Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-04
Aanr1stct f,,tclAgellrer.
Refutes It's Own Stories.

Refutes Its Own Stories.
1t has long been matter of observa-
ton with fair-minded men that the
stories of outrages in the South, attrlb-
uted to a prevailing spirit of political
persecution there, recur regularly about
the time of important elections and then
subside. People who start in search OF
them at any other season invariably fail
to find them. Like the incidents of the
blood-curdling tale related in the Senate
by Dawes, they move from one state to
another, and when retreat is made to the
very end of their tether they generally
turn out to be the romances of some fer
tile campaign liar, or a concocted story
by some fugitive from justice who wants
to cover his flight by raising a cloud of
political dust. No agency has been more
active or unscrupulous in spreading
this kind of stories, in their sea-
son, than the mendacious New York
Tribune. There is a certain fitness of
fate therefore in the fact that through
this same means comes their refutatiOn.
4 correspondent of that paper sent
South to study the real aspect presented
by that section of the country, and who
las been trying to tell a plain unvarnish-
ed tale, has been steadily cOntradicting
the whole presentation of the Southern
case as made for partisan effect by Re
publican papers last fall. His narrative
accords with what the people and press
of the South have claimed for it Of late
wears, and what the Democrats have
maintained was the real state of things
there. But this correspondent has ad-
vanced to direct contradiction. of one
monumental liar, whose falsehOOds are
exposed in this part of the letter, pub
lished in the Tribune, where the original
lie appeared with commentator and col
Ored with editorial approval:
In Mississippi l was told by num-
ber of Northern people of an count sent
to tho Northern press during the " Hayes
campaign" which located an atrOciOus
political outrage at tho place which was
then visiting. These persons seemed re-
putable, and they affirmed that nothing
of the kind had ever occurred there l
inquired regarding the author of the dis
patch, and, learning that he was still
living few miles away, went to see
him. He laughed when told him my
errand, took fresh chew of tobacco, and
crossing his feet on the top of the table be-
fore him, began talking of the affair in an
essay, fluent Indifferent style which SEEM
ed to indicate that he was glad to have
ko1l 1sne
talk of that subject as any other. Then
We'll, he replied. 1t was true as to the
spirit of tho south generally at that time
But why did you say that such and such
things happened at particular place ii
they did not p well, now, you know it
would not be of any account to say, at
such time, that there was lots O. devilish
feeling in the South. But it rather wakes
people up to tell them that something's
been done at a place they've heard Of
But it was not true But he thought the
usc Of fable or parable was .justifiable
under the circumstances, because it was
the only way to give point or effectiveness
to any account of tho condition
OF the South at that time. 'An
writer's does pretty much the same thing
he urged they have to- oh, / hope
not said. Well, now of you lived
down here awhile you'd find out we have
to fight the devil with fire. Tho North
ern people who told mo of this occurrence
were good Republicans and they wcro es-
pecially indignant about the fabrication
because it alarmed some of their Northern
friends who had been preparing to move
to that region but were now frightened
from their purpose.
We cannot agree with some of our
contemporaries who denounce the shame
lessneSs Of the Tribune in publishing this
correction of its party's campaign false
hoods. Tardily rs it comes, The paper
deserves credit for printing the refuta-
ton and exposure. Mr.. Dawes would
do well to admit us frankly Oh the floor
of the Senate that the canard to which
he lent authority was wicked lie. But
he will not do it. He is yet too far from
grace.
WHAT has become of the reDOrted