The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-17


Especial Correspondoncc1
WASHINGTON. July l2-I always have
,vmpathy for the man who is misunder-
sfood-the man who fails to gain the fame
which he deserves or who is loaded with
obIoQuy which is unjust. There are plenty
Of misunderstood men in the world. Some
OF them are personal friends OF mine, and
81 is Of these / propose TO spek On the
one side you have an individual, perhaps
q public man, who endeavors 10 accom-
phsh a certain thing or 20 perform his
duty in q certain field Of activity he
makes a mistake, or is deemed 10 have
made one, and there is a public cutlery.
What chance has the individual? What
opportunity OF prospect Of setting himself
right and Of regaining popular favor'
None whatever.
There Is but one thing in this country
more tyrannical, more relentless than pub
lie opinion. and that Is the newspaper press,
which largely makes and always molds
the opinions Of its great constituency,
which is the public. Sometimes the press
IS revengcful and vicious, but more often
the fault which leads it to error is thought
lessness, the desire TO say smart things, the
which every one else is deriding. There is
no one IN this country who loves news
paper press any more than do. To me
the modern American newspaper is about
the highest type OF all the products Of man
kinds work with brain and hand. But
cannot overlook the fault in the press Of
which have spoken.
There is Colonel William Wade Dudley
He lives in this city, where be has many
friends. His home is one of the finest in
the capital, and 10 was built short time
ago with money which Colonel Dudley has
recently earned in his profession For
number OF years Mr. Dudley has made
money very rapidly. His income cannot
be less than $4,000 year from his prac-
tice as pension and claim agent, general
and corporation lawyer. lie has not only
plenty Of money and a fine home, but
family Of which any man might feel proud
Yet Colonel Dudley is not happy man.
The truth is. he is very nearly a crushed
and broken man. Why? Simply because
be has been misunderstood. Because the
thoughtless press. with its smart para
graph and it's constant iteration of well
known phrase, has in certain sense de
stroyed Mr. Dudley's reputation As one
of the campaign managers four years ago,
Mr.. Dudley wrote letter about the con-
duct of the campaign in Indiana, which
had in it the famous phrase blocks OF
five"
Probably there IS not a man living who
believes that in writing that letter Colonel
Dudley was guilty OF a crime, or that IL
made him in any sense a dangerous or cor
rupt man. Probably there is not in all
this country a man of first rate intelligence
and broad information who would not be
glad Of an opportunity TO invite Colonel
Dudley to his house and be proud TO call
him his friend Even the newspaper edl-
tors who permit and have for years per-
mitted the changes TO be rung in their
columns on the blocks of five" and who
thus, Intentionally on unintentionally, hold
Dudley up to the public gaze as some sort
Of a reprobate and make Of him a char
acter which the unthinking reader would
be naturally inclined to shun as disrep-
utable or communicating, personally know
and privately and socially admit that bud
lev is one of the best men in the world.
They know, as we all know, that he is
broad and strong, yet gentle, generous,
manly, always eager to help his friends
and often unmindful of his own interests,
true as steel to his word and TO all con-
fdences reposed in him, irreproachable as
father. husband and citizen, with the sole
exception Of the blocks of five" which
never would have been heard Of after day
but for the facility with which il was made
a catch word to be passed along and given
Immortality.
Mr.. Dudley should no more suffer re-
proach for his 'blOcks Of five letter than
Nlr Wanamaker should suffer for his
part In raising a campaign fund for the
Republicans. nor than Mr. Brice should
suffer for having done the same thing for
the Democrats, nor than any other cam
paipn manager should suffer for doing
those things which are expected Of cam
paipn managers and have been performed
by them in both parties for many years.
Yet Colonel Dudley has been made the
victim of that iusatiate demand OF the
press for some one To- cruelty in its para
graphs and It's cartoons, and the public has
followed the press tin one of the best men
the world has had his spirit broken and
is life saddened simply by being msun
erstood
/ speak OF this case of Dudley's some
what at length because it is a conspicuous
case. The injustice of the press and of the
public at the press instance is not mat
ter of party or partisanship. it is just as
likely to afilict Democrat as Repub
lican. Take, for instance, the case Of Sen
ator Brice. That gentleman has been held
no 10 ridicule as a monopolist, as money
shaver, "A conspirator, as a railroad tool
and dangerous man till about ODe-hat the
people-the plain country people, the best
people in the land, though more likely 10
believe what they rend than some others
have reached the conclusion that Mr.
Brice should not be permitted to run loose,
especially at night. OF course we all
know-those Of us who live in Washington
or New York and have the honor Of the
senator's ecquaintance-thath he Is one Oh
the most harmless of men, perfectly trust
worthy with firearms and other people
money. We don't know any one who has
more OF our confidence or admiration than
this brilliant, sandy haired descendant OF
Scotland who has been held mp TO the
country as a sort Of rowing monster.
Mr. Brice was campaign manager few
years ago, and he, TOO, had taste OF the
peculiar risks which a campaign executive
must incur He was not charged WITH
corruption, as Colonel Dudley was, but tne
press swooped down upon him as ram
Ia d