Evening journal., 1892-12-21
AN INsuLr To VIRTUE.

VIC 0i0 RhliltA " lAbliNt tuAl lit.
Buffalo Commercial. Republican paper,
ntimates that there may be something
reprehensible in the senatorial contests
which are dragging along in Wyoming.
Montana and Kansas The Commercial
refers to suspicious and loose accusa-
tions Of foul play" But with judicial
care as rare as it is beautiful, in paper
Of the political tendencies Of the Com
mercial it admits: "We cannot determine
at this distance, and from the evidence
at hand whether the Republicans are
trying to steal seats in the United
States Senate from the Democrats, or
vice versa"
OF course II will be impossible for the
Commercial to continue In that state of
apathetic doubt We cannot believe
that its judicial caution will last be-
cause the outrageous and dissolute char
acter Of the Democrats, and the efforts
they have made before to steal the presi-
dency, the senatorships of Montana and
scores of seats in the House of Repre-
sentatives in which they were promptly
and Loyalty checkmated by the Republi-
cans, who always got there first will be
sufficient TO turn the scales Of justice
against them on general principles.
No matter how honorable and equable
a man may be, long or intimate asso.
citation with the Republican party will
teach him to suspect everybody else.
That is a phenomenon in psychology
which moralists sometimes explain as the
result of association and familiarity
Hence, though the Commercial IS in an
indefinite state Of mind andis apparently
unwilling to believe that either party
would be guilty of stealing a senator
ship, when the Republicans shall have
stolen everything possible on the princi-
pie that If they don't steal it the Demo
Gratis will. the Commercial will fall to
praying and apologizing just like any
other man whose honesty and religion is
sham and mockery. The Commercial
says
Let the Republicans of the disputed
states be careful TO stand well within
] their constitutional rights in this mat.
ter The Republican party has not out
lived its usefulness, by any means; but
as an efficient party in opposition, a party
of the future, it must have the conf
dence and respect of it's own members.
and stand on solid ground Let the
{ leaders of the party see TO IL that it is
not handicapped at the outset of its new
career by any dirty election scandal. II
cannot stand the discredit Of Senate
stealing as well as the New York Democ-
raey can.
That all seems good, calm, wholesome
and pertinent advice, but it is not As
the case stands now it is an insult TO
virtuous and honorable craftsmanship.
It is singularly and barbarously imperti-
ment IL not brutally insolent The Com
mercial does not remember that Senator
Higgins Of Delaware is in Senate when
It advises the Republicans ITO stand
well within their constitutional rights,
and asks the leaders of the party to see
that it is not handicapped at the outset
Of its new career by any dirty election
scandal"
We submit that it is unkind TO John
Sherman who superintended the count
of that famous Returning Board in
Louisiana, and advised and supported
those black and white patriots in the work
Of counting and registering enough votes
TO elect fraudulent president, Hayes
and then in using the same votes to elect
a Democratic governor, and an insult tC
g Senator Higgins who resisted all the arts
q and cajolery, all tricks and conspiracies
p started in this State TO tempt him from
the paths of virtue, honor and selfrespect
While those two Senators are in then
seats, one representing the new career
/ the other, the old career Of the Republi
+, can party, the Buffalo Commercial should
e not insult the general confidence of the
people by intimating possible suspicion
that the Republicans would steal sen
atorship Il Is brutal and vulgar II
shows a lack of those finer sensibiltie.
which permits a thoughtless editor tC
wound the feelings of good and wise
patriots with aspersions Of "foul play"