Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-09-23
A SHORT SERMON.

It will be observed that we have ia
ken a text for this article, custom un-
usual. We are unable to account for
the departure from rule now, unless
the subject is one which demands Or
thodox treatment, and it is "predes-
tined" that we should do so. Or, it
may be, that we are impelled to give
this homily" a clerical twang, from
some such reasons as influence public
speakers to make Science handmade
to Oratory.
In our issue of the 9th instant, we
cautioned the Olympian to be careful of
its "facts," in discussing political
questions, and after cogitating two
weeks, and scratching it's head, meta
phorically speaking, until its scalp
fairly bled, it now retorts in the same
spirit as that under which the first ar
ticle was indited. Having declared
MIR. Tilden was responsible for Tam
many's doings, it persists in its state
ment, Notwithstanding we quoted the
best of Republican authority-the N. Y.
11mes-to prove the contrary. 1t even
asserts that Mr.. Greeley implicated him
in the frauds perpetrated by the un-
famous ring which controlled New
York politics. If SO, the "white-
coated philosopher" was for once mis-
taken, and afterwards made amends by
strenuously supporting Gov. Tilden in
his efforts to overcome the ring. Mr..
Tilden accepted the craftsmanship of
the State Committee in 1868 for the
avowed purpose of keeping out of the
control of the State organization the
men who afterwards grew to be called
the Tammany Ring. From that time
Mr.. Tilden was always in state of an
tagonism to Tweed growing out of the
distrust he felt even when there was no
proof against the Tammany Boss; and
before the depredations began upon
the Treasury of the city of New York
Tweed had obtained influence over the
patronage of the Street Department as
Deputy Street Commissioner, under an
arrangement made with Mayor Opdyke,
Republican, by whom the Commits
sioner was appointed, who then selected
Tweed for Deputy.
It is folly for the Olympian to insist
that the mule is eighteen feet high,
under these circumstances. The pecu-
lations and frauds in question are OF
too recent date for anybody to be de-
ceived by reckless assertions prompted
alone by partisan infatuation which
blinds the judgment and sears the con-
science
Then, again, it reaffirms its convic-
that because John Morrissey at one
time acted with the Democracy, that
party is responsible for all his sins and
moral obliquities. The fact that he
subsequently affiliated with the Repub-
leans does not in the least affect the
relative position of matters, if the are
to credit this censor of political morals
and creeds. Our assertion that "John
Morrissey, SO far as his public acts
were concerned, was honest" brought
down this anathema upon our head:
boast of sheet published in the interests OF
such low and sad phases of vice and moral
defOrmity, or one tina. can thus apologize for
them, much less call their representative
bully-hOnest."
Does the astute contributor to the
Olympian know that New York could
boast of just such another sheet-the
Tmes-which last October said:
..Morrissey. at any rate, would never take
q bride, and has never stolen any money
rugged virtues no doubt, but it IS not every
body that can boast of possessing them, John
Morrissey ought to receive the vote of every
citizen"
Does he know that Heenan was a
prominent Republican ward politician,
or reflect that Schenck has done more
to popularize tie game of draw-poker
than all the professional gamblers
in Christendom? Does he know that
Grant is cheek-by-jowl with John
Chamberlain, the prince of gamblers at
Long Branch? Does he know that
there are other vices quite as heinous
as gambling or prize-fghting? Does
he believe that the smooth-mannered,
oily-tongued individual whose every
act is q lie, will stand a better chance
of Heaven than the hardy son of Ma
ture who has subsisted by being liter
ally beaten from pillar to postP The
dark flood which borders the Infinite
carries away quite as large load of
stubbornness, bigotry and hypocrisy
as it does Of the ordinary phases of sin,
before the inner nature is revealed in
the presence of Divine Truth. It is
well to pause and reflect, lest we Judge
to harshly of those who do not belong to
the 'select."
81 We observe that Mr.. Gum has
been repainting and renovating his Of