Year: 1878




The Ottumwa COURIER takes up |
nearly two columns of the small space
that it devotes to reading matter to |
tell US that we have no business to
discuss the merits of candidates for
Congress in that District, and that
for us to do so is "meddling and ille-
gitimate." 1t also offers to bet us $50
that we have never published letters
from Sixth District Republicans to
which it had refused insertion. Wei
cannot be drawn into discussion of
the claim that we may not refer to
the canvass or the candidates in that
District, especially with such an ad-
vocate Of it. The COURIER does not
believe it itself. 1t says it does. But
what that paper does, and not what
it says, is the real test to apply to its
practices and beliefs. In the some
what lively contest that we had in
this District, u few years ago, the
COURIER frequently and regularly in
dulged in the controversy, and really
wanted to take the whole District to
raise-and nobody objected. Its edi-
tor only says that he believes to the
contrary now, so that his discrimina-
tions against the better and much
stronger Republicans of his own coun-
ty may not be thwarted and exposed.
He closes his own columns against
them, and in his greed would also
close the columns of all other papers
|-if he could. That he cannot do this
is his sorrow, not our fault. For, as
we have more readers in the Sixth
District than the COURIER has, or than
it ever will have under its present
mismanagement, we will always give
any of the people of that portion of
the State hearing. And we don't
know how the COURIER is going to
help it. Nor Go we believe that it
knows.


The offer to bet $50 is COURIER
kind of argument. We are not up in
such logic, and the COURIER must ex-
cuse us from appealing with it to the
final resort of the cheap politician, the
jockey, and the gambler. 1t had bet
ter take the $50 and improve itself as
q paper. Besides betting would not
save it. We have had such letters
sent us, and have published them, as
the COURIER knows,-and in denying
it now, it simply adds to past little
ness present duplicity.


We supposed that our remarks
would irritate the COURIER, and fear
ed that our missionary desire to i'm
prove that paper and its manners
would not be accepted by it in good
spirit. Hypocrisy unmasked never
comes up smiling. But we have hopes
of the COURIER yet. Its course 10
becoming so generally distasteful and
SO unbearable that its own patrons
will not much longer stand it. Its
treatment of two of the Republicans
of its own county this year will prob
ably be the ultimate straws on the
back of patience. In its attempt to be
for two residents of its own county
for Congress before the public, and
for its own editor in private, it has
overloaded itself. One gentleman,
as high-minded man as there is in
the State, and as competent and desir-
able man for Congress as there is in
the District. has been made to feel
that while the COURIER lacks the cour-
age to strike direct blow, it has the
Italian quality that kills without
courage and stabs without publicity.
Another gentleman of the county, an
honorable man, having the general
confidence Of the State, while pretend
ing cordially to support, by the per-
sonal assurance of its editor, it has
not yet even mentioned as candi-
date, much less endorsed in its col
umns. It would hold him by private
f1attery, while not publicly commit
ting the paper to his cause-leaving
its editor free to be dark horse, or
to help in electing Sampson to third
term, so as to bring the chances back
to Ottumwa and the COURIER Office in
two years ahead instead of four
This little game of hypocrisy was so
tempting as to invite pricking,-and
go we did it with our little pen.