Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-07-31
Mr. HYDE, MR.. HAWKINS, AND THE
PRESS.

In the course OF long srticle processing to
defend Chief Engineer Hyde, (who, We hope,
does not really need 30 much defense by such
defender the Emery Ecebtng renews its attacks
on number Of persons, including Messrs.
PickeIs, Underwood and others, aud takes
occasion, also, to make the following express
sion
prior to this decisive step, too, the editor of
paper which has just thrust itself forward as a
champion of Hawkins, had earnestly entreated
that Mr.. Hydes sphere Of labor be confined to
the Water Works, proper, and that a man who
would run the thing in the interests of the Re-
publican party be given the charge Of the basin"
The alusion, here, is to the editor of the
COMMERCIAL. who, as usual when
mentioned at all in the Eo9y Euening,
is belied. We did not make any 'carnest en-
treaty" Of any one, to the effect stated, and il
the editor who uses that expression has learned
anything OF tho facts, his informant certaialy
lid not so tell him. Further, the statement
that wa earnestly entreated that ia man who
would run the thing in the interests OF the Re-
publican party" should be put in charge is to-
tally and absolutely false. We not only did not
so 'entreat" either earnestly or otherwise, but
never even advised, proposed, or suggested such
a thing.
The evidence that Alr. Hyde had given great
majority of the appointments on the reser-
voir to Democrats. aud had, for various
assigned reasons, removed or discharged num-
ber of Republicans, while taking on Democrats
at the same time, either IN their places, or in
others Of equal grade, obliged us to say-and we
said it openly and distinctly, in these columns
that he was not acting fairly either by the men
who gave him his plaoo,or the party to which he
professed to belong--thst neither William Can
By nor John II. Adams, both OF whose votes were
essential to his election ever expected for a mo-
nent, to find him constructing a Democratic
machine, and putting Democrats to run it.
Whether he 30 intended or not, this is what he
has done, and no investigating committee is
needed to find out the fact.
We repeat, too, what We said about John W
Hawkins, remarkiug here that we do not need,
IN the characteristic insoence OF the quoted
paragraph, to "thluAt forward ourselves al
his champion, for we have, both in right and in
tact, the same hearing III the community to say
good word for ali honest and reputable citizen
that any other newspaper has to systematically
dout and insult him. We did say that no doubt
Mr. Hawkins assumed the responsibility for the
charges against Mr.. Hyde i'll good faith that he
is citizen of courage and nerve, not afraid to
discharge what he regards as a public
duty and that he has done more than
one good service in behalf OF the commun-
ity, when timd men would have eyaded
IT, The preferment of the charges against Mr..
Hyde may have been an error of Judgment on Nr
Hawkins's part. but it was neither an offence moi
an improperly. He had the right to ask the in
sestlgation, and if he thought the charges vel
founded, ought to have asked it, and now that
it s had, and the charges are regarded az un
Sustained, though Mr.. Hyde be justified and ex
'used, the reviling and contemning Of the per
ron who presented them is not the act OF a jus
and conscientious public censor at ALL but onl,
that Of a common scold.