Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1883 — MR. MCCARTHY’S REPLY. [ARTICLE]

MR. MCCARTHY’S REPLY.

(Cone luded.) When we commenced our paper we announced our intention to oppose the prevailing fanaticisms of the day. Abolition, we considered one of these isms. The Republican party disavowed any sympathy with abolitionism at that time, but, notwithstanding this it seems from the complaint of the Gazette they were extremely sensitive when its actions were assailed. Aside from our paper, as was our privilege, we acted in concert with the Dem ocratic party. During the second year, and while publishing a neutral paper, we were placed in nomination by the Democrats for the office of county Clerk. Throughout the campaign, as has been admitted by our most inveterate opponents, we did not avail ourself of our position to advance our own interest or that of the Democratic party. The offense, however, of having suffered our name to go upon the Dem ocratic ticket was too great to be overlooked. We were proscribed; Republicans were induced to withdraw’their names from our list; patronage was withheld; the delinquent list, under lying pretenses, was sent out of the county, and every possible means was resorted to to break us down. Still, we continued to publish a neutral paper till the close pf the second year.

Atjthe commencement of the third year we could not ascer tain that stock beyond the amount of a few dollars remained in the hands of the Republicans We therefore, with the consent of nearly all the stockholders, commenced the third vol. as a Democratic paper.” In an attempt at justification the Gazette subsequently stated that “the. person most active in procuring the subscription for the Banner office represented to every Whig s o kholder that we were a Whig, and that he had known us as such.” Mr. Strode was the person most active in getting up the subscription, and supposing himself alluded to in the statement, called on D. M. Davis, the publisher of the Gazette, and ascertained from him that he (Strode) was the person alluded to. He. moreover. ascertained that Benjamin Hcnkle was his authority. Mr. Strode, who was himself a Whig, in a published statement, denied so having represented us, and further stated what follows:

the above understanding, I then drew up and circulated the subssription, telling all that I believed it would be a neutral paper, and to some who wished to know if they would ever get their money back by advertising, I assured them that they conld get it back by advertising, and when some time afterwards, I found that Mr. McCarthy would not redeem the stock, not so having understood the matter, Mr. Thomas Clark and myself went to all the parties, whose stock I had obligated to see redeemed, and bought their stock. After the purchase by Mr. Clark and myself, there appeared to be a general satisfaction till the paper changed from neutral to a Democrat paper, to which change I gave my consent as a stockholder, and as nearly all the stock was owned by myself and Democrats, he had a right to change it, I think, if he thought prop- ! er.” Dilligent search, on the part of our opponents, was made for the article of agreement on which the subscription was raised, but finding no trace of it, they believed it to be destroyed or lost beyond the possibility of recovery. Under this impression,Benjamin Henkle, E. T. Harding, C. H. Downing and C. H. Henkle boldlyasserted over their signatures that the article did contain a

condition of neutrality. Their statement was copied into the Banner, and animadverted upon as follows: “To B. Henkle. Esq., E. T. Harding, C. H. Downing and C. W. Henkle: Gentlemen —Inasmuch as the Gazette appeared two days after our last issue, and contained no response, we infer that you have no disposition to back up your published statement witn an oath. Had you exercised the same discretion before you signed the statement,

you might have saved yourselves the mortification of being involved in a falsehood from which it will be impossible to extricate yourselves. The object of your statement was to prove us false. — The motive and feeling which instigated you to take this step are best known to yourselves. It may be you were induced to do so to bolster up the falsehoods of a mendacious press; it may be you were led on by party zeal, or it may be you sought to limit our influence bv impeaching our veracity. Whatever may have been your motives, gentleman, you have signally failed in the attempt.--The evil must i ecoil upon your own heads. However much we may differ from you politically; however much we may be attached to our friends or the party we have espoused, we have never cherished a feeling of malevolence towards you as neighbors, and we pray Heaven that we may never be led by political animosity to do our fellow citizen a wrong, The task we are about to perform is T>y no means agreeable. Our feelings, we assure you, are free from resentment. Other considerations have induced us to adopt our preserft course. We owe a duty to ourself, and we shall dispense nothing but justice to you. You may complain that we have been insiduous in our mode of implicating you. Be it so. ’Who ever reck’d where, how or when. The Drawling fox was trapped or slain?”

That you have stated what you do not know, and testified to what you have not seen, we intend to make very apparent before we have done. Previous to making your statement on paper, one of your number at least made dilli’gent search for the paper that contained the subscription to the Banner press. Having failed to find it, the conclusion, probably, was that it had gone out of existancc. Unfortunately

for you, gentlemen, this is a mistake. The identical paper is in our possession. And what is stil] more unfortunate, it will convict you of falsehood; it will her! the lie down Benjamin Henkle’s throat more effectually than Benton forced it down Foote’s of Tennessee. In connection with this article, we shall publish your statement. We shall also publish a, certified copy Of the conditions of the subscription, so that the reader may have an oppertunity of deciding for himself who lias perpetrated a falsehood. If you should consider the evidence conclusive a retraction on your part, as public as the was made, will be regarded as a simple act of justice.

The Statement. ‘We see Mr. McCarthy denies in his last Banner*that the subscription of the Banner dress co ntained a condition of uviiir.Uty. Now, we the undersigned know this not to be true. It did express a condition of neutrality, as we were stockholders and know it to be so. B. Henkle, E. T. Harding, C. H. Downing, C. W, Henkle* Dec. 20,1857.” The S ubsctu ption . “We. the undersigned, agree

to pay the sums annexed to our names for the purpose of purchasing a printing and materials as follows: Onethird in hand, one-third in three months, the remainder in six months. • Oct 21,1853.” •‘Signed by R. Strode <fc Co., and twenty-seven others.” The Lie Nailed. “We, the undersigned do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true copy of the subscription which was circulated for the purpose of purchasing the “Jasper Ban ner” press and materials. Jacob Market, Samuel L. Fullen wider, C. B. Barns. Geo. W. Spitler, Thomas Clark.” I regret exceedingly the necessity of bringing this matter so prominently before the public at this remote period; and the more so, because most of the persons referred to have passed away, but I cannot remain silent under the imputation, historical! v recorded, that I have acted falselv and dishonestly with my fellow

citizens.

j. MCCARTHY.