Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-08-30

A man who would avoid calumny
and IL false representations should
never aspire to any position of
eminence. In this respect the country
may be no worse to-day than it has
been i'm the past, but it is lamentably
true that man, however consistent and
upright he may be, or however faithful
ly he may strive to discharge his duty,
will always find class of men who
make it their business to defame the
characters of our public servants by
circulating false rumors, and making
false charges against them. The ten
dency has been to degrade the office, i'm
the opinions of many, and we might
say majority of the people who are
often found entertaining the opinion
that office holders must necessarily be
dishonest, If not when elected thew
soon become so. IT is true that some
men have their price," but these may
be numbered as comparatively few.
Public men are generally more free
from dishonesty than people give them
the credit of, simply because public
opinion has been SO often misin formed
and has become wrongly educated.
This was true in the late war. OF the
large number of officers of the army
many were dishonest and stole from the
government, while the larger portion
were not, yet all were subjected to the
same scrutiny and the innocent were
often wrongfully judged and suffered
with the guilty. An illustration of an
attempt to change public opinion, and
falsely place before the people two of
our most faithful and trusted public
servants has just been brought to light.
Chief Justice Chase Ii charged with
having made S700, 900 while Secretary
of the Treasury, and General Howard,
who has been at the head of the Freed
mems Bureau since the close of the
war, Is represented as having appropri-
ated part of the freedmen's funds. In
both instances more Infamous lies were
never put in print. General Howard
has ever maintained, and Is to-day one
Of the most conscientious men i'm the
nation. His public acts will not soon
be forgotten or cease to be appreciated
by a greatful people, not withstanding
the ISLANDERS of his enemies or the axe of
Andrew Johnson. Judge Chase in a
private letter, which has found its way
into print, thus speaks of the lie now in
circulation against him:
"The article in the World, of New
York, is in an excellent spirit, and not
far from correct. But don't want To
lie represented as particularly poor or
particularly disinterested. l think I
am worth now about one hundred
thousand dollars. should at any rate.
be quite willing to take that sum i'm
5.2Os, and make clear conveyance of
all have in the world to ybody who
will pay my debts. would willingly
be worth great deal more if knew of
an honest way to get worth more. All
that the people are interested In know
ing is that l havan't cent which of
right belongs to them.
~ didn't serve them to make money
out of them, but TO save money for
them, and really feel. that the rascals
who are slandering me ought to be de-
nonnced, and this mean attempt to in.
ture me in the public esteem exposed.
lt Is much more important to the peo.
pie than to me, that those who have
served them faithfully shall be fully
and generously sustained; otherwise
raseality will be ut premiunl,i and
those who are trying to make them
suspect me will run their arms to the
shoulders in the money ags.n -