The Washington critic., 1886-12-01
THE MANNING MATTER.

of the Administration. 1t is therefore
to be regretted that Minister Manning,
in his explanatory telegram TO friend
at St. Louis, should have admitted that
he "took n stimulant.' lie probably
did, and there is nothing In 1t to his
discredlt, so long as he transgressed no
social or diplomatic propriety.
But the industrious scandal. mongers
at the Mexican capital will jump AZ
once to the conclusion that MIR. Manning
has given himself away" as it were,
and claim that his confession is
virtual corroboraDiun OF their state
ments, not having The foirness to admit
that man may sometimes "take n
stimuant" without becoming up
roariously intoxicated. and that III Of
pneumonia docs not always Imply a
debauch.
Some Southern paper, apparently
very friendly to The Minister, says that
he has "seasons' Of relaxation, during
which he is apt 10 indulge TO excess.
Such cases are not iufrequent. We
have known of several gentlemen,
prominent in public life and of the
most respectable associations, who have
been affected in the same way.
1t is not at all improbable that being
aware of this popularity of Judge
Mannings, his maligners in the Amer
ican colony took advantage of 1t; piled
him with temptations and placed an
espionage over his conduct in order to
effect his disgrace and annoy the State
Department, But 1t would appear that
they did not wholly succeed in their
purpose, for the exaggerations which
they put in circulation had been au-
thentically contradicted even before
Mr.. Manning pronounced them false.
In his denial however, the Minister
was under no necessity of admitting
that he took q drink, even if for no
other purpose than 10 break up
threatened attack of malaria. 1t was
quite enough TO say that he had com
mitted no oifense, and that all reports
to the contrary were wicked fabrica-
tions. TO furnish his calumnators
with the slightest material for apology
or excuse was weakness on his part,
which indicates, it is true, the frank
ness of his nature, but which 1t were
better perhaps to have kept TO himself.
1t is only TO be hoped, bow that the
affoir ic Ga naurl,t Ilpnp pvnr and ma
serious damage done that the State
Department will take some measures
to protect its Representatives in Mexico
from any further detractions of the
same sort. Assuming the allegations
against Minister Manning to be untrue,
justice to him requires that the con-
spiratois be exposed and properly de-
nounced, while if any one officially
connected with the Government is i'm.
plicated in the transaction, he cannot
be booted out too soon.
Mr.. FRED. DOUGLASS, who is now
in Paris, complains that his race is
atrociously misreprescnted by the
Ethiopian mlnstrels exhibiting abr )ad !;
and he adds:
This mode of warfare is purely American,
and 1t is carried on here 10 Paris as IL is In
the great cities of England and of the
States, so that to many minds, as no good
was thought to come out Of Nazareth, SO
10 good is expected Of the negro.
Mr.. Douglass is over.sensltive on
this point Ethiopian minstrelsy was
never regarded either here or in Eng
land as in any sense warfare" on
the colored people, or anything more
than a good natured exaggeration of
certain race peculiarlties, enjoyed quite
as much by the colored people them
stlves as by the white folks. How IL
should be thought in Paris that nc
good can come out of the African
Nazareth with so gifted representa-.
tive there as Mr.. Douglass to confute
all such impressions, we are at loss
TO understand.
THE DISPLAY Of the District Fire De
partment this afternoon was in all re-
spects creditable and gratifying The
force has been kept up to high
standard of efficiency and discipline
under the executive supervision o
Chief Paris, and department whicl
so enjoys the strong moral support o
the community will hardly fail of sc
curing from Congress such Legislation
as It's material needs require. Thes
have been stated by the Chief will
much eXplicitness, and considering tn
extent of territory to be covered anl
the rapid march of building improve
ments in all directions, 1t Is not likely
that the wants of the department hay
been over estimated or that they will b
disregarded.
THE District Commissioners, If W
are rightly informed, have about tn
same opinion Of the average veracit,
Of the newspapers that is entertaine,
by the President Don't worry abou
the newspapers, gentlemen, just G,
ahead and look after the public bust
ness, as though there weren't print
ing press in the country. The news
papers may not always tell the truth
but they help to keep the public bloo'
in circulation.
TIE important circular just issue,
by the general officers of the Knight
of Labor declares the present TO be tn
most critical period in the history 0
the organization, and the necessity TO
cooperation on the part of all earnes
and loyal members never before 81
great. The desired cooperation is of
- L., L. =.