The Portland daily press., 1875-03-08
DeSnicahle.

II is said that the rancor and malignity oil
partisan journalism is slowly but surely dying
out. A brief examination of extra cts from
partisan journals fifty years since, confirms
the correctness of the statement. Then there
was.naught political warfare but personal de-
traction and abuse mingled with degree OF
malice that fair minded person can scarcely
conceive to be possible. Even so great man
as De Witt Clinton dwarfed himself by fire.
quent use of Getraction and calumny as po-
litical weapon. For instance, be spoke OF
Van Buren, as ga scoundrel of the first mag
nitude and in politics confirmed knave" !;
Crawford was "a Thoroughbred political
blackleg"; the younger Adams was ''po.
ltical apostate" and everything but "honest"
while the elder Adams was scamp"
There Is, however, now and then jour
nalist who has no idea that any change has
been taking place in the method of conduct
ing party paper. Schooled In the theory
that political opponent is personal enemy
to be destroyed by any possible means, skill
full only in the use of the weapons of CAL
umny, versed in all the modes Of cowardly
attack upon character and reputation so that
his stab is like that of the assassin, exhibiting
the same fiendish delight in the ranking
wound which the malignant innuendo inficts
as the savage exhibits in the effect Of pois-
oned arrow-this sort OF journalist, the aver
sion of his party associates, hated more than
dreaded by honest opponents, without the
confidence or respect OF a fair minded man in
any party, sows seed, which, should it take
root, would divide communities and states in
to warlike factions, SO intolerant and malig-
nant that not only social intercourse and
business relations would be confined to party
limits, but society would be in danger
from bloody collisions as is now the case
where conscienceless ard malignant press
inspires party action. Happily this class of
journals have little influence in the North.
Communities are secure because business in
terests and personal friendships bind men Of
different political parties together.
There could be no possible pretext, for in
stance, in the PRESS intlmating that Mr..
Richardson, who becomes Mayor to-day,
would be most likely TO be corrupt official
or betray his trust because he Is political
opponent. During years of business life he
has maintained high reputation among his
business associates. He has right to
expect the confidence Of good men of
both parties, and it would be mean beyond
expression and should be criminal for any
Republican paper to attribute corrupt mo-
tives to him in any official act. 1t may criti-
else his policy but his character cannot fairly
be assailed without notable cause.
To-day Mr.. Wescott leaves the Mayors
office. We believe that the leading Demo-
Gratis of the city, Ike Messrs. Clapp, Brad
bury, Putnam, Howard and Cleaves and a
score of other equally prominent gentlemen
who are his political opponents, would cheer
fully bear testimony to his integrity of pur-
pose in all his officia.. acts. Indeed, we have
heard several of these gentlemen make not
only that declaration, but give him much
more emphatic endorsement Nevertheless
our contemporary allowed some one who
dared not sign his name, to publish COM
munication in its columns, implying that Mr..
Wescott had, as an interested party, built the
Portland bridge extension for the railroads at
the expense of the city, at the same time tell
ing two or more lies to stick his assertion to.
Now, in view of well-known business char
acter and excellent repute, which Mr.. Wes-
colt sustains among those who know him
best, this anonymous SANDER is simply infa-
nous. That is the view that several leading
Democrats expressed relative thereto. This
calumny is all the more injurious because 80
adroity put as to escape the vague law of Ii
bel. Nor can the journal which publishes it
escape blame. Next in criminal RESPONSE
blity to him who plunges the assassn's dag
ger to the heart of the passer-by, stands the
man who consents that the murderer shall
hide himself within his doorway to commit the
crime. We cannot think that the editor OF
the Argus saw that outrageous attack upon
Mr.. Wescott else it would have gone into his
waste basket rather than his columns. We
think that when his attention is called TO the
fact, he will make the amende honorable.