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| Dr. Charles Fitch |
I've written a number of times about the intemperate nature of John V. Faith, who founded The Chariton Democrat during 1867 and managed to drive himself (and his printing press) out of Chariton a few years later.
By all accounts John was an intelligent and talented young man who combined a fearsome temper with a lack of common sense. He eventually succeeded in making so many enemies, even among his supporters, that The Democrat no longer could survive as a business.
At the time the following was written during the spring of 1869, two newspapers were published in Chariton --- The Patriot, founded in 1857 and edited by young George Ragsdale --- a Republican newspaper; and Faith's Democrat, founded 10 years later. No issues of the early Patriot survive; most issues of The Democrat do.
The issue at hand was the medical treatment of a man named Quinn, who had died earlier in 1869 after it would seem nearly all of Chariton's medical community had been consulted, and there were five or six practicing physicians in town at the time.
After his death, some of those physicians began a long and relatively well-mannered discussion about his case in the form of a series of letters to the editors (unthinkable now), heavy on medical detail. Dr. Isaac Kneeland was the most prolific correspondent. Dr. Charles Fitch was another. He was Lucas County's senior physician, talented and revered because of his work among the pioneers that had commenced when he arrived during 1852.
Faith and Fitch became adversaries when John refused to publish one of Dr. Fitch's letters. Fitch had a considerable temper, too --- he was described this way in his 1889 obituary: "Doctor Fitch was a positive character, intense in his likes and dislikes, bitter of his hatred of those men and measures he opposed, and ever faithful to his friends."
Upon Faith's refusal to publish his letter, Dr. Fitch had taken it to young Ragsdale who --- in the highly partisan and competitive atmosphere created by the two competing newspapers --- was only too glad to share it in print. Fitch apparently also had added a few choice words about the character of Mr. Faith. Sadly, we don't have that issue of The Patriot to refer to.
But we do have Faith's reponse, published in The Democrat of April 15 under the headline, "Doc. Fitch's Progress in "Breaking Down" the Democrat" ---
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Last week we mentioned the fact that a certain Doctor had become enraged at us because we declined to publish his low and scurrilous articles in our paper and Doc. Fitch has, very properly, taken it to himself, as appears from an article of his in the Patriot. He goes on to say that we are a terrible character in more respects than one, and adds that we are "a miserable, lying, slandering thing or creature," that we edit a "nose rag," that we are a "miserable, paltry scavenger," a "miserable wretch," that our "sheet is producing an epidemic" (it looks so), that we are a "wandering profligate and drunken printer," that we have "played the part of a pimp," that we are "mean enough to cut board and wash bills," that "petit larceny is depicted in our countenance," that we have a "natural inclination to lie and slander," that we are an "hermaphrodite" or "eunuch," that we are looked upon as a "loathing, disgusting cancer," bound to "slough off," that we are an "animal," and various other pet names all in the choice, chaste language of Doc. Fitch --- which he promises to follow with something more, covering about 17 years of our life.
The editor of the Democrat must be a pretty tough character, to call out such a vomit, even from the filthy Doc Fitch. What a pity it is that it was not somebody else saying it. What a pity that Doc Fitch is so well known here, else some might believe him. In short, what a pity that Doc Fitch has not some honor, manhood or reputation of his own to give it character.
He says we contracted a board bill on first coming to Chariton, which we have never paid, but he does not say that we ever boarded or took a meal there, nor that we ever received any benefits from such a contract, and cites another instance where he says we have a board bill standing. If he will bring us a correct bill of items, dates, &c., we will pay the "bill," if we owe any, and give him a commission besides.
But it is not now our purpose to particularize. We shall do that in the future. But we do mean to show up Doc Fitch, and we shall keep our readers posted as to his progress.
Now, Doc, you infernal old fool, we could find hundreds of Radicals (Republicans) in this county who will effect to believe part of what you say, not because you are Doc Fitch, but because we are the editor of a Democratic paper. But they know your moral character, and greatly to the loss of many of them. Why, your chum, "Brudder Wells, wid a kiss smack on your mouff," would swear to all you've said. It so happens, however, that our patrons are not all members of the Radical party, and hence will not be so likely to believe what you have said.
But you propose to give your time and influence to breaking down the Democrat do you? Well, now, you concentrated old pink of nastiness, corruption and crime, we want to see what you'll do. Let us ask, however, that you do not give us favorable recommendation nor tell our friends that we are a friend of yours; that we respect you; that we think you a decent, honest man, or that you are even capable of self-respect. If you were to do that, our fate might be considered as settled. Don't try to doctor our Democratic friends, for therein lies our greatest danger, by reason of your ignorance, bungling stupidity, and fatal results which, alas! too often follow your practice. Should all the Democrats be so unfortunate as to have to be doctored by you, there would be many more funerals and corresponding falling off in the Democratic vote.
We don't want you to be our friend, for these reasons; we pretend to have a little decency left, and you have not; we try to be honest, but you do not; we are not a notorious thief (except in your opinion), but you are; we are not a fit or natural associate for the worst vices and lewd women, but you are, long have been and will be until you even get beneath them; we have credit to get trusted, but you have not; we try to pay our honest debts, but you do not; we never have stolen anything, but you have; we dare go before a court without fear of impeachment, but you dare not; we take care of and provide for our family, but you do not for yours; our "former record" can be found, but yours cannot; we are not ashamed of ours, but you ought to be of yours. We can trace our record into "remoteness" while yours stops where it ought to begin.
Don't do it, Doc, because we have respectable associates and connections and you have not; because we are a man and you are a brute --- in short, because you are a miserable, thieving, lying, traducing humbug, a Quack, not safe to be trusted in the society of decent women, nor to be the head of a family; fit only to be the associate of those amongst whom virtue is at a discount, and where villany commands a premium; but shunned of all where virtue is prized and decency respected.
For these and many other similar reason, Doc, we do not want you to claim friendship with us; and we are convinced that most of the respectable women and the honest men in the county will approve of our taste.
In order to assist you in straightening up your "little matters" that are standing out against you" (as you say you can buy claims against us for "25 cents on the dollar") we will give you 50 cents in your paper, for every dollar of such obligations that you can produce, and thereby you may be enabled to liquidate some of your long standing drug bills, provision bills, clothing bills and many other accounts.
Now, Doc, we have only just begun. We have made general assertions, and we shall prove them upon you from time to time. You have undertaken, in a cowardly, villainous way, to injure us and our business; but without any such purpose toward you, we intend to thoroughly air your character. As for the Patriot, which so willingly became a receptacle for your vomit, we have nothing to say. To have excluded you would have been evidence of more good sense than that concern gets credit for. We'll do you justice, or, if we don't, we hope to be rode out of the county upon your filthy carcass.
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It seems likely that some had suggested after Faith's denunciation of Dr. Fitch had been published that he'd gone a little overboard. John seems to have disagreed, and followed up with the following brief item on April 22 headlined, "A Little More to Doc Fitch."
In our last paper we expressed, quite freely, our opinion of a certain biped, known hereabouts as Doc Fitch, which expressions were called out by an article that appeared in the colored sheet, over his signature ("Colored" refers to the Patriot's support for the rights of former slaves, something the Copperhead Democrat consistently railed against). Since writing the article, and hearing the opinions of others in regard to that individual, we must confess that we are heartily ashamed of having given him even as much consideration as we did, and if our friends will forgive us for having appeared so ignorant and so low as to notice him at all, we will promise to never do so again. We know that there is nothing to be gained in quarreling with a man whom no one respects and whose best hold is lying and blackgaurism; who is most notorious as a liar, thief and slanderer, and who if he had his just desserts would long since have been in the penitentiary. To quarrel with a man who mocks at honesty and virtue, who boasts of the indecencies that he can perpetrate in the presence of women when they cannot resent it; and who, by his brutality, drove his mother from the protection of his own roof amongst strangers --- to quarrel with such a character, we say, is a distinction that we do not crave, and this will be the last notice that we shall ever given him, unless it be to chronicle his admittance to his proper place --- the penitentiary. Now, Doc Fitch, too low, too vile, and too indecent to be even worthy a respectiable kick, go! And may the devil claim his own.
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No more was heard of this dispute thereafter. The Democrat most likely came out on the losing end --- more Lucas Countyans respected Doc Fitch than respected John Faith. During June of 1871, John closed out the Democrat, packed his press and type and headed for Osceola. He didn't last long there. Charles Fitch continued to practice in Chariton until a year or two before his death during 1889 at age 64.
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