Milford chronicle., 1888-03-02
PROTECTION VS.. FAIR PLAY.

> E1SOIGOI1ON VS. fA4b FLA
The latter performance Of Protection" i.
fit companion piece for his former article
= with this difference, that while the former
was characterized by ignorance, couceit and
I insincerity, the latter one adds thereto the
further distinguishing features Of slang, vul
f gar obscenity, and personal abuse. Any one
who will patiently peruse the two articles
will convince himself OF the truth Of these
charges. There are no less than twelve in
stances in the latter piece, indicative of coarse
instincts, a shallow mind and sinister pur-
pose. When one writes for glory, it is nee
essary that he be actuated by noble impulse,
that he adhere to tile truth, that he deal
fairly with his subject, aud that he keep
within the limits ofrespectable phraseology.
This redOubtable critic must have been
beguiled by some literary dream. He may
have had a vision of the much lamented
Poe, whose pen was terror to writers Of his
time, but whose fame was ill-assorted and
fatal. He may have seen old Robert Soutlly
or Jeffrey, butehering the author Of
Hours of Idleness," and catching the in
spiration Of The tragedy. imagined that his
fame was to be established by butchering
somebody. His position is anomalous. for
while claiming to bea protectionist lie finds
himself engaged in trying to bring ridicule
upon the friends Of the cause. He is the
only one who has taken up the fight against
them The opposition find no occasion to
engage in the controversy. If there is
traitor in the camp who holds himself ready
to spike the guns aud assassiuate the garri-
son, what need of making an attack from the
outsider
Notwithstanding his avowals to the con-
trary, one of three things is evident He is
either free-trader in disguise, or lie cher
ishes asecret dislike of the speaker of Dorsey
Hall, or he is laboring under that dire and
fatal disease "caeoefheS serihendi," which
has proved the ruin of so many young wri
ters In either instance his case is lamenta-
BILE. If the first condition is true, then lis
statements are unworthy Of attention Ifthe
second is true, then he forfeits the respect of
all fair-ininded people. If the third is true,
then he eyokes the pity Of everybody.
Now what is the out-put Of this whole case?
Only this and nothing more, nothing less
Protection" goes to Dorsey Hall on the
evening of the 9TH, and hears Mr.. Willis on
the Tariff and without waiting to learn what
the other side might have to say-with
freshness and zeal unusual-he takes up their |
cause and devotes the balance of the week |
to preparing an article to show that the |
speakers arguments were all weak and false
that if Protection has no better Arguments |
TO support it, lit deserves to fail - that "si |
ver-tongued oratary''wi not suffice to uphold |
it, and many such filings and phrases. The
subsequent issue of the CHRONICLE brought
out two articles, showing Protection" by the |
logic Of his own statements, exactly where
he stood. Stung by the rebuke thus re-
ceived, instead of dealing with those articles
on their merits as any fair-minded opponent
would have done, he forthwith attempts to
strip off their disguise while he maintains his
own, unwarrantably assumes that one Of
them was from the pen of Mr.. W. and raven
ously attacks thatgentleman with coarse per
sonal vulgarity, which amounts to abuse.
Refers to his profession assumes that lie is
a candidate for Congress, ETC.. etc. And all
this is done, not in direct and candid SEN
tences, but by slurs, inuendoes and supposi-
tons. He even essays to initiate the uufor-
tunate, but brilliant, Lord Byron, putting his
low invective into miserable doggerel. He
borrOws the Siniie by which the famous
Blaine, in moment of hasty speech, sue
ceeded in making a lifelong enemy of Ros-
coe Conkling. He gyrates, vibrates, pre-
lates, dilates, initiates, palpitates, and retail
ates, with vile terms that describe qualities
in himself, and obscene allusions that are the
pictures of his own mind.
We don't know who Protection" is-we /,
don't want to know-the knowledge would
be painful for it might necessitate the coup
ing Of name which has been considered
respectable with performances which forfeit !;
al such claim by their coarseuess, conceit =
md Stiffness. This last suggestion may en- =
body the touch-stone of the whole secret.
N the records of criminal jurisprudence it
las been asserted that most cases of deprav-
ty are attributable to deficient brain power; a
therefore,. all that Protection" has done and L
aid may be excused upon this ground, and ii
'ope's couplet, as amended by Franklin, S
would be well put here ST
'Immodest words admit Of his defence,
The want of decencys the want of sense. "
To say that Protection knows but little
bout the Tariff is to speak short ofthe truth, a
we are to judge by his articles. He does al
lot even know the names of the great men
Tho have discussed it; for instance with vul-
ar familiarity, he calls Sherman billy a,
herman" There is but one VIM Sherman !;
rominent in the nation to-day, viz: the great Y
ieneral, and he is not in Congress, neither -.
oes he discuss the Tariff. Protection" .,
nows nothing about the Tariff He is not
onversant with the opinions of its advocates
or Of its opponents. He has not read upon
lie subject or if he has, he does not under av
and He knows nothing about the princi- he
les of criticism, neither does he seem to er
now anything about the amenities of con- vi
oversy. He doesn't know the difference SIX
etween legitimate satire and personal abuse. rii
e is utterly deficient in three requisites of
good writer-knowledge understanding
I'd sincerity.
Allow us to revert 10 a specimen Of his
ode Of reply to an argument by A. T. T.
ferrlng TO Mr. W's illustration Of the low
I'd high wage standards, where the savings
the man working under the latter are $50,
bile those Of the man working under the
rmer are only sIo,tells him that the s2oare
orth more than the $40, because there are "
many tiiups that are mot ta,ad ,,,orr, In
ings that the tariff don't touch, nor can't
uch, they being without the range Of for
sn competition" This is the way he an
fers it, 'Weli, what does that prove? If b
nerica can produce a certain article at 20 m
nts aud England at 10 cents, we need to
< the foreign article just 4 cents to keep it
and protect our own. Therefore the
IN. pays the same whether he buys at home q
abroad A. T. T. refers to undutiable fIl