New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-08
THE IMPUDEYCE or Mr.. SCHUKz

The Sun CDemOcIatic) expresses itself rs
"amazed at the immensely of Carl Schulzs I'M
pudence." Most people, whether Democrats or
Republicans, who have not had occasion to
make study of him will experience the same
emotion The most striking feature OF Mr..
Schurz's long speech is its impudcnce. 1t offers
no new facts. 1t taxes the patience of the pub
lie by repetition at great length of scandals
which fair minded and honorable men long ago
dismissed from mind as unworthy of attention.
1t is conspcuously lacking in that keen reason
ing power which Mr.. Schurz has formerly en-
ployed by turns against both parties. 1t offers
no new reason-and, strictly speaking, no rea-
son at all-for the election to the Presidency OF
such man as Cleveland. But it does not lack
impudence.
1t is supcrlativey impudent in Mr.. Schurz to
say that his exalted moral excellence enables
him to detect impurity where many of the best
and noblest men i'll the country, after faithful
and conscientious examination, declare that
they find none. BE it remembered that there
are no new facts In the matter Mr. Schurz him
self can find not new fact to produce against
Mr.. Blaine. All that he knows has been known
for years to the eminent men who give their
hearty support to the Republican candidate.
But, he says, he is too pure, while they are not
too pure, to support a tainted man."
Such insocnco merits harsher words than
THE TRIBUNE cares to use. Mr.. SchuIz is not
the equal in purity of motive or personal in
tcgIity Of President White, or President Amber
son. or John G.. Whittier, or Mr.. Lodge or the
Hon Sherman $. Rogers, or William NJ. Evarts,
or Governor Robinson, or Judge f. X. lloar.
So much at least, may be said without passing
the limits of the strictcst courtesy. Accuse
tons have never tainted them Speeches have
never been made by them for pay. Not one Of
them has ever declared n man unfit TO be Prcsi-
dent, aud aftcrward supported that man and
taken seat in his Cabinet. The same may be
said of thousands Of pure and eminent men
who now declare that they have c0nscentiOusly
considered all that has been alleged against Mr.
Blaine and find nothing that ought to weigh
against him. Mr.. Schun ought to know that
the world docs not deem him the equal of such
untaintcd and disintorcstcd men. When he
prctcnds to be too pure to support n candidate
for whom such men speak, he invites public
contempt.
If Mr. Schuz should have mctcd out to him
the Judgment he applies 10 those he is inter
csted TO defeat, he would be considered n very
disrcputablc character indeed. For he believes
a scandal on the strength Of the unsupported
word Of one man. and against the word Of
statesman of long and honorable public record.
On stronger evidence than that, Mr.. SchuH
might have brought against him all the accusa-
tons which tainted" his reputation in Wis
consln or in the Interior Department. On his
behalf the world has exercised that charity if
not justice which he denies to others. He
maintains that he is quite too VirtuOus to sup
port any man whose reputation has ever been
tainted" and he reckOnS that statesman's
reputation is tainted whenever an accusation is
brought against lin which, in the nature of
things, it is not possible for him absolutely to
disprove. On that basis, Mr.. Schurz has been a
tainted man ever since lie entered public life.
1t has been possible for him to hold up his head,
and to claim to be an honest man, only because
the world has been infinitely more charitable
toward him than he is in cOndcmning Mr..
Blaine.
1t is supcrlatvcly impudent too, for Mr..
Schurz to insist that I" the tariff question has
nothing to do with the motives Of our OppOsi-
ton" 1t pleases Mr.. Schuz to say that il is
"a lie" to attribute the opposition to that
motive. The most shameless drab on the
streets can say that of the accusation made by
! the policeman who arrests her. Anger is MOI a
! sign Of conscious recttude, in such case As
this; it is a sign Of detected dishonesty. Mr..
Schurz has tried to cheat his countrymcn, as
Mr.. Curtis has proved in the letter to Kitz-
miller, as President Eliot has proved in his
published statement, as Mr.. Putnam has proved
in his letter to Mr.. Richardson. When a man
is caught irving to sWluIle, il is natural for
| him to use harsh words.