The herald., 1896-01-09
THURSDAY. JANUARY o. 1890
PULITZER FOREIGN CORES
PONDENCE

The spirit of Puritan intolerance
lives in Senator Lodge. That is evil
dent from his remarks regarding the
correspondence of Joseph Pulitzer
with certain prominent personages
about the Venezuelan controversy and
the pending bond issue. Mr.. Pu-
liter is unquestionably wrong in his
antagonism to the position of President
Cleveland on English claims in Vene-
zuela, but he has just as much right to
antagonize the president in this matter
as in any other of public consequence.
The fact that some people chose to dis
agree with the president in his inter-
probation of the Monroe doctrine, or
even deny the soundness or policy of
that doctrine, is no evidence that they
are unpatriotic. the Republican party
is wrong in opposing the president, as
it has consistently and persistently
done, but it certainly would not be cor
rect to say that all Republicans are un-
patriotic. Concurrence or non-con-
currence in the opinion Of the presi-
dent in the Venezuelan or any other
subject is question Of point of view
and not necessarily of patriotism.
In his correspondence with the
Prince of Wa les, Marquis of Salisbury,
and other prominent Englishmen
about the necessity and humanity of
preserving peace between the two
great English speaking peoples of the
world. Mr.. Pulitzer may or may not
have been actuated by the loftiest Of
motives His communications may
have been inspired by a humane solicit
tude for the continuance of peaceful
relations between this country and
England, that would reflect the utmost
credit on him as man and citizen,
or by sense of journalistic enterprise,
or by just vulgar desire to achieve
notoriety; but, whatever the motive, it
can hardly be candidiy and honestly
asserted that in those communications
there was aught that savored of treason
or that reflected on the honor of his
country.
The inquiries made by Mr.. Pulitzer
of foreign banking houses relative to
the chances Of floating American bonds
abroad were distinctly within the prov
ince of legitimate journalism. They
constituted a commendable piece of
newspaper enterprise calculated to
elicit information of highly interest
ing aud valuable character, and top
grade demagogues of the Lodge and
Chandler stripe who would check such
eminently proper and useful news.
paper work by absurdly and insin-
cerely constituting it TO be in violation
of the statutes of the United States
should be swept out of public life by
the American press.
Mr.. Lodges idea of liberty is prob
ably the liberty to do as he and his
school of bigoted partisans wish. The
statute that he claims Mr.. Pulitzer has
violated in his Venezuelan and bond
:. inquiries was never intended to apply
: to instances of the kind, and nobody
! knows this better than the man who
is spreading himself in fruitless en-.
deavor to cover the seat once hidden
by the form of Daniel Webster. The
idea that the congress of free country
ever intended to prohibit an exchange
of views Of the kind indulged in by the
editor of the World and his CORE
spondents would not be advanced by
any intelligent public man except he
be prstentious demagogue or an in.
stinctivs tyrant.
No better reply to such monstrous
proposition need be made than that ex
pressed in the closing words of SEN
ator Gray of Delaware in his response
to the bnncomb OF the senators from
Massachusetts and New Hampshire
Senator Gray said:
SNOW, on the eve of the nineteenth
century, you cannot go back on the
track of the dead centuries and at.
tempt to stifIe expression or effort tc
obtain expression. In this country
and in all civilized countries, a Just
public opinion is final arbitrator OF
all questions. It is n necessary for
one to say, if this suggestion is serious.
1y made, that it is impossible in this
day and hour to attempt any inquisi.
torial Interpretation of a statute for
the purpose of sitting an expression Of
public opinion"