Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-09-09


''Mud-throwinr. " Is practised in ordi-
nary politics. Il undenszbly very pri-
mttixe device. As q means OF elemina-
ting error and msking manifest the
truth, q would seem to be about The
Fndest and ronghest. The choice Of Of
ieiais by lols By the inspection Of az
gHfies. 5y The dicta a ofacles. hY kriale
AZ hlaYsleai pf6Wess III Ill wlith aile-
riea haNe pfa KaslTa 81 eriods
has decidedly eIieIeas and fespec-
table look Ia comparison with this hid
eous latter-day device Of the ordeal by
mud. At first glance one would say
that the latter is entirely The prompting
ofhatFed, envy, cruelty, the worst Of
human passions; but closer examina-
tion, the stndy OF effects. the calculation
Of the resultnnls olthe conflicting forces,
show clearly that the thing has place
in The scale OF moral criticism and judg-
ment. Very low IN the scale, most
certainly; still being in the scale IL Is,
intellectually considered. a step in adj
vance Of the other ordealS, which SAVIOR
more or less of superstition. The null
iitude has passed the stage OF belief IN
the in:erposiiion of supernatural sgen-
cies, and recognizes the rudIment OF
moral law. Crude as is its expression.
il is nevertheless a law As translated
in popular action, II IS that mud will moi
stick unless there be something earthy
retain the least mud Tins is the t1al
by which the rival candidates are tested.
In the campaign they are much 10 the
position Of the famous "six hundred"
Mud-caRnon 20 the right of them, mud
cannon TO the left Of them, volley and
thunder through the whole charge
Governor Seymour said recently that IL
he were 10 choose between a funeral
aud serving as candidate for the presi-
dency, he should prefer the former. lie
nc doubt spoke his honest convic-
ton; man of his rsfnement,) culiiVa-
ton, and years (which lessen fearfully
the value OF earthly honors,) could not
icel differently. He knows well that
the practical principle OF The campaign
on both sides is 10 throw the largest pos
sible quantities of political "detritUs,"
the quality is Of little consequence; the
feelings OF the victims are of no conSe-
quence. If the candidates are innocent,
their inuocence must save them; ev-
eFything il forgotten IL The absorbing
aim of working the battery to It's Ut
most capacity. and buryiug the enemy
if possible under the repeated broad
sides. Election day brings brief truce,
aud then il is determined to which OF
the parties the least stain has adhered,
and which by that test j. the best fitted
to fill the high Office, and save the
country for another term. While the
crudeness Of these methods is much 10
be deplored; while their effects in blunt
ing all the finer habits OF discrimination
IN moral judgments. and IN the truthful
use OF words, are manifest to every OBJ
server, while the gross results are de-
moraIizing and coarsening, they are not
to be utterly condemned. AS We have
intimated, they are based on a good
principle. on the supremacy OF the mo-
raj test. But for this ordeal there would
be no limit whatever 10 The knayery
which the machinery of parties would
tpist on the people in the shape Of can
didates. Now, even the worst are con-
strained 10 pay some respect TO virtue
and honesty, and to consider the i'm
machlateness 0! their candidate as one
element in the success of their scheme.
But, though iustifiable for 4 fine as the
FIRST attempts Of the multitude m the
expression Of moral judgments, the
practice should not be tolerated beyond
Its proper period, the infanthood Of the
peoples development. II must have
nearly passed that term. The Ameri-
can people have now the wit and sense
to avail themselves Of more rational
methods. -.Kew York Home Journal.