The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-09

SEATTLE. srsDAT. sKPr. o.
WITHIN NEE RIsHrs.

Miss Mary A. Deshls, sister Of Col.
Breckinridge's first wife, has written sn
open letter TO the voters Of the Ashland
district appealing 20 them 70 defeat her
former brother-in-lsw. and IL has been
Published in the Louisville Cogrier-Josrna al.
Here IL an extract that illustrates its quail
ity.
by endorsing Col. BreckInridge you
would accept his and Col Thompsons
platform that eli men are iibersines. IL
all the men of the state are hbertinss. the
women cannot be pure, aud your vote for
him would be an announcement 10 the
world Of the anehastity OF your women.
sThe plain truth IL that Of NIL the inn
moral delegations In congress that OF Ken
lucky has the reputation Of being the
worst. With the Taulbee aud Breekin-
ridge scandals and the low obscenity OF
Thompson you will not wonder a. IL.
What we need from the Ashland district
is a clean, pure man, with brains enough
90 know that 10 IL mans actions and not
his religious tvs addie that make for right
sousness. and not brains enough 10 fool
whole community for half q century into
thinking him Christian aud q gentleman
when ne 10 directly the reverse. Zee 20 10
Il You must have ALTERATION on your ban
ners that instead OF breckenridge and
brains yen have name that will 20 well
with morality"
Miss Deshla makes needless apology
for her letter. saying that she hesitatsd
many days before writing this letter be-
cause she knew the prejudices of Ken
lucky men and opinion THAI II q woman
LITE up her voice against 'ths established
-. l. a
Men differ as 10 the sxpcdienoy Of full
woman suffrage. but men do not differ as
10 q woman's equal right with men 90 dis
euss an issue that Is not political but
wholly moral This right 10 the birth
right of all men and all women and spol-
ogy for exercising IL seems absurd.
The singular thing Is that Miss Deshla
does not 80 far enough in her appeal: she
seems chiefly moved by the fact that Col.
Breckenridge had been faithless to her
sister in life and had outraged and in
suited her memory when dead. Col
Breckenridge was guilty Of all this and lie
Was guilty Of good deal more than this:
for be has been not only libcrtine. but q
chronic liar and hypoerise; be has not
only D&N0 u ahtkutN3a A0nh1AAs Jus bN Dhr
foistsd his mistress upon the acquaintance
OF upright women. like the widow of Gov.
blackburn, whom be persuaded TO chaper-
one his eoncubine in wAshinton City.
The every day world is disposed 10 be
merciiul 20 a man who has broken his
conjugai vows; many men have done
this; have pleaded guilty and have been
forgiven. bat Breckenridge was not simply
"a good man" who had once gone wrong;
he was not only q chronic libertine. bat a
chronic liar and hypocrlte. who introduced
the ladies Of his hsrem right and left
among the upright women Of his aequaint-
ance for the very purpose of securing the
protection Of their shelierinT wings for
bis dock Of soiied doves. This is the worst
snd most unforgiyAble act Of Breck-
inridEe. this Is IN line with the brutal
cynieism Of bis legal defense and Of his
political defense BY his partisa1s His
lawyer eonfsssss that his client is guilty.
bat puts in the braxsn plea that ''all men
are llherslnes. and his political partssans
cheer this defense 90 the echo and write
"Brains and Breckenridge" on their polit.
zeal banner, which 10 equivalent TO saying
that brains are Necessary in public life.
While morality in the sense Of social
honor. truth and dseeney are mere lux
nFies, not necessities. 20 a statesman.
There have been isesrtines perhaps De-
fore in American politics. IN the sense Of
men Who bad been sometimes false 70
their marital vows IL Is certain THAI
Hsnry Clay had . mistress, but that vas
in the DAYS Of slavery and the mistress
was born . slave. and Henry Gays con-
duet was In line with the loose morality
that vas iussparahle from ths relations Of
the master % she slave. The slave was a
ehattel, and 10 make . ehsttel eonea-
eine was the universal practice Ia the
days Of slavery. Daniel Webster has been
charged With loose eonancss SO va. Matt
Carpenter. Alexander HAmIltoa confessed
30 marital inhdslisy. and Aaron Burr did
net need 90 eonfess-~As Vas a.
eusea By general notortesy. Bat the
lapses % these famous msn save perhaps
In she case OF Barr, were mere transient
lapsss from reesstnae. and even IN the
case az Burr they involved no such base
hypocrisy and tarpstnas IS that exhibited
by BEeekinridge. Barr was lest . wsdovsr
early after his marriage, sad yes Barr
never STOPPED to the invsracity and hypoe-
rssy Of breekinFs&ge: he never tried 20
s.a8ts hls eanean!nss 1pon Sod society
neither did Hamilton, or Webster. or Matt
Carpsnssg. Their sransient wsndertnEs
fse@ the path q absolute eOnjagal reesi-
saas we're settled. u they ever needed set
tssasal eth sAslr visesi aasy Hsvsr sa-