The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-19

the decision. or % by which may come
from its reversal by the court as hereaf-
ter constituted. And II he would. and. In
deed. must pursue one Of these paths.
why imagine that others will pursue it
less worthily than he? Democracy has
never packed the Supreme Court. IT never
J will To impute the suggestion is 20
SANDER as reputable men as the nation
has in II. and not one OF them is less
capable OF a wrongful deed than William
j. Bryan.
! CRITICISM THE WEAPON OF TRUTH.
have been trained from my youth
10 respect courts. My father and grand
/ father were both honored judges Of this
| state. and that respect was mingled with
| reverence for them. ] have been a mem
| Der Of the bar rom early manhood. Tnd
/ respect my profession and It's members
/ Put I think the Governor oyersteps the
mark when he says ] commit more than
an improperly" In holding that judges
| arc not beyond the pale of criticism NO
good man desires 10 be beyond u. II IS
no honor TO any man. but an aspersion
| OF him 20 try 10 put him beyond II. Ciiti-
| clsm is the weapon Of truth. It is neces-
sarv 10 free speech. and as such under
constitutional protection No freeman
will ever lay down his right 20 exercise
! It.
All public servants must be open 10
| &c. whether they be judges or otherwise,
and they always wish o. be open o. it II
they arc honest and capable The dis
position TO avoid 10 is tic brand of suspi-
cion Tho judges freely criticiso them
selves. ana give evidence OF sincerity ana
independence ir SO doing. tt increases.
D. does not lessen respect for them Tor an
90 cIiucse freely: They would shuddor
10 hear that they were be enca, cd in
Dccch could not penetrate At any rate
no American freeman, and no true
ireinin win ever put bis face 'n the
dust before frail morality. ever though D.
is r0bcd and called Judge. This SIS not
Turkey. and our Governor cannot make
himsCf Grand Nizicr We are not Co he
taught ohscquiousncss under a plea Of
conservatism The true conservatism IS
only 20 Doe found I'm Freedom. a hg for
such pIopricfy as tho executive COM
ncnds II ie propricty ut only for slaves.
As "a freeman st is my right as Senator
30 is my duty 10 criticise public officials
and public measure. as ] deem right. ]
shall cndoavor 10 observe that circum-
spcction dccorum and moderation in do
ing SO which good sense. public respect
and gcntcel manners dictate; but do not
thnl. 1 shall be improved in these en-
deavors by any example which may DE
found in the recent carnations from Gov
crnor OForran.
"UNCONSlDERED TRIPLES AND
TARIFF PLATFORM.
The Governors Washington interview
gave bic reasons for boiling the candi-
dates of the Democratic party in 1SgG
Foremost OF those reasons. he assigned
the erroneous statement that the Chicago
convention chad abandoned the time
honorcd principle OF tariff for revenue
ONLY. which had been enunciated 10y
EVERY Democratic convention from $40
10 1902" and he excOriafed this as an
"ineXcusahle and deliberate departure"
pointed out I'm reply that the platform
Of 1851 and 1855 upon which Cleveland
received his first and second nomina-
lions for the Presidency had not con-
tanned the tariff for revenue only prin-
cipie; and that it was inserted IN l>92.
when ne was the third time nominated.
against the stout resistance of many OF
his supporters including the entire twelve
Cleveland delegates from Virginia. These
delegates had The active support Of Gov
ernOr OFerrall.
IL was evidently inconCcivablc that so
great a revulsion Of feeling and conduct
could have been induced by the absence
Il a principle or phrase from "a platform.
when. with tho like absence, he had twice
supported the nominee.
j. { so serious q misstatcmcnt Of Dem
ocratic history, and even the charge OF
"moVcusaLie" offence based upon 80
against the Bryan Democracy. does not
disturb the Governor in the least Now
comes the letter OF September 1lth. from
the Governor, with the nippant rctort:
This is special pleading and the snap
ping up Of unconsidered trinos.' And
then. having studied the platforms I'm the
meantime. between the interview and his
rejOinder TO my reply and discovered that
his recital contained more errors than 1
took the trouble 10 cite-he adds. Every
body knows that the phrase. tariff for
revenue only has not been I'm every
platform
DO they indeed They have found it
out then, Notwithstanding the misinfor-
nation supplied them by the Governor,
and / seem 10 have assisted at least one
Of them 20 ascertain 81.
Special pleading" SIS 10? a Judge should
know that q special plea is good. If true.
and my plea is true. But a judge should
also know that my plea is not special.
but a plain. general denial and exposure
of msstatcmcnt
"The swapping UP of uncOnsidcrcd tri-
des' IS it? II iIay De that the matter
was ''unconsidcrcd' by the Governor. as
he frequently taxes position first and
considers afterwards, but IL a Grille"
why had he assigned it as the leading
reason for turning against the party that
was his political UcatOr, and why had me
made IL the rravamen OF his accusation
that our acion az Chicago was "inex-
cusable?'
Evidently I was right i'm suggesting that
the tariff could not be the matter that was
ycXing his spirit He has 10 now that /
am not an ardent tariff refOrmer. Let
my record of years. open to an. be the
answer
But what kind Of tariff reformer is
that who does not learn even the plat
forms of his party until after he has so
egregously misstatcd them. as ground
for his own action, and as ground also
alleging objectionable offence on the part
of others; and who must then study
them 10 rectify his reckonings just as ne
studied finance after and not before, he
had ceased to deal with it as a legislator.
Certainly I feel no occasion 20 sit az the
feet of this Gamalel
THE UNIT RULE.
10 is said that l favored the unit rule I'm
1896 and opposed IL i'm 1892 If so. what of
&c? Were not the Governors opinions
equally reversed? he favoring II when ]
did not. and opposing 81 when I favored
A. Was il not a mere question of expcdi-
ency. and not one Of principle? is he not
criticising me for what he himself did
also? Neither is inconsistent. The con-
vention was Overwhelmingly Of a fixed
opinion i'm 1896. II was lit case for a unit