Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1909 — WITHDRAWS WHOLLY FALSE STATEMENT [ARTICLE]

WITHDRAWS WHOLLY FALSE STATEMENT

Editor of Democrat Signs Statement Discrediting Articles Published In That Paper Last Week.

Two articles purposely aimed by the editor of the Jasper County Democrat to create a false Impression about the editor of the Rensselaer Republican, reflecting by inuendo on the moral life of the writer erf this article, were published in the Jangey County Democrat last week. No sooner had the articles been read by the undersigned than he prepared the appended statement and went to the Democrat office. Fraitjt E. Babcock, the editor, was not there and he was again, absent when the writer called a second time. When I called a third time he was at hand and be was asked if either of the articles had any reference whatever to myself. He was quick to deny that he had any reference or thought of the writer of this article and said he did not aim to have the public or any part of it think that he did mean me. But while he was ready to disclaim any intention to make the public believe that it was me he meant, he did not care to go on record over his own signature to that effect But he did so after explaining that his objection was that I would publish the denial. As a matter of fact, the editor of the Democrat had no one in mind whatever when he wrote the article. It was one of those mischief making and scurrulous articles that he hoped the public would saddle on to one of the publishers of the Republican, and he aimed by cautious wording to avoid responsibility to either of the present publishers. The vindictive style that this paper has adopted toward Babcock has been justified, we have always believed, by his attitude toward not only us, but his apparent delight in degrading and humiliating respectable people of this city and county. We have been advised many times by many good people to avoid any mention whatever of him, but he has

been guilty of saying such contemptible and entirely false things that refutation has seemed necessary in self-defense. The files of the Democrat in this office show that he has on every occasion sought to misrepresent the writer and when his villany reached a point where he undertook to charge the writer of this article with pernicious habits that no man of respectibility could have, it was time to demand a retraction and the appended article, the original of which contains the signature of F. E. Babcock, editor of the Jasper County Democrat, shows that he hacks up quite' meekly on his billingsgate. Here is the article which Babcock signed: Rensselaer, Ind., Feb. 20,’ 1909. An article In the Jasper County Democrat of this date, Feb. 20, 1909, relating an alleged incident at Cedar Lake, and which stated that a republican editor was seen carrying three bottles of beer In a hotel at that place and taking them Into a drinking booth where there was a woman had no reference whatever to George H. Healey, the present editor of the Rensselaer Republican, also that an article In the same issue of the same paper that accused some one of chasing after women,of bad character and hanging out at questionable places at night had no reference whatever to George H. Healey, the present editor of the Rensselaer Republican. - Signed: F. E. BABCOCK, Editor Jasper County Democrat This shall be the last mention made of Babcock or his paper, unless it is found necessary to refute further false statements that he may make. GEO. H. HEiLEY, Editor Rensselaer Republican.