Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1907 — EDITOR CHARGED WITH PERJURY. [ARTICLE]

EDITOR CHARGED WITH PERJURY.

C. W. Riddick, editor of the Winamac Republican and incidentally secretary of the republican state committee, was arrested again last week charged with perjury in connection with the making of an affidavit for mortgage exemption. Editor Riddick was Arrested a short time previous on the charge of filing a false affidavit to secure mortgage exemption, which case is still untried, and this later arrest grows out of the same matter but charges perjug- . . He states that it is the work of political enemies, and says “the bringing or countenancing of a spite suit or criminal prosecution for political purposes indicates a petty and narrow spirit that comes from ignorance; that it is a serious matter to brand an innocent man a criminal, and cause his arrest, and put upon him the burden and expense of defending himself,” etc. To which The Democrat cordially agrees, but in the score or more of spite criminal cases that have been brought against The Democrat man in the past few years by politicians of Mr. Riddick’s own party and of which he occupies the high position of secretary of its state committee, we do not recollect having seen one word of censure in Editor Riddick’s paper. In fact, when- these arrests were mentioned it was dofie in a jocular or approving manner. The Democrat does not endorse such tactics, whether applied to republicans or democrats, and public opinion should condemn them everywhere.