New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-16
" THE U4IL AND EAPRESo CdSH'


1.-THE MAIL AND EMPRESS" CAsh'
In the nrevailng tendency of portion OF
tho daily nres, to extract amusement from inc
most ordinary occurrences in the life OF great
o;.v and IN treat even serious subjects Ill
cain of lovitv il is not TO be wondered at per-
hans that the trial OF SUIT DroughC de',n''
tho nroprjetor of 1.-THE Newly DIRK Mail and TX
nrcss, by former publisher should nave peeh
reported at unusual length and illustrated WIZ"
cuts by some of our contemporaries Inc sur
nrising success of "Thc Mail and Express
undcr the proprietorship OF Colonel EilIott .
Cbonard has excited 50 much interest IN the
nub;ic mind. and especially in newspaper circles
that some of our contemporaries felt 'ha' ~
was due TO their readers to give them very iuii
"details Of a trial in which there was stronS
nrobability that some of the methods by winch
This success had been achieved would De re-
voaled This was especially the case with the
evening papers which occupy the same heiu
and are consequently in sense competitors
4 sort of piouancy was lent to the proceedings
nv the fact that in the mutual crlminatlohS
and rocrmnations Of the parties to the sun
ncrsonal habits and character were involved 10
some extent and it is unhappily true thae us
closures of that kind have certain attraction
for some classes of readers HE 1Rlb' Ne
has not deemed it necessary to publish the
testimony in detail any further than served 10
keen its readers informed rs to the main 1ea'-
urcs of a somewhat interesting trial.
Perhaps its most interesting feature was that
which related to the allegation of the pubiSher
that The ground Of difference between hinlseii
and the do fendant was the formers refusal 10
complv with the attevs directions to use money
cor,nrtly To influence the action of the Board
Of Police in awarding advertising contracts.
Now Colonel Shepard, as is well knoWll' Is Il
rolioious man who is not satisfied with the
inactive picty with which too many church
members content themselves. On the contrary
he is out,poken. nsistent and aggressive Ana
that too not merely on the essential points OF
m,lal conduct in which all denominations OF
protesting Christians are agreed, but on inc
doepcr questions of doctIinal theology, such as
plenary inspiration, probation after death ana
thc issues involved in current hereSy tflals'
He is known in short as a Calvinlst OF the
strict-st SORT. His uncomplomi>ing attitude
toward all forms of sin has been almost Il
proverb in this community. The lnlo'a'ioh
which he introduced in the conduct OF the
secular press soon after his purchase OF Inc
Mail and Express by printing Scnpturll 'eNt
at the head of its columns each day aiteS'eu
his earncstness and sincerity, and was widely
and yariously commented upon by the press
If thc country. The charge of attempted brb-
orv under these circumstances awakened public
interest.
Opinions will of course differ as to the erect
of the testimony, but it is only just to say that
though some constructions Of 1t tended u com
promise the Colonel it was not by any means
conclusive. The charge that he proposed to
bride the Police Commissioners with $4,000
TO give an advertising contract to his news
papcr. and included with that proposition
TO add this sum to the bill 50 that 1t should
finally come out of the city treasury, Is hardly
credible. 1t is proper that we should say TINS,
since TIE TRIBUNE was so far concerned IN
the transaction that the advertising in question
would have been taken from this paper and
given to "The Mail and Express" if the alleged
ATTEMPTED bribery had been successful There
was much irrelevant testimony admitted as it
seems 70 us. concerning Colonel Shepard's
habits. That he had alleged cOnvvial habits
on the part OF the puDHshcT IL lhc iO"'Vh i'i
his discharge was no excuse for the latter to
violate the first law of hospitality as he did
in tcstifying that he had seen Colonel Shepard
"loaded' at his own table. And though the
Colonel admitted that he drank whislley and
soda with his publisher at the Everett House
when he was feeling fatigued, it is more than
probable that the publishers statement concern
inc the Colonels condition was exaggerated.
1t is greatly to be regretted of course that
such differences as this one between Colonel
Shepard and his publisher should get into the
courts and come to a public trial. The effect
upon the public mind is not wholesome. 1t
must be admitted, however, that Colonel
Shepard was not without some justification for
declining his publishers offer to settle it as a
difference between two Christian gentlemen
upon payment of $4,000. The result must
be very gratifying to Colonel Shepard. The
verdict of the jury vindicates him, and as for
the testimony, he has the satisfaction of know
ING that it has not affected public opinion con-
corning himself in the slightest degree.