The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-09-20
PERSONAL ABUSE IN POLITICS.

L cESOndi SGILIcS, pOllLiCstA VI
otherwise, are always unpleasant
and always to be avoided. When
great issues are at stake and i'm
portant principles involved, men
are called upon to act honestly
and fearlessly, whoever is helped
or whoever is hurt. Men are
nothing whom principle is involv-
ed. But mere personal feuds be-
tween aspiring demagogues, are
matters of which honest men
should wash their hands.
That such has been the disgrace
of Kansas HERETOFORE will be adj
mitted by all. Nothing is so cor
rupting or demoralizing to the sent
iment of a people. The piques,
animosities, and private jeaIousies
of public men are no concern of
their constituents. An honorable
official will not parade them, hon
est men will not listen to them, or
if they do, only with disgust.
Those who have any pride in the
reputation of our State should
avoid them. Let our men who are
in office, or who want to be in
office, be judged by their fidelity
to principle, by their honesty,
capacity and fitness, and let
the verdict be in accordance
with fact. But let them I'M
derstand that they must fight
out their own personal Difficult
ties on their own line, and that
the people want to know nothing
about their private grievances.
Whether one has been as polite
and proper to the other at all
times as he should have been, may
be a matter of very small concern /;
but whether he has stood squarely
by the principles which elected
him, and been faithful to his pub
lie trusts, are questions which all
intelligent voters will ask of their
representatives, and which they
have an undoubted right to die
cuss.
There is nothing so easy as to
answer long arguments by per
sonal invective and SANDER. But
this is a style well understood.
When an opponent has nothing to
do but call names, he is under
stood to be about 'played out
He acknowledges his weakness.
He gives up his case. Men may
laugh at his ability to throw dust
but they will mourn his lack OF
ability to do anything else. He
is a moral coward and an intellec,
tual beggar, and everybody knows
it. A politician who is only as
sailed by such weapons has moth.
ing to to fear. Such attacks viii
never kill him. He need not take
the trouble to answer them. They
answer themselves. No man is
hurt till he hurts himself The
worst you can do to good maj
is to persecute him, and the wersr
persecution can do is TO kill him
and to try to spite him by killing
him is like trying to spite q shiI
by launching her. God made one
for heaven and the other for the
ocean, and the hour is not tn,
worst one that gives each to thei
native element.
But infidelity to truth Is mora
death. And it is political death
. too. PartiZan corruption mus
find its level. a sensible peopl
: will not always be humbugged; al
upright people will not always b
, defrauded. Politicians must Civ
an account of their stewardship
They must be weighed in the bal
! snces and if found wanting, the,
J must look out for the result. Blu
} let them be honestly criticise,
and fairly weighed, and let then
be rewarded according to thei
t works. Personal abuse is
/ mean weapon. Manly argu
: ment is more efficient. And i
l the. campaign which will 500
: open in this State, we hop
{ to see one conducted on honora
D Bile and manly principles; FIRE
: from degrading personal quarrels
r in which fealty to principle shal
a be rewarded, moral recreaney puT
: ished, and the best men win
r Kansas Spirit.