Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-06-01
CURSES LIKE CHICKENS.

We are printing an occasional
letter from Elder Webb, who re-
counts with observant eye and ready
hand the scenes he beheld and the
incidents that befell him on his way
from Salem 10 indianapolis. The
prohis are holding their national
convention in that city, and Bro.
Webb is "A delegate. His jottings by
the way are hastily written and
loosely thrown together; but they
are pleasant reading because he
takes a CHEEKY view Of life, and they
are profitable because they evince
large experience i'm affairs and a
sound judgment.
Rummaging among some old
papers i'm a desk drawer lately we
came across a visiting card, bearing
the name, -. w. Webb, pastor
Christian church, Salem" At the
bottom Of the card this was printed:
The man whom the Statesman
(See editorial, June 18th, 1887
holds up to public scorn as mot
only an enemy to our laws, 10 our
government, to our liberty, but an
enemy to Christianity, and TO our
society, and all Democrat, insti-
tutiOns."
Can it be possible that our brisk
and busy neighbor and friend-the
man with an open hand and a
cheerful greeting for all, can be so
dangerous character? Unless thus
admonished, we should have taken
him for n useful citizen, IA man of
progressive ideas, with push and
vim TO help the community along,
pure i'm morals and a blameless SER
want of God. In his issue to-day,
our brother quill raises his voice
against detraction. Past services,
he says, are no atonement for SLAM
der An honest record will not
palliate robbery. Does he not stand
condemned by his own teaching?
Has he not been guilty
Of what Hamlet points
out rs IA cardinal sin, "mis-
naming Gods creaturesP" Where
in is our excellent fellow townsman
IA foe to society, and to our demo-
cratic institutions? These be serious
charges, and should not be alleged
unless the public safety requires
such arraignment. But the States
man editor knew he was bearing
false witness against his neighbor
when he printed such a screed, and
his readers knew that the victim of
this assault was unspotted before
the world,
These "treacherous stabs," to bor-
row our neighbours phrase, this
character assassination spring from
a political evangite of hate. He Is
heady, intempemte, narrow in his
sympethies, intolerant He does
not belong to the present all en-
bracing age. He should be with the
church inqulsitors, and his weapons
fire and hggots. An editor who
win ban and bar a fellow partisan
because he goes in advance of the
column, who will In the solemn
hour of midnight cXcommuuicate
and anathematize with bell, book
and candle, Is not lit to counsel
party. His reason Is astray. He is
seized with frenzy, and the leech
must be called
Cansl thou not minister to a mind diseas-
ed9
This Is the only charitable view
We can take of his mlment. The
power of reasoning, il he has il, he
does not use The milk of human
kindness is curdled into hate. We
have more than once reproved him
for his ready and unstiuted abuse,
and applauding readers have said,
well done, Thoro is no limit to his
detnction, no method In his mad
ncss, We hear that he will leave
for the east In few days Ia make a
long sojouru. lie needs rest and
change Of scene. II is 20 ho hoped
he will acquire u coOlness and dis
cction during this period OF pest he
80 greatly needs, and we can only
Ioin In Touclstone's prayer for the
rustic maid Audrey, "God mend
.hee, and make incisions In thee -