Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-10-12
CONTRADICTIONS, COUNTER AT.
TACKS, MONKEY STAGE, ETC.

Editor Askov American:
A certain article appeared in the
Askov American of Sept. 28th, which
seems to have been written to mislead
and side-track public attention from
the unjust activities being perpetrated
by the game and fire wardens of
Pine county but falls far short of its
intention to any one who has an
ounce of grey mater. In the first
place it does not deny the charge
made by Fred Smith in former ar
ticle to the American. If Mr.. Smith
didn't tell the truth, why didn't this
ardent supporter of the wardens say
where he erred; if he did tell the
truth why all this palaver and side
stepping? This is only an old tactic
used for many years by the gang to
act as shock absorber to soften the
harshness of crime and side-track
attention from the main issue.
He signs his nOnsensical piece "A
Neighbor" Why don't he sign his
name? Is he ashamed of it, or is it
the gang he is trying to defend? If
we consider the gang then we can
see why he prefers to work in the
dark. Mr.. Smith signed his name to
his article, why don't they? He that
hath an ear let him hear.
In the aforesaid editorial this noble
another like an old woman grabbing
for her night shirt in whirl wind,
but when the storm passes over found
she was only pulling off her own false
wig. Ernie was accused of sending
Smiths letter from Markville instead
of Sandstone. Don't know what Ernie
he eludes to or what difference that
would make. Anyway there is no law
against sending letters from either
place, especially when a man is fair
enough to attach his name to the
article.
Then he names smoke and fire on
Smiths place at different dates but
says nothing about Smiths boy haul
ing water and putting out those mys-
teriously started fires except the one
fire bug in uniform was seen sneak
ing away and disappearing in the
woods. Then he says Smith and his
ID mile neighbors who attended his
hearings didn't pay enough taxes to
cause a depression in baby penny
bank. Well, l happen to be one of
those 13 mile neighbors and my broth
err, Clarence, the other one. Now l
am asking this defender of corrup-
ton to come out in the open and
publish his name so the public may
run over the records for the past 80
years and see who has paid the most
taxes. Mr.. Smith and the Holler
brothers or the one who is just blow
ing off.
Next he insinuated Fred should
either be a warden or stool pigeon.
But oh, can't he understand the quail
fications of man and the high ideals
Fred is trying to uphold? Mr.. Smith
has lived on his place for the past %
years paying taxes annually and it
is one of the best farms in Pine
county and he cleared this farm of
timber and stumps. And after all his
hard work which it took a real he
man to withstand to have some of
Darwin's pre-historical evolution spe-
cies without showing any signs of
advancement in this day and age,
insinuate Mr.. Smith does not pay
taxes and is foolish enough to burn
his own hay is beyond comprehension.
He also speaks of bringing certain
cliques to justice, but if this was
done what would we do for wardens
and stool pigeons. If Mr.. Smiths
past % years achievements and sta
bility counts for nothing in the eyes
of the public it is evident Darwin
was right, but we have reverted back
to the monkey stage.
ERNEST HOLLER.
Cloverton, Mimi, Oct. Z, 1888.