The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1880-11-17
UNsUsTAINED]1.
plan
h

The charges of corruption and venality
preferred by certain gentlemen against the
chairman and members Of the Democratic
central committee have not been sustained,
on the contrary the very parties who pre-
ferred those charges have come before that
body and disclaimed any knowledge of such
corrupt practices, and admitted they were
founded solely upon heresaY evidence, and
that Of the most trifling character. After
making such acknowledgment they have
not had the manliness to come out and make
public the cause of their error, but with an
assurance unequalled they attempt to cover
their mistake with the cloak Of independent
journalism, and assume the hypocritical atti-
tude of being actuated with the holy mission
Of defending the public morals in making
the aspersions they did upon the characters
of these gentlemen. They did not cover
their charges with the charitable inference
that there might be q mistake, or themselves
be misinforned, but virtually branded the
gentlemen Of the committee as liars and
thieves.
We will not 60 SO far as these parties have
done, and assume that the author or authors
of these charges were actuated solely by
malice when they accused the gentlemen of
the committee with mal-administration Of the
funds intrusted to them for purposes Of cor
ruption. On the contrary, we have the char
rity to believe they might be actuated with
the impulse Of impartial journalists, and had
the veal Of the community only in view.
But they did not know Just how to go about
| it, and the grayamen of their error has been.
as might be expected, only the natural re-
suit of their inexperience as journalists, and
q certain freshness and verdancy in their
knowledge Of men and affairs which is q re-
suit of their youth, and to an humble desire
on their part to take a conspicuous part in
affairs and capture the smiles of an admiring
public by by unseemly attacks or the charac-
ter Of individuals, which they call Journalistic
| enterprise, and ID vulgar filings which they
consider wit.
They did not consider, perhaps, that they
were scattering wide the seeds Of dishonor
| and public contempt to the aspersed gentle.
men in places where no efforts on their part
can prevent them from taking root and
spreading, upas-like, q deadly poison On their
characters. They only thought how funny it
would be to make a sensation in the com
munity by calling a few men liars and
thieves, and reap rewards IS eaterprising
journalists.
That the public is not to be deceived, the
editors of our local contemporary will soon
learn, if they have not found out already
And when they also learn to set reasonable
bounds to their own assumptions Of pre-
eminent ability, and place q higher estimate
on the public common sense, they will naake
better newspapers and become more respected
as individuals.
We are sorry chat these gentlemenly editors,
whose prospects here were SO promising,
have fallen under public disapproyal, and we
bespeak for them its indulgence, whether
they remain in their present position or re-
tire therefrom, and that it will consider, Wits
| their error, the youth and inexperience Of
the offending parties.