The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1886-11-06
ENGLISH POLITICS.
The Recent British Campaign One of Vitu-
peration and Blackguardism.

The Recent British Campaign One of Vitu-
peration and Blackguardism.
The late exciting election in England
produced an extraordinary display of
what may be called public manners.
The manifestOes and letters and speeches
and newspaper articles were far more
acrimonious and ribald than any which
this generation has seen, and the depth
of tier feeling can be perceived in the
remark of the London Saturday RcUieU
upon the manifesto of Lord Randolph
Churchill. The manifesto was a pro-
longed TRADE of what in America we
call blarkguardism, and the iSaturday
ReUieSC, which was in sympathy with
MY Lord, smoothly referred to it as IL
lustrating Lord Randolph Churchill's
not unusual fault of saying perfectly
true things in manner somewhat
destitute of urbanity." Mr.. Gladstone
was publicly accused by his opponents
of deliberate miSstat ements, that is, of
lying; and Mr.. Gladstone himself, in his
Edin burgh speech, charged Lord Sails
bury with lowering the standard of Par
liamentary manners. Lord Randolph
Churchilrs speeches were VIII rlwinds of
scurrility, and there was never a more
personal or vituperative canvass than
that which overthrow Mr.. Gladstone.
1t is generally thought that American
public manners of this kind are worse
than those of any other country. But
in fact they are undoubtedly the best.
Whenever the members of the Pres
dents Cabinet or the more important
leaders of party speak during can
vass, the speeches are full of serious
criticism and humorous chat, but there
is seldom in such speeches such black
guardism as appeared in the correspond
ing English speeches during the late
campaign. 1t is, indeed, a distinctive
part of an American canvass that the
Blue newspapers should from time to
time as the canvass advances publish
astounding disclosures from 1.-the
record of the Buff candidate, and the
Buff organs do not fail to retort in due
season. 1t is very seldom, however,
that a person is nominated for high
Office in this country whose character
can be drawn justly into question, and
when such is the fact the candidate is
generally defeated. But if Judgment
were to be pronounced according to the
reciprocal accusations of the Blue and
the Buff, every candidate deserves the
penitentiary, if not the gaIlows, and
by the side of such offenders Benedict
Arnold and Judas Iscarlot are haloed
saints.
But this is Pickwickian politics. 1t is
the stage thunder of the party press, and
its bolts are harmless. 1t is very diff
ferent from the intense personal feeling
of the tone of the late English speeches.
All the newspapers in the land m; ght roar
bargain and corruption at Henry CLAY,
and he would not answer. But when
John Randolph Kissed out his sheer of
the pact of the Puritan and the Black
leg, Mr.. Clay challenged him. In the
mouth of party leader the sheer, I'M
needed in thousand newspapers, be-
came a sting. We are not saying that
in the papers it is pointless, but only
that it has come to be regarded as ire
sponsible insult-one of the expected
properties of press combats in an cleo
ton. If it be true, it will be perceived
by the public, who VII act accordingly.
But the presumption is against It.
The mistake of vituperators like Lord
Randolph Churchill is that they forget
how much sharper is the clear edge of
truth than truth dulled by rhetorical ex-
travagance. 1t is not worth while to
gid gold nor to paint the lily. True
invective requires great Imagination.
But to cover man with epithets is not
to assail him with invective. When
Wendell Phillips said of a famous adj
vocate that thieves before stealing in
quired of his health, the wit and the
scorn pierced like a stiletto. But to as
sert that Gladstone's course is ''insanity
trafiicking in treason, condoning crime.
exalting disloyalty, abasing loyalty, and
monstrous mixture of imbecility, ex-
travagance and political Mysteries"
and to assert that 1.-THE united and con-
centrated genius of Bedlam and Coney-
hatch would strive in vain to produce
more striking tissue of absurdities than
those gravely recommended by senile
vanity to apeople renowned for com.