The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-10-17
THE VIEWS OF THE COMMON
WEALTH.

has often been criminal in intent, if not !
in fact, who is always ready to believe |
that another is SO. The editor of the /
Fond du Lac Commonwealth charges us |
with being corrupt. His suspicious are |
an index TO his character. We are salts |
fed We know the most persuasive argu- |
ment that could be used to win this |
sapient editor who discovered that Gen.
Bragg's taxes were unpaid, There is
speculation in his eyes" and he sees it
reflected from the eyes of others. Gus
tom has daz'd him SO, that he is proof
and bulwark against sense" and he ac-
counts for everything on the ground of
"been SEEM" The depraved usually
have little faith in human nature, and
believe that moral poverty is an essential
element in human character. We form
our estimate of the editor of the Com
n1O1aaCealth from data furnished by him
self. In attempting to describe us he
has unconsciously photographed himself.
We have no doubt that his history is in
perfect harmony with the moral perver-
sity he depicts.
The Commonwealth says these "pa-
pers knew the facts which called forth
their Indignation, and they know them
now" We knew the facts then, as dis
torted by republican newspapers. We
know them now, as they existed. We
were informed then that Bragg had stolen
the platform for the purpose of injecting
Objectionable features. We knoa0 now
that it was stolen by the representative
of republican newspaper, for sinister
purposes. We know now, that the repub-
lican press, true to its instincts, sought
by misrepresentation to deceive the pub
lie and give them an entirely erroneous
idea of the affair. 1t is certainly allow
able in political campaign to present
true facts with all the energy of which
language is capable and to iterate and
reiterate them until their weight is felt.
! But the reckless PRONUNCIATION of false
! hood to which the Commonwealth has
devoted itself, is despicable IN the ex-
IRENE. eIuuer lacks that degree of
intelligence capable of understanding an
unequuvocal statement, or is SO uncandid
and peryerse as.to seek to give it an in
depreciation which more skilled dialec-
tician than he of the Commonwealth can
not maintain.
We stated that we had been furnished
with the original draft of the resolutions
and had the matter explained by mem
bers of the committee on resolutions, and
that both entirely exonerated Gen Bragg.
"But, says the astute editor, "did he
say that the original was not in Bragg's
hand writing2' Could Bragg be held
innocent if the resolutions were in his
hand writing! Even if we supposed that
the editor of the Commonwealth would
seek to misconstrue our explanation, we
could hardly make it clearer, in antici-
patton of that event. We supposed that
editors, as rule, have average intelli-
gence and we did not expect to be con-
fronted with such evidence of stupidity.
Or perhaps the editor is an expert in
framing sentences which do not mean
what they appear to, and attributes
Ike inclination to us. Well, we shall
bring our statement within his compre-
hension, or disabuse him of the impress.
ion that we are kin of hfs III trickery, by
saying that the Original drafS of the
resolutions was not in Bragg's hand
writing and it was not changed by
him. Will the Commonwealth exercise
its petty ingenuity IN demonstrating that
this does not mean what it purports!
The casuistry of the Commonwealth is
little peculiar, -something like the
anomaly OF honor among thieves. 1t
acknowledges that the PILOT was deferred
from making certain statement because
it was untrue, and still the Common |
treoIh labors through half column to
create the impression that the PILoT is
not only given to deception, but is pur-
chasable. A person who prevaricates |
would not hesitate to lie outright. If |
the PILoT lied in one instance it is |
not probable that love of truth would !
restrain it in another. How logical the |
Commonwealth can be, \ certain thing |
is so, because the PILOT lies when it says |
it is not so. Another thing is so. because |
the PHoT does not deny it, and the Pr
LOT does not deny it because to do so |
would be to lie. Now, while treating of |
the Commonwealth has led our pen to
indite the word Gle" so frequently, we
shall use it once more in saying that the
Commonwealth LIES utterly and con-
sciously when it charges our attitude to-
ward Gen. Bragg to the influence of any
consideration. If the COnl-
believes that we are bribed.
does it taunt us with being unskilled in
the matter of receiving brides and con-
cealing the fact? Have we suffered in its
estimation because our want of skillful-
ness rendered us unable to ''ahght on
our feet?" The inference to be drawn is
hat the Commonwealth is proficient in
his matter, and that Il could maintain
IN air OF Pecksnifian purity with the
>rice of its influence III its pocket.
tits strange that the ire OF the Common.
realM should be excited because we did {
len. Rracc an act of iustica In eSonarak |