Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-04-11
THAT THOUGHTFUL MAN.

The public is getting a little tired Of that
thoughtful man. There never was more
unsatisfactory man than he is. Somehow,
he gets in at the wrong time and spoils eve
rything. Not long since we were refresh
ed to see an article in the Washington IRE.
publican" making very candid and strong
case against Senator Caldwell, who it said
had bought legislature, and bribed men
to vote for him, and would Re disgrace to
that pure body, the U. S. Senate, and ali
that sort of thing, but "thoughtful men
would hesitate before they would violate all
law and precedent, by expelling Senator
for acts done before his election"-as it
those very acts didn't secure his election !!
We had hoped for some justice but this
thoughtful man stepped in and knocked it
all in the fire. Then in the matter of the
late Mr.. Foster, contemporary made real
ly very strong case against him. He had
in fit Of drunken, rowdyism, murdered
respectable and peaceable citizen for remon.
strating sgainst an insult to two helpless
women in q street car. There wasn't par
ticle Of evidence to palliate the crime, and
indeed the whole thing read like Mr.. Foster
ought to be hung, until the Thoughtful Man
stepped in at the close Of the articles. and
wanted to know if sit wasn't clear waste
of human life to hang man, and especially
for crime clearly the result of liquor and
not malice, and one that would have been
farthest from the prisoners thoughts, if be
had been sober )" and then this artful
Thoughtful Man went into touching reve-
ry about the prisoner family, and how hard
it was that they would have to suffer for
what liquor did. And he did the thing SO
we'll, that man felt that rather than do that
thing, it would be better to give Mr.. Foster
bright new car hook and let him loose
on the streets. Fortunately Mr.. Dix was
the Governor and he gave him this conua :
drum-"whether it is better that one man
should be hung or twenty murdered on the
street cars" which so astonished the
Thoughtful Man that before he could recov
er, the matter had been settled Thi, sly.
fellow gets into politics too. 1t was only
the other day that we read so conclusive an
argument against Capitalization in govern
ment, from an administration paper, that
we rejoiced Il was an evidence of ''return.
ing reason" as all good citizens delight to
call anything that that party does, that looks
like conducting the government, for the
good Of the whole country, but the Thought
full one elbowed his way into the articl'
with the inevitable "but" and it was "but
every thoughtful man will have grave
doubts, whether internal peace, and the con
sequent prosperity which only strong cen
trail government can give, is not preferable
to the preservation Of shadowy lines of a
State sovereignty, which has its foundation
in State PRIDE" In the case Of Mr.. Coffax
(price $4,000 this gentleman was particu'
larly active. It was asked with much ear.
nsstness "would any thoughtful man believe
such pure life would be sacrificed for the
paltry sum &C. and "corld any thong htfu'
man read the calm clear statement Of this
Christian statesman and believe &C.
Somehow. it always turns out that this
Thoughtful Man lacks backbone and, in
everything he brings 10. there is strong
favor of submission about it, rather than
to take the wicked by the horns.