The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-21

contemporary, Raymond, acquired the Title OF
''The Little Villain" and the venerable Thur
low Weed the distinction of "The Old Viii
lain" And we think it was to the "waterfowl''
and patriarchal post of the Post that the Iri-
bune censor called out, "You lie, villain, you
lie ~ Such is the philanthropy of our radical
philosopher in discussing party politics. Hs
scolds them like very drab and "as the old
cock crows the young ones learn" Hence
from the debasing lessons OF their leading
journals the general decentralization of the
party press and the reeking corruption of our
political parties.
Next we give a leading editorial from q
prominent COpperhead organ-a great pre-
tender to dignity and decOrum as we'll as chop
logic-an article headed "lnsanity in the Ssy-
mOur Family In this article certain state
ment of facts in reference TO insanity in the
Seymour family is, in a roundabout way,
considered; but the facts are not denied. The
advocate of Mr.. Seymour undertakes rather
TO show that the danger of hereditary insanity
Is less to be feared in a public man than
'beastly intOxication." For instance, it is
urged that ''to whatever ancestral tendencies
Governor Seymour may be exposed, it will
not be disputed that up to the present time he
is a man OF sound mind" that "his faculties
have never once been clouded or dsOrdered
or his self-cOntrol lost by beastly iutoxiCa-
tiOn." Again, che was never compelled by
his incorrgible addiction to strong drink to
resign a commission in the army to avoid
dismissal" And yet again: Between a man
who is not insane and one who is an inebrate,
it is safer to rely on the mental soundness of
the former than of the latter" Here, as an
answer to presumption of possible lunacy
against Seymour from Republican organ, we
have positive charge from Democratic
organ of ''an incorrgible addiction to strong
drink" against Grant. The same charge,
however, il 1868, was brought up from Vicks-
b1Ny al 1,ya n of D,,r
tanical Maine law men ''to Honest Old Abe"
And what was his reply "Tell me, gentle
men, the favo1ite brand of his whisky, and |
will send barrel OF it to every General in the
army
1t would be a sorry state of affairs indeed,
if, at this important epoch in our history, the
American people we've reduced in their choice
of President to drunkard or a lunatic.
But while it is simply impossible that auy
man with an intellect in any degree clouded or
obscuIed could have given us the public record
OF General Grant OF the last eight years, in
the field and in the Cabinet, we think it
morally certain that Horatio Seymour, in
coming sound in mind out of the late Demo
cratic National Convention, after being nOmi.
mated in spite of himself, and on the PendetOn
platform and by the Pendleton Escort, will be
competent, ii required, to run that gauntlet of
the Otice-seekers at Washington which was the
death of Harrison and Taylor. We fear, how
ever, that, as with poor Pierce and Buchanan,
Seymour, if elected, will be apt to fall into
the hands of the old school OF Southern fire.
! eaters-a misfortune which would be worse to
himself and the country than lunacy or intoxi-
| cation.
We are, however, dealing with the degrada-
tion of the party press. The extracts we lay
before our readers in exposition of this deplo-
| rable degradation will account for the rise and
advance into power in this country of the in
| dependent press-that class of public journals
which have no tavors to ask of party politi-
clans or party juntas and no frowns to fear;
journals which do not depend for their exist
ence upon the rise or downfall of politicians or
parties, but which rest for their support upon
the independent thinking masses of the
people, regardless of party. We have shown
the decentralization Of two of the leading party
organs of this city. The Sun, the Times, and
Journal of Commerce deserve to be mentioned
as journals, independent or partisan, which
pursue the discussion of public affairs and
public men with proper regard to decency
and an enlightened constituency. The Herald
has seen enough of political parties and party
organs, and it has too long followed the path
of an independent public opinion to become
the slave and the follower at this late day Of
| any party or any man.