New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-24
nTgHoNEsTY SUSPECTS HONESTY.

DISHONESTY SUSPECTS HONESTY.
The strong point with dishonest man
is his persistent assertion that his oppo-
nent is dishonest. This is the basis Of the
argument of those who seek to repudiate
the State debt, that all who differ with
them are interested in the securities of the
commonwealth. The Pjcdyune first set
out with the declaration that the REPUB-
1IcAN held bonds and warrants, and that
this was the reason why We defended the
debt from wholesale dendnciation. Then
it forced itself to the conclusion that MIR.
Penn held an interest in the same sort OF
paper. And, lastly, it refuses to let the
Supreme Court have any voice in the mat
ter, because it declares the judges to be in
volved in the bond and warrant business.
All Of which assertions are the gratuitous
assumptions Of a paper that is promoting
dishonest act. We hold no estate in the
bonds Of the State; and seeing how Mr..
Penn is using his money actively, and how
the judges of the Supreme Court are not IN
the speculative market, we can safely say
that they have none Of these suspicious
collaterals stacked up in their safes. Busi-
ness men, or rather gentlemen with any
sort Of pursuit, such as merchandising
or farming to attend to, seldom invest IN
bonds, as they can put their capital to a
better use, which suggests, that all the
parties charged by the PtcoyUne with be-
ing interested in the bonds of the State
are innocent Of any such charge, they
being all engaged in trade in some way
or another Then why are these charges
made in such a reckless and dishonest
way Because the parties that make them
have dishonest purpose to achieve. In
the first place, it is. dishonest to make
direct assault upon the credit Of the State
without alleging the specific bond or war
rant against which the charge of fraudu-
lent issuance is to be raised; and if such
scandal were to be published against any
bank, corporation or individual, the ut
terer would be condemned by the courts
to nav for the defamation. This is a per-
fectly fair statement that if McCloskey or
the Picayone should say against private
party what they falsely and maliciously
publish against the State, they would be
condemned as Hbelers by any court in the
State.
Our interest in the public debt is this,
that it is bound to be paid, and that the
best thing the State can do is to keep her
credit up to the highest point. The lower
her paper depreciates the more she will
pay in the market for what she wants
The greater the lack Of confidence the
reader she becomes the victim Of the cor
morant. This is craftsmanship, and we
pride ourselves upon the possession ofthis
quality. The genuine politician compre-
bends the real situation, and resorts to no
decisions in order to fool himself. We see
that the debt must be paid, and we say
that in order to do SO the people must re-
form. The Picay,u9e sees the same thing,
but in order to defeat the reform which we
suggest, it cheats the people into the be-
lief that they may still squander these
revenues by repudiating their debts. That
is, there is no real occasion for reform be-
cause reputation will leave us without
the necessity for economy. Let US spend
our money as we have done because those
who hold our due bills are to be swindled
out Of their cash.
It issplain that the dishonesty Of the
Ptcaprle furnishes it with the wickedness
to assail those who differ with it in opin-
ion. Having its own game to make, it
supposes every other party to be possessed
of like immoral purpose, In this it is
mistaken. There are men and journals
that think and act from honest motives
and laudable designs. Such institutions
the Picayme can not comprehend.