New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-29
their own interests, should overthrow this con-
spiracy at the next election.
THE QUALITY or COURAGE.

IHE VChhiif VI CDN@'~''N'
There are few funner things in this world
than what are called manifestations of " cour-
aceD The two flamboyant fools who stood up
tvclve paccs apart in Belgium the other day
and fired pistols carefully wide of each other
and then ran away for fear of being arrested
indulged in the grotesque conceit that they had
by that ridiculous performance furnished III
dubitable proof that they were both men OF
courage and incidentally that one of them was
not n liar. As matter of fact, the perform
ance demonstrated nothing whatever except
the absurd vanity and Stiffness of the perform
crs. II proceeded upon the assumption that IL
roouired courage on the part of one of them
70 call the other a liar" which is held by
norsons of certain degree of intellectual de-
ve,opment to be fighting word" The term
it must be admitted, is not altogether polite'
II is not in common use in drawing rooms nor
often heard in good society. Its immediate Ell
feet is that of the "previous question III
parliamentary debates. 1t cuts off discussion
so far as the particular point in issue is con-
cerned and cuts it off with what might be
called nconsiderate abruptness. 10 call man
\ liar is generally considered n violation OF the
amenities of debate. The only excuse for 1t is
that it exhibits courage.
They have Just been having one of these
exhibitions at Washington In the course OF
the examination of Pension Commissioner
Raum, Representative Enloe of Tennessee, who
was propounding inquiries to that official was
dissatisfied with the answers of the latter Very
much dissatisfied 1t appeared that he did not
believe the statement the Commissioner was
l.. N
mt in concrete form in the remark: "YOu're
a liarr IL Is not usual in hearings before
Congressional committees for members OF Con-
gress who disbelieve the testimony OF wit
nesses to express their convictions so abruptly
or with so much point One reason for this is
that the examiners opinion of the witnesses
yeracity does not rank as testimony and does
not properly form part of the record. An
other is that to call witness liar is in the
nature of an explosion and liable to terminate
the proceedings suddenly. The only explana-
ton that has been given is that of Washing
ton correspondent, who says Mr.. Enloe 81
newspaper man by profession" and has
ample courage" 1t does not appear that his
courage had been doubted by anybody, not
even by the witness but if it has, the doubt
mas Dccfl SET dJ It>l ny iht manly hi'
shrinking way in which he called the witness
a liar.
The witness, on the other hand, seemed not
to be lacking in the same admirable quality.
With the same sort of unshrinking, manly
courage but with perhaps little inconse-
qucnce, he replied: You're another" Now
il does not appear how this statement uttered
on the witness-stand and presumably covered
by the oath, materially altered the situation
or affected the facts 1t is not harsh criticism
TO say that the retort. though highly cou-
rageous, was not precisely pertinent. For IT
is easy enough to see that il Raum was actually
n liar as Enloe charged, the fact that Enloe
was another did not change the situation, ex
ccpt to confuse the committee. But the effect
upon Representative Enloe was quite remark
able No one will deny that Enloe exhibited
"ampe courage in calling Raum a lar but
when Raum exhibited precisely the same quail
ity in the retort, You're another" why should
Enloc get mad about it? Does he claim a
monopoly OF that kind of courage? Why
would il not have been proper 1t this point
when both men had exemplifed their courage,
to call it stand-on and resume the peaceful
current Of the investigation? But EnOe, more
excited at being called " another than Raum
was at being called liar" seized a sponge
cup, and was about to continue the examination
by firing il at the head Of the witness when the
members of the committee having no doubt
by this time become convinced that EnlOe and
Raum were both men of courage, ntcrfered
and put n stop To further demonstrations.
Only one thing has been settled The ques
tions whether Raum is a liar and Enoe another
are still OPEN but it is established that both
are men OF courage. Courage indeed What
superior quality it is How much more snowy
and dcmonStrativc than those other qualities of
gcntlcneSs, forbcarancc patience, self-control
which have no thrust and never vaunt them
selves. And yet there are a great many quiet
everyday sort of folks in this world, who have
a notion that true courage contains all these
less snowy qualities, and somehow shines the
more for it in the judgment of thinking men.