assisting others in the work.
However there is one phase of the
Zelenka letter we would mention at
this time. We refer to county print
ing. What it costs us to do the work
is none of Zelenka's business. It is
none of his business. There was
time when we did printing for Latah
county for ONE CENT A LINE. We
lost money, but the county got the
work done, saved hundreds of dollars
by it, and nobody suffered financially
except P. L. Orcutt. That was our
business. And let us call attention to
the fact that the republican county
board howled and raved because they
said it was too cheap; that we would
lose money, and all that. We told
them it was their business to see that
the county funds were not wasted |;
that If we went broke it was none Of
their business, and that we were ready
to put up bond to make good.
That county board was not concern
ed about the financial prosperity Of the
Troy News, the paper we then edited.
But the county board was interested
in delivering county business to two
editors in the county, one of them q
son-in-law Of one Of the county COM
missioners. The board wanted to pay
political debts out Of county funds.
These men wanted to make the tax
payers of the county support party or
gans that would keep them in Office.
But our bid saved the people about
81, 600 a year and the board dared not
turn it down. We made good, and
yet the county board raised the same
howl that Frank Zelenka has raised
that we cannot afford to do the work
at three cents line. Well, that is
our business just as it was our bust
ness up in Latah county. We are
still ready to deliver the goods, and
at saving of from $500 to $1,000 a
year to the taxpayers of the county.
Therefore it is silly for Mr.. Zelen-
ka to dodge the issue. Let him come
out and tell the people the truth. He
wants the county to support demo-
cratic organ that will defend and sup
port Frank Zelenka. That is all
there is to it. Mr.. Zelenka knows it.
And he has skinned the taxpayers to
this end. He cannot get away from
this fact.
But Mr.. Zelenka says that in his
opinion, mind you, HIS OPINION, the
Clearwater Republican is unreliable.
AS we'll might this man insist that q
tamarac bridge plank supplied the
county by Bob Cook is unreliable
simply because Frank Zelenka didn't
get the business.
1t is hard to believe that Mr.. Ze-
lenka is serious in this matter. He
knows better, or he is a fool. We
mean it, sir, fool. For any person
with the sense of an aphis knows that
the Clearwater Republican does dt
this kind of work, and that the people
do read the Republican. We guaran
teed the circulation, and the county
attorney said our offer was legal ant
binding. 1t was not the kind of worl
where the reliability of paper wa
an issue. We may not be reliable
but WE would have nothing to d.
with the copy. That is furnished b,
the county auditor. The printer doe
nothing but set the type and print i
on white paper. Our press does jus
as clear printing as the Tribune press
and our ink is just as black as an,
the Orofino Tribune can buy. Nor
than this the people themselves ar