Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1914 — Editor Babcock Defends Blodgett—Roasts Peterson. [ARTICLE]

Editor Babcock Defends Blodgett—Roasts Peterson.

After maintaining political silence for about two weeks, probably on the advice of some of the balanced-ration democrats who are making a great effort to rescue him from a slough of blunders, Brother Babcock broke the shackles this week in order to defend “Billy” Blodgett, of the Indianapolis News, and take a abort rib punch at Congressman Peterson, who refused to give the editor the postoffice. Blodgett, who writes to please the policy of the News without regard to the truth, said that Congressman Peterson rushed home from Washington to influence the selection of Murphy for district chairman. The Republican pointed out that there was a vacation of congress and that Mr. Peterson was spending it at his home in Crown Point. Babcock’s sour grape hand organ sustains Blodgett, except ±o say that Mr. Peterson was spending the holiday vacation with relatives in Mississippi, and came home from there instead of Washington, which is “some” correction, for Blodgett aimed to indicate that Peterson had skipped out from his duties in Washington'. / The Republican can not believe it a high political crime for a congressman to attend a convention of his party, even if he had come from Washington or Mississippi or some other place, especially when two or three of his party newspapers were crowding their papers with falsehoods in an effort to influence his constituents against him. A short time before Congressman Peterson nominated Mr. Littlefield for the postoffice ’Editor Babeock published an article eulogizing the congressman. With no act on the part of Peterson except to decide against Babcock in the postoffice matter, Babcock changed front entirely with respect to him, said he was controlled by “Boss” Murphy and the Taggart-Fairbanks crowd, called him a corporation; lawyer and indicated -that he was unworthy of the office he holds. | This.being the case, coupled with , the fact that he had openly op j posed the candidacy of President Wilson and had never given him | but luke warm support, and then; put into the prejudiced pen of ; Blodgett the claim that he was an original Wilson-Bryan democrat, are in support of the claim the Republican has maintained for years that Editor Babcock is not sincere and that any position he takes politically or otherwise is influenced by his absorbing prejudice and eiotism.

Another example of Brother Babcock’s mental magic is a term he uses in his last issue. He speaks of “the hunch of local Dr. Jekyls and Mr. Hyde 3 who write the editorial matter for The Republican. Some three or four years ago this paper referred to Bab as a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde and he based a libel su;t on the allegation that the comparison was odious. Now he uses the same term only using it in bunches.

With charity approaching pity, we call the attention of those deceived people who swallowed Babcock’s dope about being the taxpayers’ friend a few years ago, to the suggestion that the versatile Dr. Jekyl never had it on to the Democrat editor In the matt r of lightning changes. Like Dr. Jekyll we expect that the evel spirits will eventually prevail and from recent occurrences we Imagine that the Mr. Hyde is getting „ strong upper hand of our distressed brother.