Daily Republican., 1879-03-15
Gssrse WilIissn Curtis.

George william CuPtis.
We are rather surprised to sec in the
last two numbers Of the "Evsry Even.
Ing, such severe criticisms Of the
course that the Hsrper's Weekly /"
has seen proper to take in opposition
10 the Congressional measures, to force
|ths President to consent to repeal Of
the Federal election laws. The Har-
per's would have proved false To
every principle they have advocated in
the past, had they not taken their
present stand upon the tyranical acts
OF q tyranicsl Congress. and We are
surprised that it should have even oc-
cured to anybody to suppose that they
could have consistently and conscien.
oiously pursued other than their pres.
ent course. II seems not to have occur
red to the "E. H." that there are
two sides to this business, and that the
best men Of the nation, even OF the
Democratic faith, are arraying them
selves upon the side Of = pure ballot
box. The Harpsr's have always been
on that side, and why should they now
be objected to when they are m.re
than ever delivering such telling blows
on the side Of the purity Of elections ;
But what seems to trouble our uptown
nsighbor, is the fact that . man with
such lofty motives, pure life and unaf-
fected honesty - George William Cur
tis, should be driven to take such q
arm and decided stand with the Re-
Publicans again, and the accusation
that he has been compelled to take this
position by the osrricatures Of Tom
Mast is characteristic Of "R. E." in i'm.
putting such motives to the leading men
Of the nation, whenever they feel COM
PEELED to take q decided stand upon
some leading question Of the day, in
to that which the "E.E."
sees proper to take We fear through
selfish motives. George William Curtis,
reputation for integrity and honesty,
is not only national but world wide,
and never having been an extreme par.
tisan, he has acted Independently upon
questions which effect politics. When
he stood out boldly against the rsnomi.
nation Of Grant, and chastised Conk.
ling with no unsparing hand, he re-
csived the plaudits Of the az. H., but
now that he foresees plot to overthrow
the purity Of the ballot box and has
tens to array himself with the party
opposed to such a per6dious plot, he is
accused Of being impelled to such a
course by the fear Of Nast's rough but
often very truthful carricatures. Our
neighbor need not be surprised that
Mr.. Curtis is taking this position, for
there are, no doubt, still many more
surprises in store for him II this at
tempt to overthrow our system Of Fed
eral election laws is persevered in. TIE
last falls general elections and the NOR.
recent local elections should have
taught our nsighbor that the public
conscience is very tender, and the least
upon its rights is sure to
meet with resentment, and one of the
least surprises Of tho times is, that
3 paper that calls itself Independent,
should 50 far forget its duty to the pub
lie, and forgetting its former opposition,
weak It's true, to tyranny and oppres-
sion, as not to array itself on the same
side that Mr.. Curtis has. But after all
'here is an appropriateness in the op.
position of the "E. f." to Harper's
Weekly" and the New York "Tri.
oune;" also in its criticisms Of the mo-
ives of Mr.. Curtis, which is like bring.
ng the mountain to the molebi i'll, in
stead Of the molehill to the mountain.