Licking Valley courier., 1921-06-16
WiIliaH|s Answers
Coffee


Forest, n.y. June Ii, lo=l'
John w. Coffee,
West Liberty Ky.
Dear Sir:
In your article in last weeks issue
entitled, "TOther or Which, you seem
to make great sport Of the article
wrote in the issue before.
never said one word against you
in that article but Of course if it fits
your case l can only regret that you
have taken 1t as personal matter
The readers of the Courier are aware
that there was not personal refer
ence in that article.
You seem to make fun of that I'm
vincible will power" necessary for my
getting an education under the strains
of poverty. That same will power"
will be the reliable factor in my ca
reer as a. County Attorney in obtain
ing evidence to rid the county of that
damnable curse of drunkenness and
bring any of the violators of the laws
to have respect for the women and
children and the law abiding citizens
of our county.
You insinuate that there were no
schools in your day, but history in
forms me that there were educated men
even before your time and that there
were men without opportunities cx-
cept as they made them. Abraham
Lincoln is good example.
You say that in my article that there
is. the aspersion that you are either a
lOafer or corrupt. made no such
inference concerning you or Mr.. Wells
and the article will show for itself
that ! did not yet you seem to think
that you will fit into either one of
these classes.
You say that you could not get an
education because you had to work.
The way / received my education was
by work. | have heard your brother
say that you never would work.
You may be good stock judge and
able to say that horse without a
pedigree is better than pedigree with
kOut a horse. But, what If there is
neither pedigree nor horse?
am sorry indeed to have to write
such an article as this but 1t is in dc.
fense of myself. did not personatc
either you or Mr.. Wells.
| might have truthfully said that the
statements you have made all over the
county concerning the money you hav,
saved the county were no: of rcord
and therefore untrue.
Having called upon tn coInty iudg,
and then investigated the record my
self, l find that the only matter il
which the county's financial Interest
was at stake was the case of the Blu,
Land Oil 4 Mineral Co.
This company had listed their hold
ingS in this county at 100000. TIL,
Board of Supervisors raised them So.
10000, making otal assessment oi
Sl5,0O0.OO. The company took an ap
peal from the action of the Board {,
, the Quarterly court. The eyidenc,
showed that part of their land hat
been sold. Upon your own motion. u,
county attorney n Judgment was enter
cd fixing the assessed valuation n
$1,000, thus, loOSmg for the county
SSy000.OO assessment upon which II
would have collected taxes had no
, this Judgment have been entered.
so please explain how you figure I,
. have saved any thing when in far
the county lost by this action. rhrS,
matters are of record aud any vote
can see them.
As | said In my frs. article, | an
making my race solely mn my owl
merits and not on the dement's OF ~!
= pponents, / am advo"L ing industry
u"sality, economy and progress lni
I ese things do not contoIm .n tr
livcs of my opponents, eau not hcl
~ II.
:. The pers ~ Who wro", that ar,icl
4 f,.r you mnc have mim il S,Odg.r
:. AZ inst me h;,n YOU in t'dcl. Int Il
/. II is prlr 'rlc Of law Int a pcr>O
Is responsible for the ac'' ri his ascuI
# Hoping eat you wilt refrain fro
further mdulging in pcrsonal rcmarl
I. concerning me, | am.
Respectfully