New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-03
BREvIrY IS THE SOUL or SCANDAL


The campaign of dirt" The Herald reasons,
must necessarily be long one, if it is to be
effective. Thereupon it solemnly advises the
| Democrats to hold their convention next year
as early as possible, so that by much reiter-
| alton their charges against the Republicans
may como to be understood. Apparently the
principal object of that journal is to manifest
| hearty and wholesome contempt for the
method chosen 10y the Democratic managers.
| The reasoning, however, does not seem to us
| conclusive. No campaign OF scandal and
Islander in this country can possibly succeed
that lasts long enough to get tue people TO
understand its nature. For this there are
several reasons. First, the Government is on
theIwhole much more pure than it ever was
under any late Democratic Administration
Full discussion will disclose the baseless-
ness of nine tenths of the scandals and ISLANDERS
and will convince the people that the Test do
not form reason for transferring the Govern
meBt to the Democrats. Secondly, the reaction
against false and slanderous charges is keen
and strong in this country as in every other
where Anglo Saxon love of fair play prevails.
In these days of telegraphs and newspapers, it
comes quickly also. There are fools in every
party, but especially many i'll the party called
Democratic, who delight in making reckless
accusations, and never imagine that the recol
can hurt them. In IA campaign of dirt con-
Quoted by such party, it is inevitable that "a
great many false and easily refuted ISLANDERS
will be started for every accusation that has
any substance. The collapse of these will ex-
pose the party to a continued series of reactions
in public sentiment, which in any long cam
paign will prove crushing.
But there is another class of reasons which
apply more broadly to any campaign of dirt
conducted by any party. Thirdly, the people
of this country are proud Of their Government
want to see its honor upheld, and do not thank
anybody for exposing its frailties and short
comings before the world The exposure Of
any particular wrong OF Importance Is sup
Dol ted AS proper effort to secure better gov
eminent. But an attempt to array great
mass of scandals and rascaities in a Presi-
Dental campaign, with all the world looking
Oh, as if to prove that full half of the Amer
lean people are fond OF corruption, shield 1t
and Justify it, is certain to produce strong re-
sentiment. This is not theory, but the teaching
of experience. Ont of thirteen scandals or
frauds which The Herald arrays as a list of the
accusations to be made in campaign of dirt"
by the Democrats, all but two have been
worked for all they are worth in previous CAM
paigns. Nine or ten of them have been used
in two successive Presidential campaigns, and
in all other elections for nine or ten years.
Eleven of them were employed, with all posi-
bic Democratic skill in drt-throWing, during
the vile campaign which ended in the trium
phant election of President Garfield. That sort
of warfare never has paid yet in this country,
and until we cease to be an intelligent and
self-respecting people it never will
Foulthly, dirt ultimately nauseates healthy
stomachs. II a campaign of that sort continues
long, people begin to get sick of it. Then they
treat with derisiOn the speakers mock indg
nation, beg him to tell what Office he hopes to
get 10y Safeguarding better men than himself,
or hold the and move of in contempt.
Any Democrat who is old enough to remember
much, or has brains enough to think at all, will
remember that he has seen just such manifest
ations of public disgust again and again, when
old scandals have been rehearsed. The diff
Guilty is that the new ones are either not true,
OF not important enough. and SO the party
always has to drag out old and exploded sland-
ers of which the people became tired long be-
FORE in order to make its campaign of dirt "
seem to have any dit in it, compared with the
previous campaigns of the same Sort
The only way SANDER can he made effective in
this country is by springIng 1t just before an
election, as eminent Democrats did infamous
ISLANDERS against President Garfield. If there
is not time for answer, some harm is done. A
long campaign of dirt will be predestined
failure. But the Republicans intend to discuss
the tariff, the finances, and other serious and
important questions. Upon these full and
prolonged discussion Is most effective. Ii the