New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-10-17
Prove Your InnOCence!

1t happened one day that ten or twelve
staid and sober gentlemen, men who had
been many years before the world, and Of
whom nothing but good was known, and who
had, therefore, been raised to very high posi-
tons by their -citizens-it happened
that these eminent gentlemen met young
man who, having been newly set up as
news-vender, and having failed in that way,
set himself up as scandal-mOnger. This
fellow no sooner caught sight of these distin-
guished gentlemen, than, pulling out bit of
paper on which a scamp had scrawled their
names, he shouted, eli! you! You're
pack of scoundrels and thieves and bribe-
takers. Here's reliable gentleman in legal
difficulties for trying to obtain money inn
properly, says you sold yourselves for from
two thousand to three thousand dollars
apiece. You ought to be ashamed of your
selves! What an awfully corrupt lot you
are. If you're not, prove your innocence"
The gentlemen being accustomed to be
treated with respect, even by those who were
opposed to them, thought such silly scolding
not worthy of particular notice, and passed
on without word. But the younger scandal
monger was not to be put off in this way.
He ran after them, screaming at the top of
his voice, "You're scOundrels and bribe-
takers - and then he turned to the people
around, and said, See these scoundrels that
won't vote for my dear, sainted master, that
set me up as a news-vender. They're bribe-
takers! Here's a reliable gentleman, a very
reliable gentleman, that being in difficulties
for trying to get money improperly, wrote
down their names on this piece of paper, with
two thousand dollars or three thousand OPP
posite each one of them, and they won't take
any notice of me; they won't even prove
their innocence. Agh! you scoundrels,
,vp,tp Innnnannn
cenceo'
The gentlemen went their way undisturbed
by all this clamor; but the young man was
vOciferous and so persistent that people must
hear him; and presently some other persons
of his own sort, men who, failing as news
| vendors had set up as scandal-mOngers,
| Joined themselves to him and began to shout
with him. And then the little ours of the
neighborhood, Tray, Blanche, and Sweet
heart, and the rest attracted by the commO-
ton, came trotting up, barking, yelling, and
bowling after the manner of small ours under
such circumstances, so that the bubbub be-
gan to be public nuisance, and people stop
ped and listened to see what would come OF
it.. Whereupon some of the gentlemen who
were thus publicly scOlded stopped, and said
mot to the young man, for him they still
thought unworthy Of their nOtice-but to the
people around: "What is the matter with
this young man, and what does all this
mean? We know nothing about it. We have
taken no brides. If any man will venture
to accuse us openly of doing so, let him pro-
duce his proofs in a proper manner and we
will plead to them; but they must be some
thing more than q few names and figures
written on the back of letter by reliable
gentleman in difficulties. You have known
us well for many years, and you know that
| nf El-olx t,,o oil for hri
Then the people were content, and the
gentlemen went their way again. But the
young man, disappointed ut being set down
in this quiet way, and furious at having nc
notice taken of him, ran after them again
screaming at the top of his voice, and hall
out of breath, "That won't do! that won't
do!-Can't get off so!-Reliable gentleman
very reliable gentleman Names on a pa
per!-Two thousand dollars three Thousand
dollars! Prove your innocence prove you
innocence - And then the others Of hi.
own sort shouted, Prove your innocenceo
and the little dogs, "Tray, Blanche, ant
Sweetheart, barkcd and yelped and howlet
in concert. Then, in hopes to still the hub
bub, one of the slandered persons turned ant
said: AS to this young mans reliable gen
tleman, we have no doubt that he has lice
and will relic to his entire satisfaction /; bu
the young man himself, as he once presumed
to deliver a lecture, ought to know that, t.
say nothing of our position, no man of re
spectacle standing is obliged to notice charge
not specific, and not sustained by proof; tina
no man, however vile, is obliged to prov
his innocence but that those who accus
him must prove him guilty and that unit
proved guilty, even the poorest wretch I'm
hung is presumed to be innocent. Out Q
bedlam no man is required to prove his limo
!. cence." ...
Then they turned and went their wa
again; but the young man followed Their
=, crying, "That won't do! Prove your limo
cence!" And his few companions of his ow
sort followed with him at first. But 500
t the men began to feel ashamed, and fe
, away; and at last even the little dogs wen
off with their tails between their legs, an
) left Mr.. Greeley's young man standing alon
and screaming after the dignified gentleman
Y ''Prove your innocence! Every man VIII
t won't vote for my old master is scoundr,
and bribe-taker! Prove your innocence
E And there he will stand shrieking out h
t ISLANDERS against them and other good mel
+ until his old master calls him in and SEM
0 him back to his old work again.--N. Y. Tine