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Show About Reputations Contrary to "the only's" assertions, republicans have no desire to "tear good men's reputations down for political po-litical advantage." However, they do have no hesitancy In declaring against corruption and Incompetency in public pub-lic office, regardless of who the man or men concerned may be. The recent investigation of the county records showed concluslvcly.bcyond the doubt of even tne most violent democratic partisan, that for several years there liad been a collusion to cover ud what was shown lobe Incompetency If nothing no-thing more, and yet tliey howl about "reputations" when this Is mentioned. For years each succeeding official carried car-ried and covered up known discicpan-cles discicpan-cles in the books of the clerk and treasurer and If repoits are correct, the ex-democratic clerk was Indignant that Clerk Larsen would not accept his books as he had been compelled to accept them -In bad shape and unbalanced. un-balanced. There is no pleasure in mentioning these things, but it Is a part of political polit-ical warfare, and when the organ representing rep-resenting the gentlemen concerned seeks to cast a halo about the administration admin-istration under which such things happened, then It is time for tho batteries bat-teries to get In their work. Men may run on their merits, and all want to see meritorious men win, but when after years of continuance In office it is discovered that the representatives rep-resentatives of a certain party have not held their trust in the sacred way it should have been held, Is there any good reason why representatives of that same party should be selected again? And again, when It is once discovered that its representatives are in a hole, is it any credit for the leaders of the democratic party and the crringotllclals to go to such length as was clearly evident In the recent contest case? It Is genorally admitted that ex-clerk Farrell had no desire to enter Into a contest for the office of clerk. He believed he was beaten, and whether he believed it or not, had no desire to wage, a contest. However, guided on by the democratic officials and party leaders who knew what an investigation would bring forth, he submitted and the contest was brought on in the hone that the day could be saved. That was a rotten affair, af-fair, despite the efforts of the friends of the gentlemen concerned to give it an honorable appearance. The only dllllculty with the men seeking to cover up the trouble was that they hadn't the nene to go far enough. The conviction of a deputy on a charge of einbcz.z.lemcnt does not excuse the old court house ring, for long before Mr. Clayton was In any way concerned the books at the court house were in a sadly mixed condition, and for the sake of democracy this knowledge was hidden until the election of a lepubli-can lepubli-can clerk made concealment an Impossibility. Im-possibility. There is no disposition to tear down honest men's reputations, an honest man Is seldom In danger. However, If the iccital of facts concerning such a matter as was uncovered at the court house rellects to the discredit of the democratic paity and Its oillclals, tliey must grin and bear it. |