The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-02-18
Ut = -.
EAME BYl CONTRACT.

/ send herewitipan article from the
N. Y. Worid, by Which your readers
will usee, how radical statesmen are
madeo We may: expect the Portage
Co. Democrat to the "bat" atothei
proper time. with aeopious extracts
from the biography in controversy as
original natter The chatting. will
be fearful ~ 'u3s 5ITF .9sDcIi ILL., Y
-aThe last infirmity OF noble minds
is particularly rife in Waslfington. 1t
does not appear there however, as the
last infirmity, nor rs the infirnity q!
noble minds, To the average Radical
member of Congress fame fis not an
end, butts means3a He thirsts for it
not because he enjoys the honor and
admiration of his fellow citizens, 2but
because he enjoys the suffrages of his
fellow to- which honor and admira-
tion arc furtherances. 1t is not an
apothesisl that he is after, but q re-
election. Hence he resorts to what
wearel truly grisveda to call >s'gamesY
One Of his games used to be TO get
somebody to- write him long speeches,
and to procure the same to be printed
in the Globe and forwarded to his con-
stituents at the public expense. The
repeal of the franking privilege, and
the efforts ofsthose of his colleagues
who did not thirst for fraudulent fame
have combined to cut him Off from
this royal road to- glory. Wisdom is
at this ono entrance quite shut out.
He can no longer get his fame free.
Hia course is clear--he obtains it by
contract 80 z5eho siJ.A0 ar .sl5sit de
The business of making biographies
OF wi hich the subjects were the pur-
chasers 10 not new one. 1t has been
practised by the !" publishing compa-i
nies,". whese dement's toward the
public in other respects areaso great'
for many years. ~ We have o dim re-
of q, snit on. contract
brought by. a publishing company
against msmberoof the Tweed fami-'
ly, who thought his services worthy
of celebration, and demurred at the
price at which the celebration was
charged. 1t was not, we need hardly
say, William NJ, who did this thing.
One of the characteristics of that joS
vial bandit was his profound indiffer-
ence to publicsentiments of his fellow
citizens. 1t was q smaller and obscurer
Tweed. The suit, as we remember it.
had the effect of exposing the 'avivity
of this little Tweed, this Tweedle, So
70 speak, for fame and byiithea time
the Judgment was obtained against
him., the resources @ OF the house of
Tweed were too slender to satisfy it.
This was. a. lovely piece of practical
Justice all.round. tatah- js.'-- ...5.s-. ssi
The biographer,. by contract now
pursues lofticr' quarry. There are
suits pending, by and on behalf of a
publishing company in the District
Court of Washlnston. against ii. S.
Bundy, NJ c.; Samuel Sheilabargcr,
ex-M. CD A. Garfield, NJ. c., and j:
Hale Sypher, II. c., for failing to pay
the amounts agreed for the fame
which was duly furnished as per con-
tract The particulars Of these suits
are mainly interesting as showing the
gradations of the subjects in biograph-
ical value. There is one glory of
'Shcllabarger, 1860 IS; and another
glory of Garfield, $l,l63.25; and an
other glory of Bundy, S49S; and an
other glory Of j. Hale Sypher, $3.50
for one member Of Congress. in glory.
Mr.. Garfield, it appears, celebrated
himself, and he ought, prima facie, to
have got oil cheaper than the rest, the
copy being gratuitous; but he was too
greedy, and we regret to observe that
he is charged with additional. books
on account Of length of sketch. Mr..
Shellabarger's pen is not that of a
ready writer, and Mr.. Shellaharger is
charged for authorship as well as COM
position and press-work.. Hezekiah
Bundy 10 charged also "to employing
editor for preparing SKETCH" and j..
Hale Sypher, who, presumably cannot
write At all, is charged forr literary as
we'll as typographical composition" !"
and also for {s'materials for sketch"
which must mean that. in order to
make Sypher appear worthy of place
even in a Encyclopaedia of biography p
the London, New York and Hartford
Publishing Colnpany% had to invent
the facts about him, IN .-r.,f .ssf- z,5
What q pretty showing this is. OF
course, we had 10 right to expect any
thing better of obscure humbugs like
Sypher and Bundy. But Shellabarger
is Judge and Garfield is general
Both are political ssieaders," so called.
If they were men of decent human
sensibility they would feel like suicide
at getting fame by stealth and blush
Ing to find themselves defendants in a
suit on contract, and thus being de-
tected in most scuryy and contempti-
BILE fraud, to which even an advertiser
of quack medicines would feel him
self degraded by condescending."
Si'sl5.l tlE a-tli+. l-@ ste.-a
'-' gir NJ assU4 sd 5-Enl - -t.-..sN rs
TIE gardener turned and began to
walk slowly away as he did so he
displayed two patches on the seat of
his pantaloons, beneath the line Of his
roundabout jacket. Halo !! here
come back hers," called the merchant !;
syou needn't apply tomorrow l see
l shan't want YOU" The astonished
applicant stammered out something
about his knowledge of gardening and
good character, but was cut off sharp
by this practical observation. Don't
want you, sir, the patches on your
breeches are on the wrong side. A