Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-11-25
hdmcaster :3ntelligenrcr.
SATURDAY EVENING NOV. 2s. 1852,
Our Elegant Attorney General.

EVENING NOV. 26. 1882,
Our Elegant Attorney General.
The New York Sur does not seem to
like our elegant Attorney General Ben
jamin Harris Brewster his style does
not suit 1t apparently It is not suffi-
GENTLY democratic. the Sun, which
aines for all, assuming to shine with
special brilliancy for common people.
Anyone who Is out of the common run
of humanity the Sum looks upon
askancs. There can be no doubt that
the attorney general Is q remarkable
man In his habits and attitudes. He is
q fastidious man. He belongs to the
rufaed-shirt generation. He is elegant
In his tastes. He has good opinion of
himself. But then he has good founda-
tion for his opinion. He conducts him
self 80 as to deserve his self f-esteem. He
is not particularly careful to demcan
himself 90 as to obtain the approval
of everyone in everything he does but
he is particular to obtain his own. And
q man, who takes care to maintain his
self-respect. can be permitted to do pretty
much what else he pleases regardless Of
what the world says; always provided
that he has a just opinion Of what his
self-respect, demands. This Mr.. Brew
ster has. He has never done anything
that we know of that need cause him to
hang his head in shame. To be sure, he
has lately gone through Pennsylvania
sounding the praises of the Camerons :;
but then it is altogether a matter
of opinion as to how far these
friends of Mr.. Brewster's are worthy
of praise. Mr.. Brewster thinks bet
ter Of them than most people, and as
he SO thinks, SO he has right to say.
The Sun found fault with the Brewster
Cameronian orations and doubtlessjustly;
but also with Brewster in defending his
friends, and in this it was unfair. H.
complains, too, Of our attorney general
that he is moro ornamental than useful
in his Office. 1t thinks he leaves the
work to others and is only careful to
draw the salary and applause. 1t con.
demns him for his abstention from the
Star Route trial, until the last days;
but it neglects to note that he then ap-
peared and made the most effective
speech of the occasion. 1t may be that
he might have done better if he had
hung around during all the weary weeks
OF the trial but if Sc, it shows how ex.
traordinarily talented and strong man
our attorney general is; since with the
small attention the Sun says he gave to
the trial he was able to take the wind out
of the sails of all the other accomplished
counsel in the case who had given it
their whole attention for months.
Now the Sun is troubled because tie
attorney general has caused his Office TO
be fitted up in a luxurious manner at
the cost Of the government. OF course
the government ought to pay the ex-
pense of furnishing Mr.. Brewster's Of
fee and it ought to make it comforta-
ble for him. He is entitled to a respect
ably furnished Office from a respectable
government which can afford to decently
provide for its servants. And we at
least are not disposed to object to lux
urious appointments for luxury. loving
attorney general. That may be vice,
but it is small one, and about as little
to the government as any vice
can be. Mr.. Brewster is fastidiOus in
all his tastes, and has 10 common vices.
He does not cheat. OF swear, or chew to.
bacco, We believe. He is nice in his
habits, clean in his linen and spotless in
his character. He likes pretty things
about him. He enjoys a handsome apart
ment elegantly furnished. The Sun says
he has 81 200 Turkish carpet and
$3.50 table, covered with exquisite Alge
rlan lace, which is no doubt very hand
some, though If so it seems TO he cheap
at its figure Of 500. Then there are
four $500 curtains hung in the extrava-
giant attorney generals windows. These
figures do not alarm us. We know that
they express the sum total of the extra
cost OF the attorney general to the gov
We know that he only costs
US his salary and his furniture. We
think we have him cheap. He may not
he a man to work the flesh off his
bones for us, but he is man to
make tell tho hours of labor he does
give to his public duties. If his elegant
carpets, curtains and tables enable him
to work better, as no doubt they do, it is
a matter Of economy to provide them.
Economy is good thing, but there is a
true and a false economy. The Sun
raises it's hands in horror at the expendi-
ture of the public moneys but the pub.
lie moneys were collected to be expended
and the only thing to see to is that they
are expended economically. 1t being
truly economical to surround our elegant
general with elegant appoint
ments the Sun barks up the wrong tree
when 1t condemns the cost of his furni.
ture. The editor of the San, no doubt,
works best in bare room, on a wooden
chair, upon an oil cloth covered pine
table !; it would not be economy to hem
him about with elegance but Mr..
n &c onoi bor cork of 4, follox,-