New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-26
TILT L1CK-KNIEE.

Il
II NOT Inv any means certain that the game
Of Giving for n iack-knife" will be won by the
Western Democratic press after all. Inc com
petition is very brisk. and the prospect no" Is
that before the campaign is over soiho
of the biggest lying on record VIII DC reg
istered. But if the game IS TO tell inc i.e
most easy to find out, and stick TO IL aftef IL
is found out, there is an uncommoniy Roou
chance for the knife's adjoining desk III
New York Democratic newspaper ONCE Inc
following hand has just been played by
The World newspaper.
On Monday, July TO- that journal pup
hshed a special dispatch from Washington
announcing that in 1875 Justice Swayne' ol
the United States Supreme Court rehuole'
an opinIon in the case of Chlttendcn againS.
Mcclellan and others, in which he decHreu
that General Garfield was guilty OF SAFE o'
official influence in connection with the nc
Golver contract. The World dispatch s1ld
that the case in which this opinion was rem
dered WAS tried in Cook County, ILL.,, IN May
1875. and was decided on appeal in OCTOBER
1879. in the United States Supreme Court
and the following paragraph is stated to DC
the words of Justice Swayne:
Tho agreement with General Garfield, a member Of
Congress 10 pay him So 900 contingent fee for pro
curing n contract which itself made 10 depend upon
n future appropriation by ConTess-wbch appropIF
ton could only from committee OF WHICH he Wa"
chairman-was sale Of official Influence whcn no ven
can cover against the panest principles of puoc pol
lev No counseor-at-law while holding high once mas
right TO nut himself in position of temptation ana
under pretence Of making legal argument exert MS
official influence upon public officers dependent upon
his future action Certainly the courts OF justice VIII
never erd themselves to enforce contracts obtained Dy
such influence.
This story has been seized upon with avid
| ity by the Democratic press OF the country,
and by this time has been published far and
wide with the comment that Judge Swayne is
Republican, and this opinion was pro-
nounced before General Garfield was noml-
mated. The merit of this play for the jack
knife is that it is a lie so easily found out
1t was Immediately made known that TINS
was the language of Democratic lawyer put
| in the mouth of Justice Swayne but no cor
rection was made. Justice Swayne himself
| clinches ii with the following statement
So far AZ am concerned there is entire mIsstae-
nent never wrote a word OF what is attributed to me
with quotation marks. l never knew anything OF the
facts OF matter charged against General GARFIELD
and it was certainly in any shape before the
Supreme Court. nhO, lHtEtiOIt OOSaoioh
opportunity to express any judicial opinion upon the
subiect. It Is not stated where any case in which
General Garfield was concerned is reported My con-
Adent impression is that never heard OF such case be-
fore General Garfield is persona friend of mine, and
have the highest confidence his integrity The state
ments in The World entire fabrication and with
| out a particle OF truth to sustain them.
Now no newspaper not eDgrossed IN the
Vaccinations of lying for a jack-knife would
| had or oil
its face. without making some effort to ascer-
tain the truth about IT, And any newspaper
that was not reaching out desperately for the
knife wOuld, upon being convinced of its
fasity, hasten to make the correction. 1t
would do this not only from regard for the
appearance of common honesty, but as q
matter of policy, from the common sense
view that party discovered resortlng to
such desperate and barefaced falsehoods
would be injured by it. The World, however.
continues the implication that Judge Swayne
did use the language falsely ascribed TO him,
and treats it as though the only question were
| in what particular case it occurred. This is
its second bid for the knife
Some OF our esteemed Republican contemporaries arc
much exercised to whether 1t in the Of Tris
agt Child in Cook County H., or in some before
Of Judge Swayne recently cited by Washington cor
respondent OF The World and stgmatzing the receipt
of So 900 fee from the De Golycr pavement contracts
| by q lawyer who also Congressional chairman
| was applied to General Garfield. There seem to be
reasonable grounds for doubt this question. and tn
| World Is as anxious any Of its esteemed cOntem
poraries can to get at the truth on the subject.
Let us endeavOr to keep the run of the
game. The credit of inventing this tale be-
longs to The World newspaper. So far it il
ahead. But it weakens so far as to say there
Is a question as to time and place. 1t is moi
impossible that other Democratic newspapers
which have copied it will stick to 1t through
thick and thin as it stands. That will raist
the question whether the inventor of the liz
or the one who sticks to it hardest wins the
knife. Meantime the game goes on, and the
newspaper that wins should be the party
official organ-or, if not organ. at least it,
recognized Tyre.