The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-10-01
g E IN A OF ARGU-
MENT.

plaintiff attorney, "and Judge MartIo
Grover. OF New York. used TO say that
it was apparently q great rellet to a
swyer who had lost a case to betaSe
himself 20 the nearest EaVsrn and
swear ut the court. Abuse, 10 any
event, seems to have been regarded
by both OF these authorities as a con-
ISOLATION in defeat. It is but carrying
the theory q step further to resort to
abuse 10 argument. Timon, who 10
q club cynic-which is perhaps the
Emo.t useless specimen OF humanity
says that pom his honor nothing en-
tertains him more than to see o
little argument goes 10 the discussion
oil any question, and how Immediate
is the recourse to blaokgosFdism.
1.-THE other day." lie said recently,
ST was sitting in the smokiDg-room,
and Blunt and Sharp began TO talk
about yachts. Sharp thinks that ne
knows ail that can be known OF
yachts, and Blunt thinks that what
he thinks ia unqualified truth sharp
made q strong assertion. and Blunt
Ismiled. It vas that lofty smile OF
amusing pity and superiority "nlcn
lis, l suppose, very exasperatlug.
ISharp a evid ently surprised, but ne
continued, and at another obseEva'
lion Blunt looked at him. and said,
simply, .Ridiculous!' AS it seemed
Ito me-" said Timon, "the stronger
and trner were the remarks of Sharp,
the more Blunt's tone changed from
contempt to anger, until ne came to
a torrent of v~ituperation, under which
Sharp retired from the room with Dig
nifty.
Sharp was correct that every point.
But the more correct Sharp was, the
m~oreangry Blunt became.It was very
entertaining, and it seems TO bs very
much the way of more serious discus
sion." Timon was certainly right,
and those who heard his remarks,
and have since then seen him chuck
ling over the newspapers, are conf
dent il ia because he observes in them
the came method Of carrying on dis
cussion. Much public debate recalls
the two barbaric methods OF warfare,
which consist in making a loud noise
and in emitting vile odors. a mem
Der of Congress pours on a flood OF
denunciatory words in the utmost
rhetorical confusion. and seems to
suppose that he has dismayed his op-
norent becanse he has made q ire
mendous noise. He is only an over
grown boy, who, like some other
bows, imagines that he is very heroic
when ne shakes his head, and pouts
his lip, and clen,hes his fet, and
'ealls names'' in a shrill and rasping
tone. Other members, who ought to
know better, pretend to regard his
performances as worthy OF applause,
and metaphorically pat him on the
back and cry, "st, boyI' They only
share-and in q greater degree. be-
cause they know better-the con-
tempt With which he is regarded.
In the same way q newspaper
writer attacks views which are not
acceptable to him, not with argu-
ment, or satire, or wit, Of direct refu-
~tation, but by metaphorically empty
ing slops. and directing whirlwinds
of bad smells upon their supporters.
The intention seems to De, not to
confute the arguments, but to disgust
the advocates, The proceeding ia a
coniession that the views are sc eVi
Identity correct that they will inevita'
bly, prevail unless their supporters can
be driven away, This is an ingenious
policy, for guns certainly car not be
served if the gunners are dispersed.
Men shrink from ridicule and ludi'
crous publicity. However conscious
of rectitude a man may be, it 10 ex-
ceediDgIy d~isagreesble Tor him to see
the dead-walls and pavements covered
with posters proclaiming that he is q
liar and a fool. II he r%ecoils, the
enemy laughs in triumph; il he is In
different, there is q fresh whirlwind.
A public man wrote recently to q
friend that he had seen an attack
upon his conduct in a great journal
and had asked his lawyer to take the
necessary legal steps to bring the Of
fender to justice. His friend replied
that he had seen the attack, but thai
it had no more effect upon him than
the smells OF Newton Greek. They
were very disgusting but that was all,
This is the inevitable result OF black
iguardism. The newspaper reader
ss he sees that one man supports ONT
measure because his wife's uncle Ii
interested in it. and another man an
other measure to crafty his grudgt
against a rival, gradually learns from
his daily morning mentor that there
is no such thing IS honor, decency
or public spirit in public affairs; b,
chuckl 8 With the club cynic, although
for q very different reason. and for
gets the coIltents of one column as b
begins upon the next. II a maj
covers his milk toast, his breakfast
his lunch, dinner. and supper with
locating OF CAyenne pepper. tn pep
per becnme ~ things ia general b
came 30 Mr.. roots- vi no conse
quence.
This kind of fury in personal de
DuDciation is no force, as young wri
tiers suppose; it is feebleness. Wi
satire, brilliant sarcasm, are, indeed
Legitimate weapons. It was thes
BhJob Sudpou Gn;tb u;oIdad in IN