Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-01
Fluent BIackguardism.

Fluent BlackSinr0iSM.
In one of Albert Galatians letters,
recently published, he warns lis CORE
spondent not to be troubled with the
cry of Pharisee, which his political OPP
ponents will certainly raise against
him. 1t is policy akin to that OF
abusing the plaintiffs attorney. To
sheer at man as affecting superior
virtue because he prefers decepcy and
truthfulness in dealing, whether in
politics, or IL business, or in any re-
iation of life, is very amusing but an
incidentally effective proceeding. 1t is
really charge of hypocrisy. 1t as
sumes that nobody sincerely wishes
anything but what is mean and con-
temptible, and that to profess prefer
ence for cleanliness is but more dis
gushing form of meanness. The truth
is that the mere suggestion of decency
is reproach to those who are satisfied
to lie in the mire, and inevitably it ex-
torts the grnnt of angry sarcasm.
This cry of Phariseeism is especially
common in politics. A young man be-
ginning to attend to his duties as an
American citizen" finds Immediately
that he is expected to sacrifice his self
respect, to fatter and wheedle and lie,
to affect good-fellowship with men
whom he sees to be despicabie, to drink
and treat" and run wild de masheen,"
and clap :" the boys" on the back, and
to affect to believe of his political ad-
vsrsa1ies what DR.. johnson asserted of
his, that the devil was the first Wing"
AS he does not conform-if he declines
to drink, and prefers to talk honestly,
and to show thG5 he scorns the petty
arts that are instinctively repulsives to
every generous mamie is marked by
his more cunning opponents; and it is
they, not those whom he is accused OF
fiouting, who sheer privately to their
henchmen that he is stuck-up," and
"unco guild" and high and mighty"
and {" too proud to speak to poor
man." We have heard g bar-room
statesman insist that man who
brought lis own cigars to a political
meeting at the tavern, instead Of buying
them at the bar, could not hope to sue
coed in public life.
Don't be troubled, said Gallatin, be-
cause you are called Pharisee. Black
mailing is not difficult art, but it is
very costly to the performer. When A
pelts B with sarcasm and ridicule, B, if
he can talk at all, can easily retort. But
it is well for him if he has learned that
such missiles recoil and wound the
thrower. Many public man, for the
qualification of an hour, in giving way
to his own bitter feeling amid the de-
lighted applause of loyal stupidity,
which innocently confounds fury with
force, has forfeited forever the
respect of really honorable men. 1t
is terrible gift, that of fluent black
guardism, however ecsy it may be, and
the more intelligent the BLACKBOARD the
more fatal the fuency.
But the cry of Pharisee is not only
missile, it is also measure of him who
hurls it. It is not an argument, it is
simply an appeal to the prejudice Of
base minds. The man who resorts to
it reveals his own essential baseness.
With whatever rhetoric he may orna-
ment it, he cannot conceal it, and the
rhetoric is but a decoration of carrion.
The test of power in the contention of
debate is the ability to scorn reliance
upon these cowboy and Skinner tao
tics. They do not assail the argument
of an opponent. They do not meet
the foe in fair field. They skulk and
dodge. and strike from behind and in
the dark. His opponent sits down, and
Cleon rises. He ridicules the face, the
form, the movement, of his antagonist.
He sneers that he is al angel astray in
this wicked world, Pharisee thanking
God that he is not as other men. The
crowd delightedly cheer. A Pharisee!
a Pharisee! This is the end of the
argument. The orators victory is COM
plete What an able man! What an
ugly foe! But his name is Cleon; it is
not Pericles.- Editors Easy Chair"
In HdTpe1'S MuQ1sine.