The Washington critic., 1890-01-27
4 CHANGE.

- Oh-i 4fU ~.
Whatever reputation, glorious or
otherwise, the CAPITAL. CRrrrC has
earned in the past should go into re-
tirement with those who formerly
directed 1t. To-day It's organism, no.
tives, ambitions are new. II is yoked
TO NO particular interest. to no official
set.'to no private scheme II is the
champion of no party, the spokesman
Of no politician, the omnibus of no pro
moter. 1t will try TO say good of the
good and need never be expected
10 spare the bad. II will assai public
men, without malice, and defend them,
without devotion. 1t will strive to be
frank and honest with everyone, and, as
nm earnest of this endeavor, opens its
column to the complaints and retalia-
lions of all
II shall not be without convictions.
ii thinks the only honorable imbecility
of the period is the passion of legisla-
tors TO live and act for constituencies
alone. II has an abstract admiration
for equal rights and will often have oc-
casion to show how rarely they are in
reality enjoyed. 1t knows that to prac-
teal government equality is spiritual
item; that fraternity cannot be enforced
Ivy law any more than morality, and
that vivid sense of paternity in the
administration of public affairs is Just
as necessary to the honesty and welfare
Of democracy as it is to the virtue
and happiness of the family upon
which that democracy is founded. II
regards the fear of Capitalization as a
phantom, and deprecates Mr. Dana as
the most amiable metaphysican of his
country. II sees that political parties
are only new forms of hostile armies,
whose passions are too often tricked by
leaders covetous of fame and power.
IL dares to hold, though they know it
not themselves, that all Democrats are
tue Republicans as all Republicans are
true Democrats, and will urge both to
rise above platitudes, Jealousies, plat
forms, and particular concern for for
eign- born citizens, till all are become
nue Americans holding solely in
view the higher destiny of the ma
lion. The tendency of the politician
to be demagogue when poor and
eoruptiOnist when rich it regrets, and
every Clodius and Crassus of the time
il hopes to chasten with some printers
ink.
II believes that forced mental i'm
provement rather than freely-peddled
franchises is to form the buckler of the
republic, and thinks that sincere men of
limited knowledge and one idea like
Calvin aud Senator Blair are truly great.
II believes that the race problem, begun
in the injustice of slavery, made bigger
by war and then muddled by the mock
cry Of civil rights, demands the serious
consideration of every thinking citizen
ii reverences democratic simplicity aud
deplores the accumulation of wealth,
while frankly admitting inability TO as
: sumo the one or stop the other,
1t looks upon intemperance and the
tariff as very bad habits which common
sense and time may amcliorate, if not
entirely overcome.
IL has. any number of ideas, not TO be
mentioned here, since they would lead
further and further away from the def
milton its chief aim, which Is, in short,
TO be newspaper above all ideas. In its
humble way, and to the utmost of its
humble means, THE CRITIo will try to
give its readers the happenings of the
world, in condensed form, from day TO
day. reserving most of its space for,
and devoting the major part of its labor
TO, the affairs of Washington, which,
after all, is at once its parent and its
protege, the beginning and end of both
IFS aim and ideas,