The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-09
Seasonable Hints for tho Campaign
From the Philadelphia Record)

l
The country will soon be engaged In
tho struggle TO decide who shall be our
chief executive for the four years sue.
ceeding tho 4th of March next. Prac.
tised demagogues and new.tledged ora.
tors will alike be roaming through the
country, endeavoring to convince simple.
minded people 10 vote with them to save
the country from ruin" We do not i'm
imagine that their iulminations will
amount to much, for a moro moderate
and practical school Of politicians ap.
pears to be growing into favor. Antag.
Onism Of principles by no means involves
lack Of decency or Of that cardinal viz
tue, civility. Many arc the instances
where, upon hard.tOught battle fields, the
conqueror has taken the sword OF the
conquered with o grace and dellcacy
which robbed the humiliation of much Of
its bitterness.
In our party politics heretofore an en-.
tirely opposite principle has seemed to
prevail. Opponents have had no consid-
GRAFTON for one another. As there Is a
courtliness which Is sweeter than polite.
ness, so there is a sort Of civil barbarism
which ia as bad as billingsgate, and OF
this latter party politics has always been
full. II had that lack OF politeness which
is insulting, while it falls short OF the di.
rect insult, and outrageous while 1t
scarcely assumes the proportions Of q dc.
liberate outrage.
For one party 10 denounce, slander and
abuse the candidate oi another does not
tend to the ultimate success of either. II
Is game at which both can play, and the
only advantage gained Is the questionable
one which displays vulgarity that re.
bounds to the credit ofneither. Dignified
courtesy evidences self.respect, conviction
o! the worth OF ones cause, and calm
courage which while 1t dares the other
side to do its utmost OF the same time de.
ties it. Men in the heat Of political con.
trovcrsy are guilty Of Thousand rudenes.
ses inadmisSable in any gentlemanly de.
bate. They are high toned acquaintance
on every other topic, but, ifpolitical oppo.
nents, they at once drop to the level of
bruisers and pugilists. 1t Is q struggle to
sec which can get in the best blows, and
they do not hesitate TO strike "below the
belt" il opportunity offers. Urbanity is
an excellent Condiment with which to sea.
son a political dinner; 1t will make many
an unsavory dish palatable. "a few
mouthluls Of empty wind" are not going
to blow anything or anybody to perdition,
and, in the same way, damning ones op-
pOnents from Dan TO Beersheba Is not 60
ing 10 secure success.
There is IN old proverb which says:
"Molasses catches more flies than vine.
gar" The man whose sensibilities have
been outraged in trying to talk him over
TO the opposing side will almost TO a cer-
tainty vote against 1t. We arc all familiar
with the story Of the executioner's knife
which killed the victims with such skill
that they were dead without knowing
what hurt them. .- So should the political
antagonist strike off tho heads Of those
opposed TO him with such keenness and
polish that they would experience pleas.
urable thrill in decapitation.
In all political controversy, federation
Of honorable difference and manly cour.
tesy should be prominent plank in the
platform" The most vulgar voter recog.
nizes and appreciates such qualities, as
well as the most diplomatic. Difference
Of opinion among political opponents
must exist, but an insolent and scurrilous
hostility is uncalled for, and fatal to the
cause it would promote. II Is true that
men are prone to ascribe some moral
quality TO opinions on almost any subject,
and vituperation as controversial weap.
on owes whatever" strength 1t has to the
moral side of human nature. But 1t Is a
weapon that those who arc the least ele.
vated in the moral scale arc the most
given to using, and only in the last ex.
tremity-only where palpable turpitude
demands violent language-wlll the high.
toned and the scrupulous resort to 1t.
Then II should fall like the lightning
strOke-incisive and crushing.