The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-08-13
The Danger of Delay.
From tie New York Semi WeekiY Tribune 0

mouth Church would no. be allowed to
disturb the public mird and poison the air
for another week. The plain of investiga
ton adopted by Mr.. Beecher and his friends,
whils there were many things Objectionable
about it, had this in It's favor, that the
Committee, being restricted by no rules OF
law, could proceed promptly through to a
close unchecked by any dilatory process.
Mr.. Tilton's statement was at once laid be-
fore them. II should have been followed
promptly by that OF Mr.. Beecher aad Mrs.
/ Eilton, and such subordinate witnesses as
tie Committee required; aud no time should
/ have been lost in delivering the verdict to
! the world. The Committee do not seem
to recognize the harm they are doing in
dragging this case out to such length.
They have no right to keep this mass OF
moral carr ion iufeetir. the air a momen
longer than is necessary. But We have
come to the end Of another week and no
/ decided steps have been taken towards
making end of the matter. I he scan
dal has been forced into the daily thought
and conversation of millions Of people.
| With few exceptions the whole country is
divided into two caEps-the better part
/ hoping that Mr.. Bcecher will be proved
gu.itless, the blser part gloatng over the
/ prospect that he may be dragged Gown into
the mire. Every hour that the investiga-
/ ton Is unnecessarily prolonged adds need
+ iessly to the suspense Of the first, and the
I brutal delight Of the latter class.
From the very hcsinniog of this sickening
business We have meant to leave no doubt
as to the position Of the Tribune, aud We
believe re hage left none III any intelligent
and candid mind. We have of course seen
ourselves accused in certain quarters of
partality toward Mr.. Beecher. That was
only to be Expected. We deplored the ap-
peal to the "ordeal by newspaper" a. the
Nation styles it, made necessary by Mr..
| Tilton's letter to Dr. Bacon. We refused
to publish that letter when an early copy
"uS tSAOd5ait ~ NiltS OiAaSc- " iAc-ii ny IL e
action Of other newspapers the matter Was
made public scandal, we hal no remedy
but to give the news to our readers in as
decent II form as possible. Since then W.
bave, according to cur custom, given fuller
news of the progress of the case than any
lthef paper, eldeavoring, however, not t Q
pander to EruriencY or malice on the one
side or the other We have suppressed no
facts favorable or injurious to either party
OF course We have no hesitation IN saying
We have shared the earnest desire of all
c'eanly people, whether members Of churches
or those merely holding Christianity in
high respect, that Mr. Bcecher might salts
tacturily answer the charges brought against
him. aUI that the m0Iern pulpit night not
lose its -reatcst glory and lrghE iu so foul
ruin. That our sYuptthIes were rather
With him than with tbs lguOble pack at hi,
heels surely requires 10 explanation. When
i grcl. temple Is threatened with destruc-
ton, 10 oas cares III lex for tie fate Of the
rlte dat swaeIu in its vaults. Bat We ask
Tor him out. Justice aai far deahtg, aud we
huee given this To buth sides in tue Interest
Of ! noble name on the one hand, and IN
the interest, Vi domestic purify On the
other.
We are constrained to say that Rt the
close of lest week the case does hot iCO& 50
c,"arIy hopeful rs it drj week before.
The statement Of Mr. Tllton, which. fell
With stunning force upon the public, hul
been met aud partly answered by the cards
Of Mr.. Beccher and Mrs. Ti!ton, SO far
as Mr.. IlIGCI statements were concerned,
these cards were complete answer. lie
has shown himself 50 destitute of any cor.
rect conception Of Truth or manhood
throughout this matter, that his word and
his oath are equally worthles. hen unsup-
ported by other evidence. But precious
time has been lost by Mr., Beecher and his
friends in explaining the documents pru
ted under his name. His line of defense
was merely indicated in bis card and that
Of Mrs. T!lt0n; and although 1t seemed
natural and reasonable, i: is impossible for
the public TO rest content with such a sug-
.estiCn OF answer. There has not been a
moment since the Publication of MIR. Til
tons statement when full explanation of
those ictters-N hich constitute, SO far, the
only evidence ~ the ease-was not abSG-
lutetY essential. lac delay in tbs, aud
the accumulation Of every sort Gi liio stJr-
les, sown broadcast by riton and his male
and female goosip> for the last three years
and now raising TO the surface in n mant-
ling scum Of uneleanness, have begun to
rouse in the community a fear lest a salts
factory exp 'anation should be really impos-
sible. \ fail and convincing statement
would still satisfy the demand Of the decent
public; but it will now require to be fuller
and more convincing than would have been
necessary last week.
To those friends and correspondents who
ask why we have so little TO say Of Sir.
TIltou, our answer Is that il is Mr. BeccGer
who is on trial and not his assailaut. If
Mr.. Beechcr fails it viii be through lis
own letters, and not through and words of
his accuser. lie is the only Iersonage on
the scene worth considering We have
therefore declined, h.-lierto, to publish the
revelations crowding in uaon us in regard
I to the licenti0us and foolish life of I Iheo-
doTe TiltOn. Those who ruD may read
enough Of him in his own published state
ments. His sentimental gossip, dribbled
. through three years into every ear open 20
him, his osten;ation Of dishonor, real or
1 tancied, paraied everywhere like a badge
I Of msiit, in streets, ferry boats, newspaper
Offices, azd at the tea tables of social relor-
mers, sparinr neither sex nor age in his
hunt for conEdaOts, the strange mixture OF
mauilin magnanity ard curri>h .maics
which his account Of himself displays have
seemed more than enough 70 enable the
public TO take his just measure, without
entering into Objectionable narratives OF
BIS private lie His chosen famlliars are
IKE INTO bin.
I ! 1t is ir1epalably disastrous to Mr. Beech
; CT, and might serve a. q warning to men
Ike him, it there were any such, that be
has admitted the ;a;inlates of Tilton to too
great familiarity With himself. Think OF
lntEusting delicate matters involving tie
peaoe Of families aad the fair fame of
wo1len, to a duh blgDaerer Ike Moulton
; or any empty yhendei babbler Ike Carpenter
/ M0alJon, who had DO more conception of
the gravity of bis Office Of 20 between
than . telegraph-bov has of the sscre. place
I of the thunder; and Carpenter deyoure /
Jy prrrient last Of gossip which makes 1
physically impossible for him to stay in his
own shop AT " ork when there is chance
for hIm to be meddhng 10 the affairs Of his
neighbors. How can any one think Of
people ike these while Plymouth palpit is
In danger2 And " bat more exasperating
s0rrow can there be than 10 remember that
Il Is bY association with people ike these