The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-08-02
Observer" The Weekly's
Star Witness.

Star Witness.
Aparty writing in The Aberdeen
Examiner last week. hides his
identity under the nom de plume
of observer" and discloses utter
inability to comprehend the ef-
feet of argument handed out to
"Missourian" by The Weekly in
its bills of Rebuttal." This ar.
gument was a knock out blow
to MissOurian. The Weekly hav-
ing used Missourian himself to
prove the charge that Vardaman
is being misrepresented. perse-
cuted. maligned and slandered.
Missourian admitted this truth by
not cOntToverting it, but did at
tempt to switch the argument to
discussion of things not contain
ed in the charge. Observer,
whose understanding and grasp
Of language seems not to be equal
to that of his silenced ally. blund-
ers into the field to save the lost
cause. but through ignorance of
argumentative tactics lost the
cause beyond all power of resur-
rection. Observer is a prototype
of those he initiates, a bunch of
political camouflagers who iso-
late phrases in statements. twist
ing and warping and using them
without reference to their con-
texts and adapting them to fit the
work which they may haye in
hand to do.
Paucity OF understanding. or ir-
responsible political bias Obscur-
ed observers perceptive powers
when he construed the question
propounded by Missourian who
Lander's paymaster is? as para
mount to the question, of who is
Lander? The Weekly stated that
it believed conscience which al
ways rewards an honest man
when he has responded to the
cause of justice" was Lander's
paymaster and then showed that
who Lander is, is not necessary
to prove the competency of the
testimony. the original copy Of
the perverted interview. which
The Weekly introduced. estab-
fishing beyond the peradventure
of doubt that Vardaman is being
misrepresented. maligned and
slandered. The proof lies in the
original copy of the interview
and is independent of who Lam
der. Observer or any one else
may be. as stated by this paperof
July 10Th date:
However. who Lander is. is inn
material to the truth in this case;
facts are always truth regardless Of
their source or the name By which
that source is called.
Lander might be called patriot
or traitor. the truth OF the fact
founded in the source, the original
copy of the interview, held by Lam
der. is still fact. regardless of what
ever name Missourian chooses to
call Lander BY"
Note that Observer isolates the
detached words. however, who
Lander is. is immaterial." and
''he might be called a patriot or
a traitor" Observer quotes no
further. evidently attempting to
attach false meaning to what
would be conveyed if he had
been fair enough to quote the
statements in full. Such meth
DDS call for no condemnation at
The Weekly's hands-they con-
denim themselves as well as those
who resort to them. He says
also that Missourian was amply
justified in asking the question
who is Lander? And in a two
column article that produces par
agraphs from newspaper edited
by Lander before war was de-
clared undertakes to answer that
question himself, knowing well
that the original copy Of the in
teryiew establishes the fact that
il was perverted to injure and
misrepresent Vardaman. Lander
is not needed to establish what
Is established by the original copy
Of the interview. The Weekly
does not need Lander as q wit
ness to prove Vardaman's loyalty