The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-31

emoifioEs young woman Who sacked ooin
money and male relatives, turning al
ventures; there Is nothing exceptional
perhaps in q distinguished Congressman
allowing himself TO become deeply in
VOWED with woman Of this sort. Men Of
great and heroic qualities, like Euglsnd's
famous naval genius. Lord Nelson, have
exhibited . pitisbls infatuation for very
cheap and inferior women; the remark
abs thing In the Breckinridge case ID that
man bred . gentleman should have COM
mss,sd . gross social fraud IN act Of false
hood and imposition upon bis best friends
and then make the miserable defense that
Breckinridge does.
He goes upon the witness stand and I'D.
rnits about everything that he il charged
with. and then pleads 1.-The baby sct" for
course of conduct that began when he was
- years of age. His testimony shows that
he knew from the start that the woman
was commercial woman. and treated her
At the close OF their first interview 40 .
genteel commercial woman. Knowing ell
this he associates with the woman nine
years, imposes her as his intended wife on
good society. promises to marry her. is in
innate with her after his second marriage,
and then asks the decent public to white
wash his offsnss by saying that he did ell
this under duress; that If he had not
promised to marry her; il he had not In
troducsd her - his intended wife and Inn
posed her upon his respectable friends,
that she would have shot him.
Very likely che would. but what or thatf
Suppose she had shot him, what of itf
A man Of his training, years. culture and
responsibility who for nine years MAN.
tanned such relations with such = woman
must take the consequences. He has no
business to unload his cross upon society
upon the threat of being shot IL he did
not promise TO marry a worthless woman
and palm her off on his friends as his in
tended bride. What would be thought Of
gentleman who constantly vouched for the
character of a man whom he knew to be .
pickpocket or . burglar, on tho ground
that II he did not introduce this bad man"
to his wife. mother. sister and entire social
circle as good man. that tho bad man"
would shoot him. And what would BE-
thought Of this plea if II was known that
the presumptive gentleman had volun-
tariiy cultivated an intimacy with the
pickpocketf
Granting that all that Breckenridge
has said in his own defense is true.
it does not help his case . par
ticle. Whether he intended to keep
his promise of marriage from the start We
do not know; II he made 1t seriously he
ought to have kept it, for he was not de-
ceived in the character Of the woman from
the start by his own confession; she was
certainly quite good enough for him; IL he
made tho promise Of marriage to hide his
relations 10 the woman then he grossly
lied to his decent friends. both men and
women. upon whom he imposed her ~
his intended bride; II he consented
bride because he was afraid she
would shoot him, then he was q dirty
coward. IL has come to pretty situation
II every man who has a concubine shall
introduce her to his best friends, both
male and female. as his intended bride
lest she shoot him. He must take the
| consequences of his own acts: he cannot
expect to make society shoulder them
and then "plead the baby act" for what he
| has done at IS years of age.
| If Breckinridge was . true gentleman
| instead of mere pinchbeck gentleman,
he would rather have been shot than %
have imposed his concuhine IA his in
tended bride upon Mrs. Gov. Blackburn
and his other decent friends. Decent So
ciety has no business to expect that man
| will precipita,e his paramount upon il be-
cause his paramount threatens to shoot
him. lie can appeal for legal pp,ection
in life, and his paramour. If she shoots
him. Is liable 10 legal punishment for her
crime. but he cannot expect decent society
TO condone his ialsehood. deceit. fraud and
imposition by saying. IF 1 had not
abused your conhdencs the woman would
have shot me-" Well. suppose he was
afraid of being shot. what of itf And yet
Breckinridge seems 20 think his plea OF
"duress" ought to excuse him and rein
state him In the confidence and respect OF
good men and true. The New York San In
none too harsh when 1t says:
"If he had made the promise honestly.
rs Miss Pollard has testified that he did.
and had fulfilled 10 honoEsbiy, some meas
ure Of consideration would now he his due.
| lie would have done the best he could 10
make final reparation TO society for his
! lons-eontinued cife0se against decency.
| his gross marital ini}ielity, aud the course
| es Itcentiousness ne had pursued under
the cover of respectabsilty aud assumed
/ religious principle and continued religious
! Observance.
Neither does il make any difference, 50
far - concerns his great otsense. whether
Miss Pollard vas a pure or an impure
woman at the time he established his de.
PRAYED relations With her. In either casa
he Was guilty Of inudeiiy, which lie could
pursue only by deeeiylng his wife and by
Keeping tan false presenscs Of moral intes-
rtty and religious obligation. lie BETRAYED
his wlfe's confidence and be rrscsiced nv
pocfisy before the public, by centinuin ?
bis lectures and speeches aud hi. religious
addresses. posing a. a man o! pria-lpls
worthy 10 instruct people in ethics and
| religion. He vas an ancseAn and an ar
rant humhur. snd now he con feSses IL. 1.
! the confessed oissuses Of Col. Rrerk nrti "a
against public deceney. homer. truth and
| iategrity. do not constitute = reason for
| excluding him fsoni all further social or
! political liberation, there - no turpituas
| into which man can descend that forfeiss
for him his title 20 puesic respect and adj L.
/ lAt.oa."