Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-19
NEWSPAPER CRITICISM Of PUfLl2 MEN.

ice the American people can con-
fer that necessarily makes their
President altogether selfish, schem-
ing and untrustworthy."
But the President of the United
States is not alone among public
men entitled to the benefits of such
plea when successfully made
against the reptiles of journalism,
who at once disgrace an honorable
profession, and make public life al
most uncomfortable to honorable
men. The country will undoubted-
" applaud the Presidents exhibit
ton of sensibility in the matter of
intrusion upon his private life, and
it will applaud him all the more be-
cause he has not been credited with
an unduly and exceptionally sensi-
sitive nervous organization. The
party to which the President be-
longs has furnished its full share of
defamatory journalism, and if the
President will look across the PO-
tomac occasionally, he will see
what an element in the campaigns
OF his party in the South is mere
vituperation, often unfOunded and
wanton, and always employed in
substitution of facts and reason
In Virginia abuse has been the
stock in trade OF the newspapers
that affect to represent the health
lest and most conservative public
sentiment. When a few years ago,
originating in Shenandoah county,
and in the court house at Wood
stock, in the form of the "Shenan-
doah resolutions as they were
called, a protest was made against
the despoilment of Virginia by
stock gamblers, brokers and specu-
lators, that protest was met with
furious vituperatiOn Of its authors.
Why7 TO get offices, even at the
cost ofthe liberty of thepeople of the
state. Yet gentleman, to-day Gov
ernor of the Commonwealth, and
another, a United States Senator
for six years from the fourth of
March next, were chosen to their
high stations upon party platform
ratifying all that the Shenandoah
resolutions" contemplated and all
that the Readjusters attempted to
consummate, all of which Governor
Lee and Major Daniel had denounc-
ed as"rupudiation." The only repu-
diator ever in alliance with the Re-
adjuster party is meanwhile Lieu
enant-Governor of Virginia by the
votes of men who denounced read
justment as reputation.
While the President smarIs I'M
der newspaper assaults, unques-
tionably much of it mere lnsolence
and impertinence, it will be well
for him to remember that he is not |
the only sufferer among public men.
His high station and his leadership, |
for the being, of a party which |
has dealt m mainly in shameless defa- /
nation of gentlemen in public life, |
quite the peers of the President in
their domestic and private rela-
ions, should encourage him to
give many more lectures upon the
jopic to which he seems to have so
warmed in his Harvard address,
The President and his administra-
ion will undoubtedly be fairly and
;ourteously treated in all his pub.
ic acts by the press of Virginia
which opposed his election to the
Presidency, and which did not adj
'ocate the election of gentlemen to
congress committed either to the
or its policy. These
anne newspapers do not eulogize
he Democratic party as having a
monopoly of political virtue. The
resident can, however, give no
,reater offence to many of his news
'aper supporters in Virginia than
y lecturing them upon indecencies
" which they have claimed public
ttentiOn. Hls comments upon
ewspaper license in his Harvard
peech can fiud no more fitting ap.
licatiOn than in Virginia. Mean
'hile we commend 10 the President
he apt advice of the Washington
tar
If, prompted by mean motives,
ONE OF his critics have gone wit
ngly astray, and have dragged in
D public notice matters with which {
he public had no business, their
esire was presumptively to make 4
ne President uncomfortable, and |
revoke an Outburst which would q
ut him at a disadvantage in the I
lew of his fellOw-citizens. If il I
ere for no other reason than to
iscOm6t this class of ill-wishers, 1t I
Ould be well for Mr.. Cleveland G
OF to carry their efforts to quarrel !
18th him too far into the fore |
round. To ignore such snares is !
crush them. Attention from a
en- in high station is their daily !
cd; and every time they are i
ought cOnspicuously into the no |
ce of the world on such an Occa- r
on as that at Harvard yesterday, Il
10 task of the self-respecting work J
s in the field OF journalism is |
ade harder and less effective. r
The presence Of ex.President
ayes and Ex-Governor Bullock in 0
ats Of honor at the Inauguration s.