The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-01-19
Criticism VS.. Criticism.

ioinder to a previous article IN inc AD'oNAANi
which was a reply to certain harsh criticisms
INDUCED in by that journal towards the Pres.
;dent. Writers differ very much In style ana
execution. Some are terse and sententlous'
and express volumes in sentence. others
are ELUSIVE, and require volumes OF words 70
exnress a sentence. Our esteemed nelghoor
can. on occasion, be as efiuent as the ME-,
and as diffnsive as that remarkable stream
even at the period of its overflow. But that
i not nert;nent to the discussion in hand,
which embraces the antecedents OF the ne
publican party and the public policy OF the
existing administration, which our contempt
rary has taken the opportunity to crlnelse on
saveral occasions in very aerid manner.
Indeed. about the harshest things which we
saw in print, during the last Presidential
campaign, we're in the columns of the Sentt-
mel Ii accused the President of hypocrisy
and brutality. This was no soitimpeachment.
Hypocrisy in the administration of the Civil
Service law. and brutality in the vetoing of so
many pension bills passed by Congress Tor
the benefit of old soldiers. The injustice OF
this criticism of the President in reference to
his pension bill vetoes is seen at glance
when it is remembered that with one exeep-
ton "a mistake which he himself took steps
to correct. ) not one of his vetoes was reversed,
when all Of them might have been, IT they had
been improper. The real truth of the matter,
about the pension bill vetoes is, that nothing
that has transpired in the whole course OF Mr..
Clevelapd's administration has been more
creditable to him than these same vetoes-
The passage of these bills was blot upon
Congress-. the evidence of loose and careless
LEGISLATION, and a scandal to the country.
That Mr.. Cleveland closely scanned every one
of them. and examined the grounds on which
thev were based, and had the honesty and the
courage to veto them although he was can
a;da,e for reelection, and knew that every
veto would cost him some votes,l was greatly
ID his credit. Instead of being denounced as
ssbrutsl'i because he stood with more than
Aristidean justice between the treasury ana
these base attempts to rob it, he is entitled 10
he highest commentator. Scarcely one
man in a thousand would have exhibited that
bold and unAinching devotion to his duty
which he did under such trying circumstances,
and It commends him to every intelligent and
unpreiudiced mind IS evincing that rare moral
courage altogether too seldom met with in
our public men.
To this charge of brutality" was another
Of hypocrisy, in the administration OF the
Civil Service Law. Hypocrisy is one OF the
mts.est qualities in the human composition
Il will not live, even by suspicion, in the frank
aud manly bosom. It's therefore only neees-
sary 10 say, on this point, that, as il rests
upon no evidence, it does not merit even
contradiction. Mr.. Cleveland took solemn
oath 10 administer the laws He found this
law among the statutes Of his country. To
charge him with hypocrisy on this subject IS
virtually to charge hiIa With the abhorreut
crime Of perjury. and il can hardly be that our
contemporary is willing TO 60 as far as that. /
Its characterization Of the appointment OF
Leon ]. Bailey as United States District Al 1
tornev for the district Of Indiana, as ''eon- /
tamntiblc act. Is another Of those hasiy and I
erroneous conclusions based upon insuticien;
evidence, to which we have hitherto adverted'
aud only allude to II now TO show the super
fcial aud unsubstautial grounds upon which /
our saiir-miuGied contemporary IS willing 10 base
its grave charges against the good character
and integrity Of the chief Executive Of the
United States. We say nothing Of the i'm /
propriety Of speaking evil Of rulers. II
they be evil in their-courses, they deserve no
forbearance; but, If that evil speaking be the
result Of bitter, narrOw, parbiind partisan
prejudice, unwilling or incapable OF doing IN
opponent Justice, it is deplorable condition I
Of things that calls loudly for = corrective !
II is an unnitigated evil that deiraets largely /
from the usefulness aud public confidence (
that should ever attach to the press ITSELF
and for its own sake should be zealously and /
sedulously guarded against. Poised upon BIS !
OIympian tripod the mimic editorial thunderer
launches his fulmen all around him, and ex
poets the world TO sand in awe. But the
world is used to his presumption, and instead
Of inspiring awe il provokes only visibility.
We have scarcely space at command, for
the present, to follow cur contemporary |
through ali its tortuous windings, in the
article referred to. The chief burden Of its
deliverance is a plea for fair and uninterrupted
suffrage, protest against intimidation. and I
appeals for fair aud legal observances
generally, assuming that its own party has
been largely the sufferer BY the Democrats !
failing in the due observance Of such things.
Its charges against the Democratic party, Il
is hardly necessary 10 say, rest upon CT PGTte
statements aHoat in the newspaper press, in |
spired by an infamed paltisanship, and I'M
supported BY sufficient testimony, are IN
worthy Of credenee.
Wezwill notice but one thing more in the
Sentinel voluminous article, and that is the
sentence wherein it says
ssThe Seatinel is as ready to denounee
wrong upon the ballot by its own party, as II
is to stigmatize a like act upon the part OF the
Democratic party"
We have no doubt that this statement was
honestly made, and that our neighbor really
believes it. But, isn't il enough to provoke
smile Of incredulity among those familiar /
with the ways Of the average partisan?
Since the SeatiHei is such swift witness
against the Democratic party, and always
ready TO bring railing accusations against it,
such as the intimidation Of negroes, and /
other offenses of equal enormify, and since it
PROCESSES to be ready to s,igmatize the wrong
doing Of its own party, let US eross,examine /
it briefly and ask Il, lift never heard of negro
intimidation here in its own party? Did it
never hear Of negro intimidation, by negroes,
in any Of the other counties Of this State ?
IF it ever did hear Of such things, where and I
when did it ever denounce the same2 When |
It answers these questions, We may have /
q few others for its entertainment.
The energy shown and the vigorous meth
DDS recently employed by the commanders of I
the Maryland oyster police boats, have inspir-
ed the oyster pirates with respect. The /