St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-08-21

OF the man assailed, the story will fint
numerous believers; for unfortunately
politics have such an attraction fo
rascals and hypOcrites, and have Sc
great tendency to make rascals and
hypocrites, that the public mind is M
longer astOnished when gross breaches
of public trust are brought home t.
men high in place and power. Wher
a man offers himself for the suffrages
of his fellow-citizens he invites the
most critical scrutiny of his public
record, and he has no right to com
plain if undiscovered or forgotten
transactions in which he played dis
honorable part are brought to light
1t Is, however, incumbent on every
speaker, writer and ordinary citizen to
give neither credit nor circulation to
any charge which they have not the
best of reasons to believe well founded.
Not only because to repeat in idleness
or malice false stories is to be guilty
of the grossest injustice to the person
attacked, but because, as experience
has already amply proved, the general
custom of making such charges pro-
duces state of incredulity, or at least
indifference, in the average voter when
serious and material accusations are
made and proved. Had not many pure
men been falsely accused it would not
have been possible to induce a national
convention to nominate for the presi-
dency candidate against whom such
II speech as that of Mr.. Schurz could
have been fairly made. But unpleas-
ant as 1T is to give currency to allega-
tiOnS against a candidate which must
wound the feelings of many worthy
people, and although their circulation
tends to produce II cynical disbelief in
the existence of public virtue of any
sort, yet if they relate to the fidelity
with which he has discharged former
trusts committed to his keeping, the
people ought to know them, if, after
diligent and careful investigation,
they are shown to he well founded
Unfortunately men open to attack on
such grounds i'll one way or another
manage for n greater or less length of
time to keep themselves in political
life; and those whose duty it may be
to meet them find out to their cost that
you cannot fight chimney-sweep
without getting SCOT on yourself. If
the assailed individual or his friends
can find excuse for retaliating i'm kind
they will most assuredly do so; if not.
us men of their stamp are not likely to
be over nice, they will give currency
to any story that detracts in any way
from the character of the men to whom
they are opposed. Every being wear
ing mortal form is subjected to temp
tation, and the world knows of but
One who escaped unscathed In every
mans life some flaws may he detected;
every man has found his flesh at some
time weaker than his spirit, and the
wise and just man will draw IL veil
over those private and personal slips
which have been confessed, repented
of, and so far as may be atOned for.
No other course is consistent with
due regard for the interests of society
for if men are not perfect, perfection is
the standard towards which effort
should be directed. 1t inclines the
young to select a much lower model if
they are continually reminded that the
men whom the world has delighted to
honor, and whom the world did well to
honor, were guilty ut one time or an
other of casual departures from the
rule of correct living. They will not
always be able to keep clearly in mind
that they were revered not because of
their humane weaknesses and failings,
but in spite of them. The discussion
to which such needless and irrelevant
stories give rise bring up again all the
true and false charges which have been
brought against the great and good
men of all ages, until in some minds
arises feeling that there is nothing
and never has been anything in the
world at all approaching true worth.
The general existence of such state
of mind would demOralize any people
on earth. Those whom private or
political rancor has not blinded to the
true interests of the country will have
nothing to say about scandals which
do not bear upon Il candidates public
career, applying to him the same
standard, and no other, by which they
measure men in other walks of life
"How well equipped is he for the work
he would undertake ?" Against the
peculiar temptations to which public
men as such are exposed, they will
strive to guard them by making them
clearly understand that absolute faith
fulness to the trust they have assumed
is a condition precedent to any further
preferment.- Baltimore Sun.