Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Devil Interviews William H. Clark

The Cortland News, Friday, July 7, 1882.
William H. Clark Interviewed.
   One day last week we missed the junior editor of THE NEWS, known among printers as "the devil." Inquiry failed to reveal his whereabouts. Finally, after an absence of a couple of hours, he reappeared at the sanctum, his face, where not covered with ink and coal ashes, radiant with smiles; and this is what he said:
   "I've been interviewing Billy Clark."
   We reprimanded him for his familiarity, but expressed a willingness to hear the result. He proceeded:
   "For some time the air has been filled with rumors about Clark, and following the example set by his junior partner in the interview with Dr. Hoose, I thought to clear up this cloud of accusations and so I have to-day called upon Clark. I found him in his sanctum looking over a file of the Standards for the last two years. He was evidently at the point where he was reading the decision of Judge Martin, for his face was all smiles, and, as I went in, he said to himself: ‘Any man's a fool that don't say that that decision[overturned by Court of Appeals—CC editor] will hold water. We'll run this school now. Score one against the ring.’ Just then I broke in upon him and said, 'Hello, Clark; you seem happy. I am glad to find you so, for the air has been filled of late with stories about you and I have come to ask you some questions, if you are willing, with a view to clearing up the political atmosphere that surrounds you in this your new and as I hope everlasting home.' At that word everlasting he smiled a sickly smile but told me to proceed. I then pulled out of my pocket a paper with a lot of questions that I wrote down the night after I read the interview of his devil with Hoose, and proceeded to read them, and, as he answered, I wrote it down. Here it is:
   DEVIL.—Mr. Clark, you have now been here about six years, I think. It is reported that you started in with 1,800 subscribers and that you now "wet down" but 1,300 sheets, including your dead-heads, exchanges and subscribers, notwithstanding your superhuman efforts to dispose of the horse-book as a chromo. How do you account for this falling off?
   CLARK.—That is none of my fault. I had an inspiration to punish wickedness in high places, and this is only an evidence of my martyrdom.
   DEVIL.—It is freely charged that the next year after you came here you bolted the Republican nomination and sold the County Judge's ticket and Member of Assembly ticket for $40, and that Irving H. Palmer went to Syracuse and had them forged, and that Judge Smith and Mr. Dixon were compelled the day before election to have Mr. Bunn print them all over, and circulate them through the county, which defeated Mr. Dixon and nearly defeated Judge Smith. What do you say to that?
   CLARK--It is a fact, as I am told, that this occurred in my office; but I assure you I did not do it myself and Smith should never have charged that to me. (Here Clark looked sorrowful.)
   DEVIL.--Wasn't this the beginning of your trouble with the Republican party in this county?
   CLARK.—I think it was, and you see I wasn't to blame.
   DEVIL.—It is openly charged that the whole animus of your warfare on the county judge is found in the fact that he gave some of the patronage of his office to the Homer Republican, and some to the Democrat and some to the Marathon Independent, and some to the Otselic Register, and you thought you ought to have it all. How is that?
   CLARK.--Well, I came here and at great expense bought the Standard of Mr. Hooker. It had been recognized as the organ of the party and I was entitled, as the leading editor of the leading Republican paper, to all the public patronage and I propose to follow the little judge? till I make him sick of turning the patronage into other and improper channels. (Here Clark got very emphatic and red.)
   DEVIL.--When the Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists lately held strawberry and cream festivals on the same night, I noticed you gave Puffs [praises--CC editor] to the Methodists and several of them to the Congregationalists, but did not mention the Presbyterians, and afterwards you took pains to give the figures realized at each, showing that the Presbyterians raised the least of all. The Presbyterians say it is because they had their bills printed at the Democrat office for $3 when you asked $3.75. How is that?
   CLARK--Well, I am a Presbyterian. I profess the Presbyterian faith. I attend the Presbyterian church and have upheld their doctrines and attempted to forward their cause until this open slight. I was entitled to the profits of that and all Presbyterian jobs, and I shall show the Presbyterian church, as I have the Republican party, that I am not to be trifled with. The idea of giving a religious job to that irreligious Jones. (Here Clark showed much spirit.)
   DEVIL.—It is rumored that you are about to leave the Presbyterian church and join the Congregational. The Presbyterians have a lively interest in knowing how soon this is to occur. Have you any objections to telling me?
   CLARK.—I don’t desire to make threats on religion. It is a sacred subject. I shall wait until after the next festival and [to see] whether the printing goes elsewhere. Every man has a right to make cordial (?) fellowship. I don’t propose to…patronage. [Bottom of page smeared with ink and illegible—CC editor.]
   DEVIL.—[illegible]
   CLARK.—I have not. Hoose is a fool and it is queer the people haven't found it out. But that is not the root of the trouble. This Normal school has been run by the Methodists. They knew my relations to the Presbyterian church. They knew, as the editor and proprietor of the leading paper of the county, I had great power to build up or tear down this school. When Prof. Wright left the school I went in person to Hoose and told him I had a brother, who was a Presbyterian and a Republican, and as editor I was entitled to be heard and I wanted that brother put into the school as a teacher. He talked all fair and then went off and got Milne, the Scotchman, into the place—a man not born in this country and even then attending school in Germany. He didn’t make anything out of [this] by doing it, and he will yet feel my influence for the act.
   DEVIL.--It is understood that Gilmour wanted your brother…in the place instead of Milne. Is that so?
   CLARK.--Yes; through Col. Carmichael, we got Gilmour, all right, and if old Hoose had played my brother there, he would probably never have trouble with Gilmour. Anyway,
Gilmour could have done nothing without the aid of the Standard and its friends here.
   DEVIL.—But you seem just as bitter toward the Local Board as toward Prof. Hoose. It is said that you and Elder Arnold called upon the Chancellor and tried to have them removed?
   CLARK.—Yes, we did; and if he had not been an old fossil their heads would have gone off. Didn't they stick and hang for Milne and refuse to recognize my brother's claims? They are every whit as bad as Hoose and I will make it lively for them before they get through with it.
   DEVIL.—It is reported that you were opposed to the re-election of Mr. Carley last fall to Assembly, and that you talked against him before election in the Democrat office in this village and elsewhere, and tried to dissuade certain Democrats from voting for him. Is that so ?
   CLARK.—Carley ought to have been beaten. He was opposed to my printing the session laws when he was supervisor. He was opposed to the Gilmour bill a year ago last winter, and last winter helped to defeat it, as I was satisfied he would. In fact, he belongs to the ring and I am against the ring and all its works.
   DEVIL.—But do you believe, Mr. Clark, that you can conduct any great party without organization? And what is this "ring," as you call it, but a banding together of the working Republicans of the county, for the carrying forward of Republican principles?
   CLARK.-Organization is all right. The opposition to the ring is organized. But this ring has given the party patronage to Bunn, and…the NEWS to crowd me out, when I am entitled to the patronage. But I’ll show the ring the strength of the Standard before I get through.
   DEVIL.—When the villainous stories were started against Mr. Horr, it was reported that you were at the bottom of the whole thing, and that your object was to add fuel to the flame that then threatened to destroy the Methodist church and to punish him for not sending the patronage of the church to you. Have you any objections to saying how that was?
   CLARK.—Yes; I don't propose to be drawn into that matter. I decline to answer. I am not on record against the Methodist church directly and I shall wait and see what they do. I ought to have printed their catalogue instead of THE NEWS, but I shall wait.
   DEVIL.—The people say that it is very strange that you should have taken up for Izer as you did, knowing the evidence as you did. You doubtless had your reasons?
   CLARK.—Of course I had. There was a good chance to hit Hoose. I didn't care for Izer. I have since refused to print his letters. The time for his usefulness to our cause is past, but just then we could create a feeling against Hoose with a large and desirable class.
   DEVIL.—It is charged that you refused to print a letter written by Bishop
Bowman to you which would have set Dr. Hoose and all his friends right before the public and given the lie to Izer. Don't you think that impartial journalism demanded such publication?
   CLARK.—You are a sharp devil. Did you ever know a lawyer to dwell upon evidence that damned his cause or a minister to cite or call attention to a passage in the Bible that defeated the line of his argument? I was helping Izer to kill Hoose and would have been a fool to publish anything from Bishop Bowman or anyone else which would defeat my object.
   DEVIL.—I noticed, when you used to print the poster for the county committee, advertising you as a speaker, you always put “Hon." before your name. Your right to do so has been so frequently questioned that I wish to ask you by what right you thus sign your name?
   CLARK.—Soon after I returned to Lyons from college the young men of my district nominated and elected me by several hundred majority to the Assembly. This gives me a right to thus sign my name. You look into any book on the subject and you will find that members of the Legislature are entitled to that….
   DEVIL.--…started that after being in the…one winter…[Bottom of page smeared with ink and illegible—CC editor.]
   CLARK.—The facts are as you state them, except I could have stayed there if I had desired to. But my action in the Legislature was not the cause of the defeat. We had a terrible snow storm on election day. The Democrats came out and the Republicans did not, and that was the trouble.
   DEVIL.—Weren't the other Republicans in Wayne county elected that snowy day?
   CLARK.—Yes, but that was owing to other causes, which you, not being on the spot, cannot understand. Besides, I have an engagement at this hour and hope you will excuse me.
   DEVIL.—Certainly, Mr. Clark, I am very much obliged to you for your frankness.
I have many more questions I would like to ask you; but as you must go I forbear. Your frankness has emboldened me to ask, if I may at some future time, when my engagements will permit, further interview you? This community is greatly interested in you. We have never had a man before who could kick up so much disturbance on so small a provocation and we want to know all about you.
   CLARK.—I won't promise, but will see what use you and the stinking paper you are connected with make of this.
   “I had taken off my piece of a cap when I went in,” said the devil, "which on reaching the door I put on hind side fore, and that is the result of the interview." [He is a truthful devil, but we don't vouch for any of the foregoing. We give it as part of the current news.—ED. NEWS.]

CORPORATE PROCEEDINGS.
   Special meeting of the Board of Trustees, held June 21, 1882. Present, I. H. Palmer, president; C. C. Taylor, H. Wells and G. W. Bradford, trustees.
   Minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
   The president called attention to the necessity of procuring flagging for cross-walks and stated that he had recently had an interview with George Symonds, who offered such stone by the car-load at very low figures. After consideration it was
   Resolved, That the president be instructed to make a contract for at least one car-load of such stone, and that he procure them of width suitable for their contemplated use.
   The following bill was allowed and ordered paid: C. B. Hitchcock, repairing hose-cart, $1.
   Resolved, That G. W. Bradford be instructed to superintend the sinking of a fire-well near the corner of Park and Duane streets; to employ the laborers for the purpose, contracting for the wages per diem.
   On motion the meeting adjourned.
   JONATHAN HUBBARD, Clerk.

   Special meeting of the Board of Trustees, held June 26, 1882. Present, I. H. Palmer, president; C. C. Taylor, H. Wells and G. W. Bradford, trustees.
   The following bills were allowed and ordered paid:
F. G. Kinney, printing,...$7.00
Cortland Democrat, " ,. 63.10
Cortland Standard, ".    54.00
   On the application of James Suggett, a written permission was given to deposit building materials on the east side of Adams [Homer Avenue] street and the south side of Merrick [Maple Avenue] street, to continue during the pleasure of the board, provided that the travel on both streets be not obstructed.
   B. B. Jones and William H. Clark joined in a proposition to publish the proceedings, notices, and reports, etc., etc., required by the village of Cortland, except the itemized account of the receipts and expenditures previous to the charter election, for the sum of one hundred dollars, fifty dollars to each paper.
   The proposal was received and ordered placed on file for future consideration. On motion the meeting adjourned.
JONATHAN HUBBARD, Clerk.


Editor’s note:
   Publisher’s row: F. G. Kinney, Cortland News; William H. Clark, Cortland Standard; B. B. Jones, Cortland Democrat; William O. Bunn, Homer Republican; Ed Adams, Marathon Independent; Will O. Greene, Otselic Register.  

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