The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-06-15
Mean Business.

We have read with pleasure, and we
are sure our readers will do the same,
very sensible editorial under the above
caption in the Philadelphia Ledger of
Tuesday last, In which a well merited
rebuke is administered TO large class
of partizan newspapers, some of which
like the New York Times make very
pretentious claims to responsibility, yet
indulge in line of political criticism
utterly unworthy their class and stand
ing as Newspapers. President Harrison
recently accepted the courteous tender
made by Mr.. Singerly of the Philadel-
phia Record of the use of his handsome
yacht the Restless, tor short health
cruise down the Chesapeake. Severely
taxed both mentally and physically by
the demands of his Official position, the
President felt the need of few hours
relaxation from the perplexities and
annoyances OF Office, and embarked on
the handsome little vessel on Satur-
day, returning to Washington early the
succeeding week. There is no evidence
that President Harrison engaged on
Sunday in any occupation on board the
yacht inconsistent with his profession
as a religious man, or that there was
pleasure seeking by Others on board the
vessel on that day, not in keeping with
Its proper and respectful observance.
Yet the New York Times severely as
sails the President for desecrating the
Sabbath, by his 'junketing jaunt,' and
INDUCES at the expense of truth and
decency, petty spirit Of personal and
captious criticism. 1t is this spirit, and
this style of partizan criticism, which
the Ledger so forcibly denounces as
"Mean Business" and which it so truly
portrays the character of. 1t was it
says, especially mean for the reason
that it assumed without reservation that
the President was desecrating Sunday
by going upon ga junketing jaunt."
Not one of his adverse critics had any,
the least, authority for such assumption
not one of them knew that the object
of the harsh criticism employed did not
did not spend Sunday on the yacht
with absolutely becoming respect for
the day. That which, however, they
all knew, or should have known, was
that since the fourth of March last, in
deed, since the day OF his nomination
nearly year ago, there have been few,
if any men in the country whose mental
faculties have been kept in such tense,
continuous strain as have those of Mr..
Harrison. and that if any one more
than another needed the rest and re-
taxation which couple of days upon
the sea afforded, Mr.. Harrison did.
His mere physical labors since the day
of his Inauguration have been enor-
nous. yet they have been Insignificant
compared with his mental labors, his
perplexitles and annoyances.
The lot of the President of the Uni
ted States is, under the most favorable
conditions, not always an easy OF happy
one under conditions which make him
the target for the shafts of partisan
malice or assumed partisan necessity it
is certain to be most unhappy one
His public acts are fair subjects for
criticism to deal with, and honest crit
cism cannot deal with them too rlgor-
ously if they lack wisdom or integrity
but the criticism that assails his every
little personal act, even that OF resting
from his labors and cares upon the day
of rest, is very mean business. Those
who have confidence in the intelligence
and fairness of the great masses of the
people do not believe that any party is
helped by such captious fault finding
with the representative head OF the op-
posite party, especially when he is the
country's Chief Magistrate. 1t should
be seen that this constant carping at the
President without just cause, while it |
may not hurt him personally, has ten
dency to rob his great Office of the re-
spect and dignity which should always
attach to it in the public mind. For
that reason, if tor no other, such crit
cism should not be INDUCED in. The
people like fair play, and are not less
disposed to give it to their President
than to one who occupies a private
station.