The Auditor’s Scathing Reply
A war of words erupts between a Mason County auditor and the Adjutant-General over military duty records.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Mason County Auditor J.W. Day, in response to a threatening letter from Adjutant-General G. O'Brien regarding military duty lists, fired back a sharp retort from Shelton. O'Brien had demanded the list of persons liable for duty, threatening legal proceedings. Day replied, 'Enclosed you will find a certified list... I submit the same in fear and dread, hoping the receipt of the same will calm your perturbed and bellicose spirit.' Day went on to mock O'Brien’s administrative incompetence, suggesting he 'go hold your dalliance in a soap factory' rather than badgering county officials with threats, noting that the auditor's office was already keeping better records than the state.
“There are many things for you to learn, however, but life is too short, therefore erudition is beyond your reach, better go hold your dalliance in a soap factory.”
This exchange highlights the historical friction between local autonomy and state-level bureaucratic mandates. It remains a classic example of small-town political theater, where a local official uses wit to puncture the authority of a distant state bureaucrat.
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