National Republican., 1879-12-29

To he Editor Of The National RtDublicun.
SIR In the last issue Of the C,tpi'dl one Of the
and who, am Informed, is also occasionally em-
ployed Ms substitute on obscure newsnRpers). has
an article eulogisuc of kindred spirit named
Townsend Noticing that the aforesaid eulogy
was based unOn an article Of lOwnsend's attacking
q. W. Chids, esq OF Philadelphia, had curiosity
enough to hunt up The paper for which Townsend
writes ut Il small salary per week, in order to see
what kind Of an attack II was. Afcr q good deal
Of trouble found copy Of a Sunday paper pub.
lished here, and which Is remarkable for two
things viz: pondcrous editorials on subjects Of
which the editor is conSpicunusly ignorant and
the character of It's Society Chat 1t calls its
chronicles Of the doings and sayings Of shop girls
Government clerks tmnle and icinale), Il id OmHs
genus, in which, over the signature of "Gath,"
there IS an attack upon Mr.. Childs, which bears
ear marks suhcicnt TO show that the writer has an
old grudge TO inspire him.
l have carefully read Gathshog.wNsh md full to
find any other charge against Mr.. Childs than that
he started life poor, and that he now elects to
spend his money freely in entertaining such people
as he fances; lsuppose Mr.. Childs would plead
guilty 70 both OF these charges If he should ever
happen TO hear ofthem. He would also | have no
doubt. acknowledge that ho had on some former
occasion been compelled TO snub, pctchHuCe 10
kick, Gath aud his friend Buell.. Certain it j. that
scrlbbers who can be so easily and chcaply pur-
chased must have experienced some sort of dis
agreeable reception at the hands of Mr.. Childs
lwho IL proverbiallya pleasant man but hater of
frauds 10 warrant their dcnuucations. / have
met Mr.. Childs and although l am neither a
wealthy man nor prominent one, was received
Of Gaths article / lad never heard other
than kind and respectful words spoken OF
him by every one visiting his Office or
house. Being the best known, wealthiest
and most public spirited citizen of Philadelphia,
II is not TO be wondered Mt that he is sought after
by visitors Of intelligence from abroad, who having
heard Of him, are desrous Of seeing him aud that
monument Of his enterprise and good management /,
the PHbiic Leiger building, with ITS wonderfully
perfect appointments, That General Grant should
pass much Of his time while he was in Phila-
dclphia in the society of Mr.. Chllds Is not sur
| prsing in view of the strong bond of personal
| friendship existing between the two men, and
which is valued rs highly by one az by the other.
| To say rs Gath does, that Chllds "entcrtancd
Grant as an advertisement Il is his practice to do
| with all great men visiting Philadelphia" sounds
| like the spitelul uteranco of foiiCd knave, but
when II Is coupled with the statement 'thut one OF
| the editors Of the Lcdgcr (Wiium V. MCKcan) Is
sent TO the principal hotels to hunt up prominent
arrivals aud TO entce them TO visit Chlds,' then we
are justified IN the opinion that Gath is as much OF
| u fool as he is Snave and the suspicion that Inc
has at some Time been kicked out Of the LedgcI
| Office becomes conviction. Such vermin as
| Gath typiiics have reduced the once honorable
profession OF journalism TO its present condition
and unless they are Tcpudiatcd the day is not dig
| tant when gentlemen will be very scarce among
| newspaper men. NJ.
| WASHINGTON, December 2s, 1879.