Newspaper Trickery and "Boss" History

The Cortland News, Friday, December 1, 1882.

NEWSPAPER TRICKERY.

   It has been a custom with the Standard every summer to send an agent through the county soliciting subscribers "for the campaign" to Dec. 1, and offering the paper until the latter date for twenty-five cents. Of course, many of these short and cheap subscriptions were obtained, adding temporarily to the subscription list perhaps 500 names.

   There seemed to be three objects in view in this proceeding. First, it enabled the Boss to punish the Republican party a little more for refusing his dictation. Second, the temporary addition to the circulation was useful as an argument before the board of supervisors in November by being made the basis of the claim that the Standard had 1,500 subscribers and a larger circulation than the NEWS or [Homer] Republican, and also, furnished ground for a like claim to advertisers. Third, by continuing to send the paper to these subscribers after Dec. 1, many would inadvertently take the paper from the post-office and thus become fastened as subscribers. The majority of those who subscribe for county papers at regular rates expect and desire to continue them beyond the period first paid for, and therefore it is usual to continue the paper to subscribers at regular rates after their time of subscription is out. But where a subscription is obtained for a certain time at a special rate, it is a trick on the subscriber to continue the paper beyond the time specially agreed on. Much trouble was thus made to subscribers and discredit was brought on newspaper management.

   This year the trick described being a little stale, a new plan was adopted having the same objects. In October the Standard was sent to 500 or more persons, who were not subscribers, with notice that it would be sent to them free until Dec. 1. This has enabled the Boss of the Standard Ring to give his slanders against the Republicans a larger circulation. He has already been to the supervisors to ask for printing, stating his circulation to be 1,500, which perhaps is nearly true including this free list which expires Dec. 1. He also added the representation that the circulation of the NEWS is only 400, which he knows to be false. The circulation of the NEWS is probably about the same as the legitimate circulation of the Standard, perhaps more, and it has been honorably obtained.

   Whether the Standard free-list will be continued after Dec. 1, in hopes of catching the unwary, we can only surmise from its past tricks.

MORE “BOSS” HISTORY.

   The Standard has, on several occasions, while trying to excuse its continued warfare upon persons and things generally, insinuated that the NEWS was started as a personal organ for Judge Smith, because that gentleman was unable to control the columns of the Standard. While the Standard has been the mere mouth-piece of the Ring of which its editor has been the Boss, the NEWS, as all its readers can testify, has been a Republican paper, using its best efforts for the success of that party without regard to personal preferences. It has never been personal, unless calling attention to the persons who were attacking that party and showing the want of reason or cause for their acts and their hypocrisy and frauds can be called personal.

   To defend the party against treason has at times made it necessary to point out the traitors, and that is true and proper work. That the NEWS has been started because of any personal difference of opinion between the Standard Boss and Judge Smith is untrue. Judge Smith has no interests that required a "personal organ."

   Our readers and patrons will remember that the NEWS came into existence by reason of the continued virulent attacks of the Standard upon the Methodist Church, upon the Normal School and other local interests which the Standard editor declared war upon, because he could not have his brother given the position he desired for him in the Normal school, and he be recognized as the Boss of that institution and Dictator generally. It was a bitter personal warfare that he then waged upon all who opposed him and his dictatorship…[bottom of news page is ink-smeared and illegible—CC editor]…those bitter quarrels being thrust upon the community and sent broadcast through the country no one will now deny. It temporarily crippled our school, caused a schism in the Methodist society and much ill feeling in the community.

   The NEWS became a necessity to protect and defend the school, the churches and good citizens generally from the weekly cannonade of vilification and mud from the Standard, and it was started at the request and with the co-operation of a large number of citizens, who desired to and have since had through it a hearing before the people. In other words, the NEWS was brought into existence and has existed solely to protect the people against the dictatorship of the Boss of the Standard Ring, and his cruel revenges, against those who might stand in his way.

   As to the quarrel of the Standard editor with Judge Smith, we know that Clark's statement that it was caused by his refusal to publish articles at the Judge's request is entirely false. On the contrary, it wholly arises out of Judge Smith's refusal to submit to the dictatorship of Clark, who claimed and insisted that he, as editor of the Standard, was entitled to and must have all the patronage of the surrogate's office. Boss-like, he claimed that the Standard was the only party organ and that the Homer Republican and other papers were mere local papers. According to his views of civil service reform, only to his paper should be given the patronage; the [Cortland] Democrat must also be ignored.

   The surrogate had been in the habit of allowing parties to have the notices published in any paper they desired, and he refused to submit to the dictation of Clark, which would give the latter a monopoly and enable him to hold people to exorbitant rates.

   When Judge Smith was re-nominated in 1877, Clark again tried to force him to his demands as a price for his support, but the Judge refused to buy him by bartering away the rights and money of the people, and he thus lost the support of the Standard, whose editor works for spoil instead of principle. In other words, Judge Smith stood between the people and the would-be Boss, and because he refused to submit himself and deliver over the people, he has received a weekly installment of invective and vituperation from the mud batteries of the Standard.

   The Republican party has yet much work to do in the cause of temperance, good government and the protection of labor, and to sustain and hold the results it has heretofore accomplished for the people. The NEWS will continue in the future as in the past to work for the best interests of that party, and to defend it and the people from the onslaught of Democratic foes in front, and from the treacherous assaults and the revenges of the Standard Ring and its Boss in the rear.

THE DEMOCRATIC ORGAN.

   The board of supervisors is composed of eight Republicans and seven Democrats, counting Mr. Hasen with the latter, although he was the Republican candidate as well as Democratic. In the balloting for two newspapers to publish the session laws last Wednesday, (the law requiring two of different politics to be chosen) THE NEWS received [6] votes, having a majority of Republican supervisors. The [Cortland] Democrat…[bottom of news page ink-smeared and illegible—CC editor]… as the Democratic organ, for it would hardly be supposed that the Democrats would desert their own paper to interfere with the choice of the Republicans as to their paper; except, perhaps, Mr. Hasen, who was elected by both parties and represents both. The Democratic proclivities of the Standard have been very apparent for years, and if it would only drop its false claim to Republicanism which cannot be sustained by proof, the Standard could be declared elected as the Democratic paper. This would break the dead-lock and enable the board to fix the fees.

   The editor of the Standard in this week's issue states that he has informed Dr. Nelson, the Member of Assembly he helped elect, that he desires to have the Brooklyn caucus-law made a general law, and that Dr. Nelson has promised him to try to carry out his wishes. He says that it would be humiliating for a loyal Republican to ask such a favor, and that we presume is why he did it himself.

   There was never any trouble in Cortland county caucuses until the advent of the Standard man; and since he has commenced furnishing tissue ballots for use in caucuses we see the need of a stringent law to protect the party caucuses from being carried by such frauds. We hope the law will pass, and then the devices of the Standard Ring will be guarded against. The laws already passed for the protection of primaries originated with Republicans and were approved by a Republican Governor. The Democratic party as a party has not yet achieved a good reputation for protecting the purity of ballot-boxes, but we hope they may.

   Evidently the wanton and untruthful attack made by the Democrat upon Mr. Carley in relation to his appointment of committees receives no favor with the Democratic members of the Board. There are seven Democratic members, but the Democrat received only four and sometimes only three votes on the choice of papers for printing the session laws. A majority of the Democrats seemed to prefer to designate the Standard as their representative paper.


Editor’s note:

   Readers are advised to keep an open mind in regard to tissue ballots when reading the opinions and comments of the Cortland News. Our prior posts show that both factions of the Cortland County Republican Party used tissue ballots in caucus. We don’t have access to the opinions and comments of the 1882 Cortland Standard to provide balance.