St. Paul daily globe., 1894-10-24
GEN GEOHGEL BECKEH.

uEN. H Ia bEOh EH.
No man who submits his name to the
voters tor an Office can complain If his
reputation rs a man aud u citizen or his
conduct as public officer, If he ever
were one. are examined into, and what
there is derogatory stated and COM
menled on. But every man has right
TO protest, whether ho be 4 candidate or
not. against assaults OIL the private
Character or the official probky of any
candidate of any party which have no
foundation IN fact and which have
sprung from the fertile and prolific i'm
aginations of mendacious partisanS.
The life, public and private, OF George
l.. Becker. our candidate for governor.
Is an opea book. He has gone in and
out among his fellow men. doing moth
ing that he would conceal. and gaining
in return reputation based on charac-
ter tor uprightness, for sincerity. for
directness of act and an integrity that
has no blemish. This is the net result
of a long and active life as private
citizen and public officer.
Surely, he might feel that he could
which no man would dare assail. OF
what use is it for men to live such lives
if the reputation slowly built up is at
The mercy OF any Irresponsible and con-
ScieEcelesS creature who may think to
gain advantage by aspersing 1t? OF
what value Is reputation II II Will not
shield man against this kind of at
tack? IS not the faithful discharge of
public and private duties during long
life the best assurance of continuance
in such conduct if public duties are fur
ther laid on such man? Is the mah
who never betrayed trust likely to be
one who will? Is not past fidelity the
best reliance for trust ln'future fidelity?
In this campaign no word has been
spoken tterogatory of the record Mr..
Becker has made, either as citizen or
officer, in the torty.tive years he has
been resident of tine state. None has
been spoken because none could be. But
| HOW, when all his life work should COM
| mend him as the trustworthy officer.
! the man tried and found true, men who
| fear his electiOn-men deeply interested
| i'll the election of one OF the other Of his
| opponentS-w whisper that he is not to be
| trusted; that he will be tool of corpO-
| ratons: that there is an understanding
! between him and Nelson that he should
| be the candidate SO as to insure the
election OF the latter; that the resigna-
tion of Mr.. Becker was farce; that he
| is still drawing pay as commissioner,
| and that it is understood that Nelson
| will not accept the resignation, and. if
elected, will continue Mr.. Becker in
| otlice-aild SO on in the same straiu.
And there are men-Democrats, too,
some of them. we are ashamed to say
| who listen with open-nouthed credulity
| to these insinuations, without a word of
| protest OR indignant denial. They do
not ask what more than empty surmise
the party has for lis conjecture. nor
what there is in the life or record OF MI.
| Becker that warrants il. They do not
| ask if he has ever shown himself capa-
! bic Of such ction? Has he ever been
| the shifty seeker after Office, willing to
trade and make traffic OF his cOnyic-
tions? Are character ana reputation no
| buIwark against such baseleSS assaults,
and will both crumble before the breath
| of the first slanderer?
Every Democrat in the state and
every man who values character, what.
ever his party, owes it as much to him.
self as to Gen. Becker TO protest against
these scurrilous attacks, and make tha,
protest effective by voting for him. LII
this way. and in this way only. can he
protect himself from similar attack, be.
cause SANDER will become silent only
! when slandering becomes profitleSs.