The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-29
MLLLLIMN ENGLLSLL

William IL. English, the candidate of the |
Democracy for Vice President OF the United |
States, has been roundly abused, mainly |
because he has been strict business man,
and because he has insisted upon having that
which was his own. The Cincinnati CONNER
ci1l, whose editor declared that James A.
Garfield had no record upon which to run,
but who now gives him n hearty support,
sent representative TO indianapolis to search
the records of the courts for suits in which Mr..
English was plaintiff. Thcrcupcn a cry went
up all along the Republican line that Eng
lish was Shylock; that he ground the faces
of the poor; that he laid in wait for ppportu-
mites to dcspoil the poor man of his home
etc. These charges have now spent their
force, After sober reflection some Of the hest
elements in the Republican party are dis
gustci that they should ever have enter
tanned them. The New York Graphic, a
Republican paper, in the following article
disposcs OF the charges against Mr.. English,
and puts TO shame the members of its party
who persist in repeating them;
We have made u thorough examination Of the
charges brought by many of our esteemed contcmpc-
raries against Mr.. English, the Democratic candidate
for the Vice Presidency, aud we have bestowed equal
attention upon the replies by his friends aud support
ers To- these attacks. The conclusion TO which iu
vcstigauns have carried Is that while Mr.. English
who beginning life poor, has made himself rich,
arreats to I've rigid man OF business, inClluei 10
compel those who owe him to pay their debts, and
not willing to permit his debtors to avoid that often
unpleasant but si necessary duty there has not been
produced any evidence to show that he rs an exception
ally hard aud unfcelng man, that he has done any
thing In the way Of collecting his debts which ninety
niue out of every hundred men In the oircum-
stances would not have done. No doubt soft hearted
aud amiahc man Is more attractive 10 most people
than Is u stern. methodical, aud persistent man Of
| business. No doubt MIR. English would he generally
more popular than he now Is had he pressed u
debtor to pay. never used the machinery Of the law
to compel payment and allowed debtors to take their
own time about paying not to pay at all. But had
Mr. English pursued this policy, lie probably would
have tcmained pocr man all his life: lie might have
had his property seized and sold for the paymcn, of
his own debts and he certainly would not have had
barrel Of money at his command to for promoting
| the triumph of his party ut the coming election.
Mr.. English Is a banker. 1t Is the business ot a
banker TO loan money--ofen other peoples money.
It equally his business for the sake of his deposltor,
rs we'll rs of himself, 10 that these loans are IL.
paid, and " necessary to the machinery the law
|
| soon cease To he banker aud become bankrupt.
This to be the head and front Of the ocnse
| MI. English. II Is natural that debtor who has
been compelled TO pay, and by this compulsion lia'
suffered loss, should feel harshy toward his creditors
| '1ie might have made an exception Of me- th,
| debtor thinks; ''he could have afforded to let my
debt stand or to forgivet. lie would not have fell
the loss. He is coll-hearted, bad and selfish man
But the debtor forGets that the rules of business mus
lie observed by business m rev Itg
ness would not 70 on. II has been easy enough fo
our Republican contemporaries TO find long lists q
property which had been inortgaged to Mr.. Enslisi
as security for loans of money. and which, when thu
money not paid, he caused lie fore, ose,l an,
sold. II has been equally easy TO find debtors VIII
sCold Mr. English because he thus took of thei
property from them. But what is mortgage fo
unless II Is to secure the payment of debt. aud u
| what use would lie useless the penalty OF It, I
forfeited, not enforced? The cause OF tn
| Republican party is not ut all promoted by tn
abuse which is showered upon Mr.. English in consc
quence of his in collecting his debts and thos
due to others for whom he the fducary Thi
abuse Is not argument, 1t Is simply abuse. We sug
gest tn our contemporaries that they stop 1t and Civ
their powerful minds to the discussion Of the real v
Issues which are before the country. Mr.. Engs
rnay not lie anable, sympathetic, and softbearte
man; grant it. But man may make good Vie
President of the United States without being amable
sympathetic, and soft hearted. History records tha
George Washington locke" sharply after his debtor
and made them pay ur. Mr. English appears to has
done the same, and 1t will not do the Republica
party any good 10 abuse him for 1t. He is man vii
exacts the principal aud Interest of his leans. II
may not lie loyable man, but such men as lie ~
very rarely corrupt. They have motives to accel
or seek brihes. They take such good of til
money which they have legitinately made that the
do not need to go out into forbidden paths obtai
/,
their thritlessness Most of the who have su,
| Cumbcd to bribes have done because they wei
'hard up for money. and the lobbyist and trad,
knowing their difficulties tempted them. If WlIlla
| H. English becomes Vice President of the Unite
States there viii he great probability that Il
trunks will be loaded down with railroad bonds I,
ceiyel by him TO further legislation.
We call special attention to the closil
; paragraphs of the article quoted. Such me
rs English have no motives TO accept
seek bribes." They would look with su
; picion upon the tender of dividend whel
there had been 10 previous invcstmen
l They would have no motive TO accept a So ,0l
fee for merely speaking to a man, especial
y if they held the purse strings of the Cover
ment and the man they spoke to desired
have the purse strings opened. The nam
= of men like William II. English would new
have been found in Oakes Ames's memora
Edum book.