New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-18
roo SWEEpIYG CONFESSION.

The TRIBUNE quoted with approval Gay
or two ago an article from 1.-THE World" In
which that journal, after remarking that in
sincere and large minded politics ideas and not
Offices are the matters OF prime concern" pro-
ceeded to say: 1--WE are all OF us apt to for
get this. We neglect the persuasive element
in our oratory and in political writing. We are
too ready to treat the political adversary as the
public enemy, which he is not. We too often
use against adverse opinion the weapons vi
scorn and denunciation, which should be re-
served for the chastisement OF dishonest and
unrghteous courses" The spirit of this seemed
so commendable that we copied it with the
proper credit and the simple comment in head
line. "True as Gospel" We supposed when
"The World" said eve all oil u.s. it was speak
ing for itself and its political associates; and
though it occurred to lis that the confession would
have carried more weight had it been simply
personal and not diluted by the addition OF other
Tammany organs for which it was in fact not
authorized to speak, we accepted it as very
proper expression of contrition and remorse.
There was a sort of next morning. flavor about
it, to be sure, but it is not wise to be inqWsltve
in such cases, and it would have been ungracious
in us to ask our sobbing contemporary where 1t
had been the night before.
But 1.-THE World" either feels differently about
it now-which frequently happens in such cases
Or its confession was so wide and sweeping as
to be meaningless. 1t now appears that when
it said "we all of us" it included all mankind;
that it was only bit of detail which it attached
to the general form Of confession that we arc
all miserable sinners" And somewhat in the
spirit of the penitent Deacon, who, after con-
Tossing his sins and shortcomings, rose up and
kicked out Of the meeting the irreverent person
who said "Amen' to it, 1.-THE Word' comes
back at us with the inquiries: Now is IIIE
TRIBUNE prepared to act upon the principles 1t
thus intellectually accepts? Is it moved IN Its
spirit as we'll as in its mind toward sincere
and large-minded politics ~ Without waiting
for an answer it proceeds to illustrate " the per-
suasive clement in political writing" In sin
cere and large-minded" way it says THE TRIB-
UNE "by inSinuat.on and irresponsibiy' has
charged the Governor with double crime
without proofs, and then asks in the most rapid
and fluent manner:
Is The Tribune ready row to furnish the proofs
Or was It bearing Incorporate false witness when it
made the fearful charges against man OF honorable
namel Is 1t ready, If unable 10 support It's charge
TO retract It as an honorable newspaper should! Or
Is its acceptance of "The Worlds teaching Of right
and Justice merely intellectual, bearing no fruit Of
conduct
These tumultuous conundrums are trfie con-
fusing, but we presume our contemporary means
to inquire if we have any proof that Mr.. Flower
spent more than $1,000 to carry the late cleo
ton, and whether, if we cannot prove it, we
will retract the charge. TO which, venturing
tmdy into the presence of our excited con-
temporary, we mildly answer no. Still, as our
contemporary seems somewhat insiStent, II 1t VIII
bring us the certificate of the editor OF any one
of the newspapers that supported Mr.. Flower, or
of the Editor of "The World,' that he believes
MIR. Flower did not spend moro than $4,000 on
the late election, we will retract the assertion
that not one voter in tho State credits Mr..
Flowers affidavit with telling the truth.
The offer of "The World' to "join in de-
termned endeavor to prevent Mr. Flower from
taking his seat is recognized as one of those
institutions of genius which occasionally electnfy
whole communities. THE TRIBUNE has no
wish, however, to divide with its contemporary
the glory and the advertising that would result
Indeed, we doubt if "The World" could prevent
Mr.. Flowers taking his seat. 1t might, how
ever, ask him some questions about his election
EXPENSES that would make his seat uncomfOrt-
able. We venture to express the hope that it
will do this.