National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-09-21
Whore Is American rInnhonh 2

that, while protesting to honor womln
more than any other people on the globe,
they will witness, with calm indifference,
the worse than murder Of woman by sa-
tonic conspiracy in the capital of the re-
public2
That which has been attempted here in
Washington toward Mrs. NJ. A. Belt, wife
of Eugene y. Belt, of Baltimore, is II crime
in the presence of which such vulgar felo.
nics as robbery, burglary, and forgery seem
like white-robcd innocence.
To permit this namclcss infamy to pass
undenounced and the scoundrcs engaged
inittog go unwhipped would make the people
and the press of the capital accessories
after the fact.
And If, on such an occasion, this city
cannot and will not speak out, so hat the
conspirators and their allies shall tremblc
for the wrath to come-tO come surely II
our laws are not made to facilitate crime
It will be well for honorable wom)u to finl
homes where devilish conspiracy may not
assail them with impunity.
Night after night, month after month,
year after year, thousands of our citizens
throng the theaters to have their feelings
narrowed and their eyes sulfused with tears
by realistic representations of imaginary
wrongs perpetrated by imaginary villains
on imaginary women. The shelves of pub
lie and private libraries and Of the book
stores are filed with ilctions in which such
wrongs are chief elements. Millions Of
copies Of weekly papers are devoted to such
variations. Half the time of half the people
of the United States is given up to sympa-
thy with persons who never lived and woes
that never happened.
And yet, right here in this intellectual
moral, and religious emporium of the ma
tion, right here where religion, law, science,
and art have their citadels, right here where
chivalry should live If 1t be not dead, we see
woman hunted down by hired assassIns of
cause she made an indignant outcry when
insulted In fashionable restaurant some
years ago.
II this lady had remained mute and un-
resisting, instead Of calling out aud repel-
ling the insult, there is no reason to doubt
that she would now be honored and trusted
by the husband whose money has paid the
thugs who have been plotting and execut-
ing the Internal scheme devised to destroy
her.
Most Of our Washington readers will re.
member the incident to which we refer
Mrs. Godfrey, beautiful and accomplished
lady, sister-in-law of Congressman Willis,
| Of New York, went TO Welcker's restaurant
with Congressman Acklin, of Louisiana,
against whose reputation nothing was pub,
licly known at that time. While there the
lady made an outcry-the natural resort oi
assailed yirtue-and a gentleman went t,
the door Of the room and entered At the
worst the whole affair was promptly re-
PEELED and totally unsuccessful attempt tC
take liberties.
Last year Eugene n Belt, wealthy resi-
dent of Baltimore, married this lady, aud
they went on their bridal tour to New Or
leans. There the husband heard for tht
first time of the incident at Welcker's
Leaving his wife he returned to Baltimore,
and began proceedings for divorce. The
wife was distracted. False and injurious
rumors were put in circulation, and no
effort was spared to blast her reputation.
Her reason reeled, and, for time, she wa.
confined in an asylum for the insane.
The husband engaged counsel, and de
tectives were employed-not to look W
evidence, but to manufacture 1t.
By the retractions and confessions o
periured witnesses we have the story of {
deliberate plot to blacken Mrs. Belts char
acter by false swearing. There is nothin'
In the whole range Of fiction that surpasse
in dramatic interest the details of this hor.
iible conspiracy There is no felon in an
penitentiary who deserves his fate NOR
richly than every man engaged in this diabo
lism deserves felon's punishment. w
cannot yet tell just how broad is the rang
of culpabilty, how high or how low in th'
social scale it will reach, The leading coun
sci for Belt is ex-senator and eX-Govcrno
Whyte. His friends assert that he is In
nocent. We hope their faith in hin
is well founded. If so he will probably Gu
loose from his client at once. This is no
the first case in which perjury has been EN-
ployed in aid Of Mr.. Whyte's clients. 1t
high time for him to show his abhorrenc,
OF such Infamous methods. lie SHOULD
give his influence to that high moral senti
ment which would brand and pillory thes
dastardly villains who have been woriin!
up evidence for his side of the case IL
should stand as an exponent Of the mani,
feeling that would drive consp irators an'
perlurers into prison or exile,
And put In every honest hand whip
To lash the rascals naked through the worlll
1t is said that some of the Scandinavian
farmers Of the northwest work their womel
in harness, like cattle. In the mining re
gions Of Pennsylvania women and girls toi
with men and boys ''down inthe coal mines
underneath the ground" The "noble rec
man" treats woman as beast of burden
But all these customs are as chIyalry itsel
compared with the quiet looking-on Of thr
husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers II