The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-26

which denounced Irwin as thief and
charged him with pocketing the money
which was spent in Washington have all
ceased, and, strange to say, Irwin Is TO-
day scarcely criticised.
Developments of the investigation
have produced an ominous calm, and a
sudden disposition to check further in
quiry is noticeable.
ga strange rumor is afloat regarding g
Beck and the Pacific Mail subsidy. AL
together Irwin is the only self.collected
man in this dirty business, and tonight
he is practically master of the situa-
tion."
Now the point we make is, that while
Reid was treated with the greatest po-
liteness, Wetmore was shamefully
abused by the committee. Reid's Of
tense was much greater than Wetmore's.
Reid had freely made "flings" at the
committee through his leading editorial
columns, conspicuously loaded, while
Wetmore had only the use Of q solid re.
portcrs column Of California paper.
Readers always discriminate between
the two departments.
while the editorial writers are expected
to exercise greater deliberation and care
in positively asserting anything that is
not true. Wetmore's offense was, there
fore, very slight in comparison with
Reid's. Indeed, it does not appear that
he was guilty of any otfense at all, while
Reid did make charges and insinuations
of the truth of which he should have
been informed.
1t is reporters duty to give not only
facts but important street, bar and club.
room gossip touching matters Of public
concern: 1t is the duty of the editor-ln.
GHETTO exclude from his leading columns
mere rumors, unless he knows them to be
we'll founded.
Now contrast the treatment the two
men received. Reid was treated in a
gentlemanly manner; and when one d
the Committee insinuated that editors
should know whereof they write, the
whole Committee were reduced to sill
ence by the following utterance:
"Mr. Reid remarked that great injus.
tice was done to journalists in suppos.
ing that they must have personal knOwl.
edge of every thing they write, which in
the nature OF things is not possible per.
haps once in thousand times"
Mr.. Reid testified tnat the two mem.
bers to whom the Tribune had referred
as "untit to sit on the committee were
Dawes and Wood;" and yet he swore
that he had emo reason to suspect Dawes
in the leastp 1t is clear that Reid had
no reason to suspect Wood unless the
money had been found in his boots, since
he fought the subsidy from beginning to
end, and there was no motive for tender
ing him a "swag." On the whole, Reid
was failure before the committee.
The manner in which Wetmore put his
statement was proper. A mere. reporter
is not supposed to know everything nor
TO be profound logician. And yet be-
cause poor Wetmore did not feel at lib
,rty to give the name Of the person or
persons whom ne had talked with on the
subject he was treated in most brutal
His statement was denounced
as a 'lie," ga baseless, malicious lie,"
when it was no lie at all, because it was
given as rumor. Wetmore refused to
give any names AID he was hurried
away to prison. Look back and read
again what he did report, as quoted by
Mr.. Beck in a speech on the subject, and
see how slight was the preteXt for this
rough treatment.
Now why the difference in the two
cases? Because Reid is at the head of
one of the leading journals of the coun-
try and is likely to be a permanent edi-
while poor Wetmore d. is
merely reporter to-day and may be a
'jour" printer tomorrow! Reid stepped
from College to the press and has rap
idly risen in his profession; while in all
Wetmore has been school
master, OF perhaps shoemaker or
"clod-hopper."
We set this forth to show how short
the world is in true politcness. and man.
hood; and how abusively the aristocracy
feel at liberty to treat common mortal
who has little influence, while they will
cringe and creep before one who occu-
pies position ofpower. So tits also as
between wealth and poverty; between
those who do no work and those who
labor; between those who have influen-
tial relatives and those whose associa-
tions are humble; between those who
are richly draped and those who are
plain in their apparel; between those
who are experienced and can protect
themselves ana those who are ineXpe-
rienced and easily confused; and be-
tween those who are educated and tai
ented, and those who are of m ore moder-
ate capacity and no education.
The people. should remember such in-
,idents, and every time they think of
them say to themselves, "Gentlemen, we
will bide our time with patience, Tor a
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