The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-02
Political Journalism.

| We have more than once recognized Mr..
John Kelly in two different characters
that Of public officer and that of politi-
cal manager AS the chief OF the Finance
Department of the city we have given him
| ungrudging praise. AS the guiding spirit
| Of Tammany we dislike his methods, but
have never questioned his ability nor dis
puted his success on occasions when he has
been successful. Having treated him with
| fairness in each of the aforementioned ca
pacities he has no reason to ascribe to
any feeling Of unkindness what we think it
our duty to say respecting his appearance
| in his new and third role of q journalist or
| the proprietor and director of two city
journals We find no fault with the politi-
cal objects he seeks to accomplish with his
newspapers, for every set of opinions is en-
titled to public hearing; but do object
most decidedly to Mr.. Kelly's wanton viola
tions Of the decencies of journalism. The
gross personal defamation Of members Of
the press Of this city which is kept up in
his papers can only disgust the respectable
part Of the community. When they began to
appear we charitably supposed that they
were the work Of some ill-bred underling
or dirty twenty dollar reporter, and that
when they were brought to Mr.. Kelly's
notice his self-respect and sense Of decency
would put prompt stop to them. 1t sur
prises us that he permits them to be so long
continued, for they are altogether too re-
markable to have escaped his attention.
cal,1 ~ IF 1c RI N
trude into the quarrels Of their contempo-
rares has heretofore protected this signal
breach Of decorum from comment and con-
domination. The HERALD has treated Comp
troller Kelly with SO much candor that he
will perhaps listen to advice from us,
and we counsel him, in the interest
Of his own reputation, to prevent his
ragamuffins from finging any more filth and
compel them to employ weapons which
are not disgrace to journalism. 1t has
passed into proverb that abuse Of the
plaintiffs attorney is a virtual confession
Of an indefensible case. A citizen Of Mr..
Kelly's standing should scorn to hit below
the belt.
We desire Mr.. Kelly to take notice that
we do not expect him to be a model OF saint
liness To be sure, he has always borne IN
unblemished character for integrity and
virtue, and is recognized as a de-
voted son Of the Church but we
are not aware that he ever had
anything to do with the Ratchet and
cherry tree which make such pretty figure
in the early history Of the late lomented
George Washington, although we have no
doubt that if in his younger days Mr..
Kelly had been master of Ratchet and il
| q cherry tree had been near he would have
acted pretty much as the Father OF his
Country is reported to have done-.hackine
the tree. but acknowledging his fault Let
him acknowledge his fault now, not by ex-
claiming. II did it with my little hatchet"-
meaning one of his newspapers-but by
swinging his little hatchets hereafter fol
more legitimate uses. We trust MIR. Kelly
will receive this advice in the same sincere
spirit in which it is rendered. A very little
reflection should bring man Of his good
sense to this conclusion without friendly
| suggestions. Verbiim sap.