New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-06
"PERsOyiL ABUSE AND SLINDER.'

"PERSONiL ABUSE AND SL1NDER'
The General Committee of Tammany Hall,
in string Of appropriate resolutions relative
to the result of the campaign, attributes the
defeat of the party to persistent falscbood
land Misrepresentation directed against this
organization, and personal abuse aud Islander
"against prominent members OF the Dc
"mocracy." No doubt the TaInmany Commit
tee and many Of the Democratic leaders
have had to bear a great deal OF deirac-
ton, and the fact that tie victors were upon
tho whole much more abusive during the CON
test than their adycr.arics gives color
to the belief that il was abuse which
carried the day. 1t is very easy, how
ever, to ovorestmato the effect OF violent
denunciation. If il were possible IL measure
the various forces which combined TO turn the
scale in this instance, we suspect that per-
sonal abuse and SANDER would be found
the very least of them, and those who con
gra,ulue themselves upon having been the
lusiicst blackguard. in the whole pagiy would
discover that their noise had contributed
nothing 10 the victory. Abuse is too common.
There is not man in public lie on
either side who has not been covered
with it, and it has been the for
tune Of some of cur most distinguished ana
purc-minded statesmen-!or instance cN-Sen-
ator Schun among the living and Charles
Sumner and Horace Greeley among the dead
TO be alternately damned and can0nzed not
only by one party but by each party ia turn.
People have grown suspicious OF so much
raging Indignation, and there Is prevalent
disposition to assert the liberty of private
Judgment
During the next year temptations To indulge
i'm mud throwing will be unusually strong.
The contest for the Presidency viii he sharp
one Parties aIe very evenly balanced, and as
neither has any great moral principle to fight
for. the first impulse Of the average politician
will be to make capital for his own side by
4" showing up somebody on tic other. The
Democrats. having control of the House Of
Representatives may be expected to begin the
campaign by a vigorous course OF INVESTIGATIONS
ard il they bring out any damaging facts
the Republicans will naturally wish To retallate
in kind. There arc passages III our recent
political history which certainly ought to he
The subject of most searching inquiry. The
purchase and sale of tl,e fiscal agency, the
unexplained mystery Of the safe burglary, the
connection of Government officers with SWIM
ding operations in the public works OF the
District the oDCratiOns Of the real estate
pool. Indian aiaus. and some OF the other
commonplaces of scandal, demand sort OF
attention from Congress which they have not
vet received, and We have no doubt that some
of them at least will be taken up early III the scs-
sion. WeSay they require attention because they
involve not only the public money but the
good name of the Government ard il abuses
prevail they should be checked before they
have gone any further. But if the Democrats
push these investigations in an unfair and par
,isan spirit. for no other purpose than to mako
political capital. they will be very likely to
fail OF their object. They cannot raise thom-
selves to power merely by exposing the
misconduct of some of their opponents.
The prize, according to present appearances
will 30 to that party which shows itself The
more Just and honorable in prosperity, the
more earnestly devoted 10 good government
and the more respectable III its daily be-
bayior. The Democracy has not done much
10 fill us with confidence since its little snc-
cess of last year. y has q chance now to de-
clare positive policy of honesty in finance
and reform in administration. When it
has established n claim to ON respect for
itself. we shall he better prepared 10 listen to
it, criticisms upon Republicans.
CYCLES IN EAKTH'S HiNIORY.