The Washington critic., 1890-02-06
THE "CRITIC" CORRECTED.

Mr.. C. B, Hemingway says in let
ter to The CRITIC today that THE
CRITlc's heart is right, but its head is
little of. OF course The CRIrIo
would like TO have good head as well
as good heart, but il is glad to think
that if it cannot have both it is sure of
a good heart. 1t is better to be kind
than to be intellectual.
Mr., Hemingway's idea of what con-
stitutes head that is not at all off may
be found in the following quotation
from his letter: THE CRITIC has been
making gallant fight to secure the
abolition of certain evils in the ail-bag
repair shop. The motive of its efforts
is unquestionably good, but l wish to
ask in all seriousness, whether, If it
secures the fullest consummation of the
reform it is fighting for, it will not in
jure more than it will benefit those 1t
seeks to aid? Those poor women work
there because they need the wages. The
effect, then, of the mistreatment and
hardships they endure is to drive out
those who least need the wages making
room for those who most need the
wages. AS consequence the places
are now filed by women to whom the
wages are veritable God send.
The CRITIc once knew of member of
a Legislature in Western State, Ger
man, whose head must have been very
similar to Mr.. Hemingway's. This
member was discussing the question Of
prohibition, when he said: "Mr.
Sneaker, / vas ag'inst de prohibition
Won de ground up. Why? Mr.. Sneaker,
why? I will tell you why. For years
und years we haf peen telling to our
shildren you must keep away from de
saloon. If you so dere you will git
drunk an you will be ruined. Now,
Mr.. Sneaker, if We go to work undt
CLOSE up de saloon vat viii We teach our
shildren to afoid?"
Mr. Hemingway is against reform in
the treatment Of the present employees
Of TIE Government because he thinks
that If they are decently treated better
people will usurp their places. The
CRITIC, however, is of the opinion that
agovernment which treats Its employees
i'll is unjust and cruel. THE CRITIC is
opposed to cruelty or ill-treatment every
where, and it is especially opposed to
that sort of thing as an element of re-
! publican form of government. Itseems
to The CRITIC that Mr.. Hemingway's
argument would have justified slavery.
Somebody" he might have said, "wlll
have TO do the work which the slaves
are doing now-free the slaves and thus
render their class of work decent and
respectable, and better people will take
their places and the slaves, who need
work more than anybody else. will not
have where to lay their heads" 1t Is Q
redueti0 ad absurdam No employe
in this country ought to be forced to ac-
cept cruelty as portion of his wages.
Cruelty Is wrong-monstrous That is
the point.
Mr.. Hemingway, in the pride of his
intellectually, vaguely hints at rem.
edy and asks if THE CRITIC is ready OF
willing to lend its influence to secure
IT, What is the remedy, Mr.. Heming-
way? Give us your plans and specili-
cations. This is an age of much social
trouble, and every man with remedy i
needed at the front. Do you wish the
Government to intensity its cruelty, il
order that people still more miserabl,
than the present employees may find {
! chance IN wOrlx2