The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1879-09-27
LAPsus MEMoR1M.

The Portland Standard answers two
OF the questions asked 1t by us last
week, admits the "Junius Rrutus,n -
letter was once In the hands of its
editor, and denies that it ever prom
ised TO publish the same.
We never expected the Standard
man to admit that he had ever broken
his promise. Even in the sight Of the
law no one is compelled to bear wit
ness against himself and In the Stand
ards case there is an excuse for bis
artful dodging 10 be found in one of the
letters written by Hon. J. w. Nesmith
TO the Oregonian. There have been
cases tried In legal courts where men
have been accused Of perjury, and
though the prisoner before the bar
pleaded innocence, he was convicted
and this was before the editor of the
Standard ever entered such plea with
The hope Of saving himself.
In the admission Of the Standard
that we even knew the caption Of the
article before 1t appeared under o
different heading in the Oregonian,
proof is furnished that upon one point
at least. we were truthful ; and it would
seem no more than proper that the
Standard editor, should, after we had
traced the communication to his
hands, and have the words OF honor
able men to the effect that he did
promise to publish it, show SOM. .
thing more than bis own denial
to prevent judgment OF guilt being
passed upon him.
Then why did not the STANDARD
man answer the remainder of the
questions asked ty us According to
its Own utteranees there exists clique
In Salem. and q certain Governor Of
Oregon is leader of that clique. Does
The Standard wish 1t that we shall
understand that 1t has reasons or in
ducements for not confessing its former
declarations against the ralem clique,
or are we to attribute it's silence to q
Aapsus memori@ on the part Of its
editor? ? In either case its silence
upon the point IN question Is giving
consent. It may be that the induce
menta never came from the Judges,
and we have never intimated anything
0s4he kind; but the Governor might
have money enough to buy up two or
three Journals like the : tandard. Who
knows to the contrary And II it
Was not the Governor might it not
have been some one else equally inter-
ested as is the Chief Executive of the
State in securing q defense, or who
might realize The force OF the Spanish
maxim-"Speech is silver, silence is
gold?"
Again, there Is another point in the
Standards reply. 1t says 1t has al
ways known the Judges to be beyond
question In their conduct, and that
they are honorable men. Why then,
when no one has attacked the reputa-
tton of the Judges, and it has been the
demand on the part Of this paper that
Justice shall be done to the Judges and
the people alike, does the Standard
labor in its praises Of the Judges, and
claim loudly to the effect thatthey are
honest and impartial men? 1t would
Feem,. from that papers publications
the Judges were the embodiment of
honesty and virtue, and they can do
no wrong. 1t may be this is SO, but 1t
is strange that such honesty and vir-
tue needs q defense SO enthusiastic as
that of the Standard, made in their
behalf.
The change in the tone of the Stand
ard, as regards the Judges and Bush
and Thayer would argue that the
lately proposed compromise between
the two wings Of the party has turned
out failure, and that the Standard
will endeavor to carry the Salem
clique through the next can1pal gn.
Perhaps Nesmith will write the
reason for Noltner's second failure In
politics.