National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-04-15
THE suEnMAN-MEDlLL CONTROVERSY

THE sHERMAN-MEDILL CONTROVERSY.
We have before us, with generous per-
mission TO publish at our own expense,
letter that would fill some two columns,
more or less, of our space, addressed to Hon.
JOSEPH MEDILL and signed WARNER nj.
BATENfAN. The origin of this letter APP
pears TO be quarrel between the aforesaid
MEDILL and Secretary SHERMAN, on ac-
count of an interview that occurred be-
tween them some years ago, and over which
there is some disagreement rs to matters of
fact of no sort of importance to the public.
Out of this assumed interview there has
since grown a spat, in which the lie, diplo-
matically spoken, has passed freely between
the belligerents. Now Mr.. BATEMAN steps
in as arbiter of the affair, or rather, we
should say, perhaps, to sustain the verncity
of Secretary SHERMAN and impeach that
of Mr.. MEDILL, and he has relieved his
mind of ponderous letter, which the press
is asked to print and the public to read and
believe. We have taken time TO read the
letter of Mr.. BATEMAN, and find that he
badgers Mr.. MEDILL Justify on ac-
count Of his marvellous inconsist-
encies in journalism, and quotes largely
from the sayings of the Chicago
Tribune on the question of resumption,
hich seems to convict that paper of hay
ing been hostile TO presumption but how far
that goes to establish an interview, differ
ence and q question of veracity between
On. Re %
so apparent as the attitude of the Tribune.
1t will not take o two-column letter from
Mr.. BATENfAN or any one else to satisfy us
that Secretary SHERMAN is far more to be
believed in a plain statement of fact than
his antagonist in this scrimmage, hut it
will take five times that amount of reading
matter TO convince us that Secretary SHEER
MAN has not made n great mistake i'll allow
ing himself to be drawn into this contro-
versy, which, if it accomplishes anything
it will be, perhaps, to impart q fictitious
consequence and dignity to his antagonist,
without securing any compensation to him
self. However, Secretary SHERMAN knows
enough to paddle his own canoe without
any advice from us; but us we have been
invited to take hand in the fight, we
feel a. liberty to pronounce our views
Of the case as It is presented to us.
We would much prefer to insert q
Treasury Department advertisement in
THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN that would
fill the space this letter would occupy, than
to give it insertion, at our own expense for
in the other case there would be some hope
of reward, while in this we discover moth
ing to requite us and our printers, except,
perhaps the consciousness of having done
clever, neighborly act, which the workers
whose labors make The NATIONAL RE
PUBLICAN might not regard as legal tender
for their services. We are willing to be-
leve that Secretary SHERMAN is more
truthful man than Mr.. MEDILL and TO ask
our numerous readers to believe the same
thing, but we most respectfully ask to be
excused from spreading this matter at full
length-eXtracts from the Chicago Tribune
and all-under the present crowded state
of our columns, and what we regard to be q
public thirst for reading matter of greater
public interest