The record-union., 1896-09-02
DESPERATE MENDACITY.

Desperate beyond measure, the or
ganized opposition to the Republican
party and the enemies Of American in
stitutions leave no stone unturned to
stir up strife and embitter feeling be-
tween the people 1t is their chief end
and purpose just now to array the peo-
pie in classes and cultivate hatred be-
tween them.
An example Of this was recently given
in San Francisco. A Republican mass
meeting was held in that city last Sat-
urday night, and the principal speaker
of the evening gave expression to the
thought, which is a trite truth and a
principle absolutely invulnerable, that
the strength Of nation largely lies in
its debt-paying capacity. However
well equipped with armies and navies,
it is not truly strong without ability to
keep it's obligations and Of it's wealth
meet its paper In the course of this
expression occurred the words, Wealth
is king in peace or war" But the SEN
thought and expression and truth; dis
severed it is meaningless and foolish.
The San Francisco Examiner" with
characteristic mendacity, seized upon
the quoted words and paraded them
repeatedly in it's columns in full-faced
types, alone, unsupported, unqualified
by context and the premises leading to
the words. namely. that national we 18th
Is a mighty element of strength, and
that this is founded in the well-paid
employment Of the people. in the prof
liable development of the resources Of
the nation and the satisfactory dis
posal of it's products, which lie at the
foundation of national wealth and pros
perity.
Not content with this, the Exam
iner" sent out reporters to interview
heads of labor organizations for their
opinions based upon the correctness Of
its report. OF course, upon such a bald,
mendacious and distorted foundation
the expression of the labor leaders was
bitter in the extreme and calculated to
infiame their followers. And this was
precisely what the Examiner" wanted.
The outrageous character Of this sort
of tactics which would disgrace a cross
roads political boss is emphasized by
the fact that at the time the Exam
iner'' distorted, perverted and misrep-
GnQanh 0f r,
orator it had the full text of the ora
ton in it's possession, and therefore
knew precisely what it was about. The
refutation of it's mendacity was before
1t, the full paragraph In which the SEN
tence occurred giving the lie fatty and
unequivocally to the Interpretation put
upon Ii by the Examiner"
When the opponents of the Repub-
lican party are driven to such devices
TO make way for their craft the cause it
bears must be in dire extremity There
is just one thing meaner than the mean
est thing on earth, and that is not the
literary thief, but the unconscionable
rascal who mutilates, distorts and per-
verts the expression of another, so as
to convey precisely the opposite idea to
that the author intended, and what the
full expression Of his text makes clear
BY this process Holy Writ itself may
be made to preach evil; by torn, frag-
mentary, distorted and contorted use of
His words the Savior Of mankind could
be made to reflect hatred, injustice and
immortality. Nothing better, however,
was TO have been expected of the "Ex-
aminer." 1t stickles at nothing to gain
an end; 1t would pauperize it's own force
and barter their souls to the evil one
to compass its ends, if the devil were
SO far lost to self-respect as to deal
with It.
A LETTER FOR LOVERS OF THEIR
COUNTRY.