New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-20
TIME TO STOP.

Is it not high time for an end 10 this bust
ness of trying to fight the political battles Of
a great State over the quivering body of a
woman, and the heads of her defenceless
children7 The news of the Sprague-COnklng
scandal was long since exhausted. Can there
be any motive but political malice for warm
ing over the nasty mess and parading it on
the table again, every morning
We have not been much in the way Of de-
Tending Mr.. COnklrng, and 1t is hardly likely
now that we shall learn the habit. For that
matter, we do not see that he needs any par
ticular defence. For fifty years his private char
acter has stood in the fercest light without n
stain. To-day no man brings tangible accusa-
ton against him. His most vOluble assailants
stop short of that. Even Governor Sprague
makes no charge. He goes further, and de-
clares that he has no charge to make. Plainly
Mr.. Conkling has little, in the long run, to
fear from attacks that dare not take the form
of accusations.
But to the hapless woman in the case they
are ruin. Do the journals that rake Rhode
Island daily for scandal intend that7 Do they
imagine fair-minded people will permit
it7 Bear in mind there is absolutely no shred
of proof of any crimnality anywhere in
the case, or even a charge of 1t. Moth
ing is proved but ill-temper and bad man
ners. Are the good name, the happiness,
the whole life of woman to be reck-
lessly destroyed, with no greater warrant
than that Mrs Sprague has some right
TO generous treatment from the Ameri-
can public. She is the daughter of a
man who did the country great service
and whose name is justly cherished as a part
of the National renown. The very friendship
which is now tortured to her discredt was
formed under her fathers roof, and because
she was her fathers daughter. Her habits,
her associations, the fatal prominence
given to her great gifts and beauty
are all the direct result Of her
fathers devotion to the public duties that
were laid upon him. She has the right to
look TO her cOuntrymen now for a kindly
Judgment, and for protection from the reck-
less, incessant repetition of deadly SANDER
that nobody fathers and nobody believes.
Governor Sprague, too, has done the State
some service, and may well claim the charity of
silence. He is man of many generous i'm
pulses, and the misfortune which has led
HIM into more than one unlucky public
appearance entities him at least to be let
alone. What was the matter with him the
other day everybody knows, and it is surely
not a thing to engross the attention of the
continent for a fortnight.
We reproduced recently from The Herald a
grave and weighty protest against the heed
less publication of improved family scandals.
We could wish that a Large part of the
press, which learned its ideSs of enterprise
from The Herald, could get this idea of de-
cency in. news from the same quarter We
believe those newspapers mistake the public
taste which continue striving to expand and
prolong this pitiful business. We are sure
those make fatal mistake which suppose it
can be profitably handled as political weapon.
We warn these people that this un-Amer-
lean crime of slandering a woman in
order to destroy politician, may
lead to reaction they little expect or
wish. 1t is not going to defeat ybody for
the GovernOrship of New-York but, if they
keep it up long enough, 1t may elect some
one.
Meantime, we ask those who have no sim
lister motives TO serve to consider if the time
has not come when, in common fairness to
helpless woman and in the interest of
deceney and public morality, this whole mat
ter should cease to offend the public nos
trils