New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-10
LYING From FORCE or HdBIT

LYING From FORCE or HdBIT
4 favoritc question in the old-fashioncd de-
batting societies and lyccums where the intelll-
gent youth of the country used to whet their
intcllcctS against each other and prepare them
selves for usefulness in Common Councils.
State Legislatures, Congress and corner gro
cerieS. was. els a lie ever juStifiablcT No
compilation has ever been made of the results
of the debates. consequently there Is no way
~ get m n consensus of opinion on the sub
icct but we believe it is safe to say that no
debating society or lyceum ever voted that an
utterly unnecessary. illogical, unreasonable. alb
surd. ridiculous and entirely useless lie could
be justified under any circumstances. The
Democratic newspapers which have been say
inc for several days past that the Republicans
are sending money into Wyoming. Kansas and
Montana or any other state where the Legs
Iature is i'm doubt to influence the election OF
United States Senators cannot accordingly ma
ANYTHING in the records of the debating Socl-
cites which during the last forty years have
discussed extensively the jUStifiableneSs of
lie +, excuse or eXtenuatc their behavior. They
must be keeping up this sort of thing from
mere force of habit. And it is habit of
which they ought to break themselves if pos
sible.
Ii may be admitted that some intelligent
and not over-conScientiouS Democrats. outside
of newspaper offices, and possibly few Mug
vnmps whose scrupIeS were overcome by what
they considered the supreme and overshadow-
inc necessity for electing Mr. Cleveland. did
racitly approve if not openly Justify the course
ot the sensational Democratic newspapers in
charging that the Republicans had raised an
enormous corruption fund.- that Mr.. FrclI of
the Carnegie Company had contributed several
hundred thousand dollars - it: that Federal
of1icehOldeIs we've assessed manufacturers
squeezed and all that sort of campaign talk.
They may have thought that this wholesale
lying was Necessary to elect Mr.. Cleveland;
ard the election of Mr. Cleveland being so
essential TO good government and such an I'M
mixed good to the Nation that it was on the
whole justitable. or at least not so reprehensibc
as to call for any protest or sign of diSap
prevail on their pant And it may be that
they would not have condemned it if they had
known that all the outciy was gotten up by
the Democratic managers simply 10 conceal
the fact that they had raised and were using
most effectively the largest fund ever applied
to election purposes in 4 political campaign
Bat that is all over. Why keep up this soIt
of thing when the necessity for it if any ever
existed has ceased when it is not only un-
necessary but illogical, ridiculous and absurd
There is no earthly reason now for Republicans
to be sending money into any State TO nfu-
cnce a Senatorial election They recognize the
fact that they have been defeated in the cleo
ton. and that for the next two years at least
the Democrats Will control the Executive de-
partment and one branch of Congress. They
accept the result with cheerful philosophy.
What is more we believe it is their unanimous
desire that the party coming into power shall
have the opportunity to carry ont the pro-
LESSONS and promises they have so prOfusely
made, upon the strength of which the people
have intruStod them with control. They have
nothing to gain by holding on with feeble
grasp 10 single branch Of the Government
with only the power 10 ObStruct legislation
They believe the people have made a mistake
in putting their trust in a party that has no
definite purpose nor policy except to hold office
and evadc its responsibilities. And they be-
lievc that the best thing that can now happcn
10 the country is to have the responsibility for
legislation as well as administration 90 with
be fairly tested upon its professions and prom
iSeS: only so can the people discover their
mistake. Obstruction for the sake Of obStruc-
ton is not the policy of Republicans. They
are good citizens and they bow TO the will of
the majority. More than that. they do not
propose TO leave any excuse - the party com
ing into power for cvading the responsibility
it has invited.
There is neither truth nor reason nor com
mon sense in the abSnd charge that Rcpub-
icanS are sending money into doubtful states
or that they have any desire to influence the
Senatorial elections in them. The falSchood
is too foolish and illogical to receive a mo-
mcntS crcdencc from any intelligent person
such lying without any sort of Justification or
excuse must he simply from force Of habit
If the sensational Democratic newspapers can
not bring themselves to abandon it entirely we
suggest that they ut least " swear off; from If
until there's another election in sight.