Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-07
1ancaster fntelliqe11cer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING. JULY z, 1890.
Everything but Truthful.

Everythlng Dut IruthIuls
The Cincinnati journals are great news
or would be if they were more
solicitous to be accurate in the mass of
matter which they furnish daily to their
readers. About the proceedings OF the
Democratic convention and the people
whom it gathered in their town they
have said a great deal, but if the people
who have read it believe it all, they will
believe a great many things that never
happened and have very incorrect ideas
of many that did occur. In a bril-
liant account of the Enquirer, for in
stance, of the scene at the nomination of
Hancock, the impression is given that
after the call of the roll on the first bal
lot there was a pell-mell haste of all the
delegates to change their vote for Han
cock; whereas the fact was that until the
vote of Pennsylvania was changed there
was no excitement whatever. Nobody
had any idea that the result was to be
decided on this ballot ,on which Hancock
had received a majority of the votes.
But when the chairman of the Pennsyl-
vania delegation stood up on chair
Immediately in front of the presiding offi-
Ger and declared that the state had deter
mined to accept the choice the conven-
tion had made between her two candi-
dates, the one distinguished soldier and
the other a noted statesman, and now
cast her fifty-eight votes for General
Hancock, it was known that he would
be nominated, and the applause that en-
sued lasted half an hour before order
could be sufficiently restored to proceed
with the ballot, which was then taken
anew.
The Cincinnati Commercial has made
a misstatement concerning Gov. Hen
bricks and Senator Mcdonald, which
appears to he entirely without fOunda-
ton. 1t relates conversation between
the two on the day before the meeting OF
the convention, and says that the 1ndi-
ana delegation was SO disguised with
Governor Hendricks for refusing to give
way as candidate to Senator Mcdonald
that it was induced to support Mr.. Eng.
lisll for vice president. All this Gov.
Hendricks declares to he a fabrication ;
he had no interview with Senator Nc
Donald and no communication with the
delegation during the time of the con.
ventiOn.
1t does seem as if there ought to be
some way of compelling newspapers to
tell the truth when they say anything
about anybody. 1t is too much to ask
them to refrain from statements concern
ing individuals that may Ike of public in
terest, for it is their vocation to tell the
public all that is new and interesting
even if it is none of the public's particu-
lar business to know it. But it is not
too much to ask that when they do tell o1
the private acts and speech of individ
uals, they shall he good enough to gel
reasonably close to the truth. The ell
terprising newspaper don't always carr
to do it. 1t is too much trouble ant
takes too much time. 1t will give TIN
aggrieved the benefit of statement ir
denial and feel that it has done its whole
duty. A libel suit won't reach tht
case because nothing particularly libelou'
has been said and no measurable damage
suffered and libel suit ut best is a very
unsatisfactory remedy. The cowhidt
will hardly do, and the pistol the public
won't endure. There is no redress at al
practicable, and the only possible thing
is to grin and bear your fortune plilo
sophically, hardly even caring to den!
the falsehood, since the public would b'
apt to doubt you anyhow and believe
there was c onsiderable smoke under TIN
fire. No doubt many people will lie
lieve, in view of the Commercials state
ment, that there has been some sort OF ;
row between Gov. Hendricks and Sena
tor Mcdonald, despite the governor
emphatic denial.