New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-12
BY WAY or REMINDER.


BY WAY or REMINDER.
Not hearing that our contemporary The Sun
has either paid over the $4,000 reward it
recently offered for the finding of anything
UNANIMOUSLY derlsive of General Hancock in its
files for the last two weeks of the campaign
of 1850, or has taken any steps toward sum-
moniug a commission of experts to whom the
onestOn should be referred with power, we
beg leave to remind our contemporary that
the matter is still outstanding, and that the
public is somewhat anxious to have final
decision regarding 1t. great many people
who admire our contemporaries earnest and
outspOkcn manner of conducting controversies,
and its rather phenomenal persistence in pur-
suing them, are feeling disappointed in this
state Of affairs. They have seen our cOntem-
porary bring its heavy batteries to bear upon
obnoxious public men or offending newspaper
editors and day after day and week after
week, with a persistence that has parallel
in the history of newspaper controversy, re-
peat the attack until it became, if not damag
ing to the assailed, at least very wearsome to
the reader They have enjoyed immeasurably the
fine humor aud delightful wit with which our
contemporary has pursued its opponents. For
making that which was mere commonplace at
the first saying seem irrepressiby humorous
by constant repetition. The admirers of this
quality of wit and this style Of argument were
expecting to see them eXempliiled i'll an unusual
degree in the controversy with Judge Brdsall
over his recent revelations. IL is not too much
to say that they have been disappointed 1t
is charged, and with apparently good reason,
that our contemporary, after issuing its
challenge, has abandoned the field; that in
stead of pursuing the argument i'll its usual
vigorous manner, il Is utterly silent.
Our contemporaries unwOnted silence gives
occasion for unfIvOrable comment. The UNI
charitable and evil-dsposed are insinuating,
indeed asserting positively. and offering proofs.
that the bold and das hing warfare INDUCED in
by our contemporary, which has been and is
so much and so justly ADMIRED, was
never carried on except against dead men
and those who for one reason or another made
no reply to ITS attacks. This must be untrue,
of course. 1t was probably only coincidence
that most of those whom it has felt called
upon by u stern sense of public duty to hold
up to popular reprobatiOn were dead, and if
the living men whom it has assa ed have
gwen the assaults no attention. they doubtless
had reason Tor it it not the fault of our
contemporary. Still ii is very apparent that
its recent strange silence in the Birdsal con-
troversy, which it opened in its usual dashing
style, is making an unfavorable impression, and
we fear may in the end impair its influence.
And that, it will be readily seen, will be almost
in the nature of a calamity. For if it should
come to be generally believed that any great
in tha boI,t of
assertions and offering to back them up by
wager of money, and then dropping the
subject entirely without word of ex-
PLANTATION or apology or any attempt to
substdntiate It's statements when the
challenge was accepted and proof demanded,
that newspaper would presently lose the conf
dcnce of the public. We are by no means
disposed to say that the judgment of many of
our contemporaries, that The San has behaved
very badly in this matter, is correct. We
only regret that it should have given any color
to such a suspicion.
Our hope is that the Editor of The Sun is |
only pOstponing the decision of the question |
upon which his offer of $1,000 was made !
until he can call together commission of |
experts to whom to refer it. 1t is not entirely |
reasonable to expect him to pay over the |
amount-as some newspapers seem tO-upOn |
the mere Judgment of the press of the country, |
although it is practically unanimous. We are |
not surprised that he insists upon having
reasonable time and the opportunity to get an
impartial judgment from competent umpres.
But we must remind him that the public is
impatient for some action, and that while
he delays, his influence and that of his
widely circulated journal are liable to be
impaired. And we repeat our suggestion pre-
viously made that he should accept Judge
Birdsalfs offer of $4,000 to prove him a
dishonorable and untruthful man, and upon
winning that amount appropriate one-half of
it to paying the reward offered for the dis
coyery of the Infamous derisOn." That
seems the easiest way and the most honorable.
And, what is perhaps, Of more consequence,
there Is $4,000 profit in it. 1t is of the ut
most Importance, of course, that the readers of
our contemporary should be reminded several
times day that "the Republican party must
CO." but perhaps they might be trusted not to
forget it for one day while the settlement of |