New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-03
fgrELv 0r c4RIci1URF.

Carioaturc i, q powerful weapon in the hand
of Truth. Nh Dclauc welded in England an
influence mliyalcd in his day in shaping pub
lie Thought and directing Ministerial policy :;
hrt even the strongest leader in his great Jour
nal was veal, in comparison with the political
cartoons in PuUch. For aWhole generation the
masters of English caricaturc have been at
work. and their power has steadily increased.
Mr.. Tcnn:cr,p.ncil is great force, OF which sa-
gacious statesmen have 20 take account in Their
forecast Of the movements oi pubIc OPINION.
! few months ago the Grand figure of General
Gordon standing behind an carthWoFh at khar-
toum and looking across the desert for
glimpse of red coats touched the hearts or
Enei.hlnon and swaycd their judgment. That
cartoon was more effective than the best
reasoned arguments Of party journals or the
Gcr.cst denominations of the orators in Oppo-
,tion. The secret Of is power was It's inherent
tuthfulnc,s. This is the element which has
Unmarried 10 nearly all the cartoons in PVhch
their characteristic vgor and has steadily en-
largrd their influence. They dO not misreprc-
sent political situations. They are neither
unws, nor unfair. They are grounded upon
the truth; and for that reason they can be
subjected 10 the UncYring test OF time. \ few
years ago long series Of these cartoons was
rcprinted. and in no instance wa; injustice APP
parent. It was complete s1tirical history of
the recent politics OF that country, and WIthal
honest and truthful
Herein lies the explanation OF the singular fact
that caricature has not cxcrtcd 50 powerful an
influence in America as in England 1t has not
been grounded upon the truth. Ii has been not
IL ,,,lft Int -
has been often grossly unfair and cruelty I'M
just Take for example, such picture as the
one reproduced in yesterday lRIEUNE from the
old files of Hd,pt1'S Weekly. II represented
Abraham Lincoln on the eve OF his inaugural
ton in 1861 tipping with drunken lOafcrs and
cracking Jokes for their amusement, while out
side was the bearsr, bearing the Union and the
Constitution to the grave. The revolving
picture. seen after the lapse Of twenty three
years. sirs in every honest heart a thrill of in
dignation. The lifco Abraham Lincoln is now
sacred household story. Whoever reads it
knows that he accepted the nomination for the
Presidency, and, after his election, made the
tourney to Washington, oppressed with a terri
bic weight of responsibility. Every letter that
he wrote every speech that he made at that
time. revealed this SENSE of responsibility, and
also his humble dependence upon higher
than earthly powers. All the world knows
that he WAS neither a clown nor 4 sot and that
in the great crisis which followed his Inaugural
zion il was his solemn duty to defend the Con-
stitution and to save the Union. That cartoon
to-day is recognized as a garing libel ruth
less and abominablc pictorial lie. And what it
seems to-day, it was when it first appearcd-ut-
tcrly false iii spirit and i'll detail 1t was then
AN outrage upon public morals, cruel and cow
ardly stab at the patriotism of the North and
time has only deepened the impression which it
first produced.
Now this has been the glazing weakness of
the American school of caricature. 1t has not
adhered scrupulously to the truth. 1t has too
often waged warfare upon established charac-
ter. IL has always been careless, sometimes
even reckless in its facts. 1t has too often mis-
represented political situations and been cruel
| " unjust to public men. 1t has made base
and ignoble use of its opportunities for polit-
| cal satire. 1t has again and again served the
| ends of craftsmanship and personal malice. 1t
has been converted into scattering
vehicle of malignant defamation. At no period
in our political history have the abuses of carl
cature been more conspicuous than in the pres
ent campaign; and on the other hand never
| have political cartoons possessed 30 little in