New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
4 DISSATISFIED CONTEMPORARY.

The Tribune has positive and well-denned
views of its own as TO the proprlety. as well
as the expedcncy or utility. of the methods pur-
sued by some Of its esteemed contemporaries.
which evidently mistake personal abuse coarse
denunciation of opponents, mputation OF base
and unworthy motives and reflections upon their
intelligence for sound and fOrceful arguments.
But it recognizes the fact that the tastes OF news
paper readers vary. and that there may be ana
no dOubt are a considerable number who, even
though they see nothing convincing in these es-
says as arguments. yet find a rude sort OF de-
light in them So it does not either reply in kind
TO such attacks when addressed to itself or urge
upon It's neighbors reform which might cost
them the loss OF subscribers and readers. Be
cause the readers Of The Tribune prefer the
treatment of current public questions with some
degree of calmness and liberation for differences
of opinion. and do not desire angry diatribes or
iterated and reiterated personal abuse as daily
diet il does not assume that the conductors or
Other newspapers, who have an entirely differ
cnt class of readers and conduct their journals
accordingly do not know their business. 1t OBJ
serves. however not in anger by any means, but
yet with a tinge of sadness, that ons OF our
esteemed contemporaries wit, The New
York Evening Post'-is unwilling to reciprocate
the comfy of good ncighborhood and permit The
Tribune to discuss public questions and public
men in its own way.
There is probably no difference Of opinion be-
tween The Tribune and its esteemed contempt
rary ms to the action of the Legislature In the
nomination Of Mr. Plat for Senator: though
there has been. to he sure, great difference
between us in the treatment of the subject. We
assume that our contemporary honestly believed
that 1t was doing 4 good cause great service III
its daily denunciations of Mr.. Plat; although it
conccded-as indeed. every intelligent person
has-from the outset that the result was fore
gone conclusion. and that its daily repetition of
things already known, with nothing but IN
creased viruenca to make up for the lack OF
new disclosures. could have no effect. Even If
The Tribune thought that this showed a lam
cntablc lack Of judgment. it did not say so. nor
let the fact he known. except as II might he in
ferred from its own entirely different course.
Now that il is all over and our esteemed con-
temporary has pronounced The Tribunes dis
passionate summing up Of the situation on
Friday "A doughface review of the political ca
rccr Of Tom Platt" we deem it proper TO say
that in our deliberate judgment THE Evening
Posts" treatment of Platts candidacy has helped
that person vastly more than it hurt him. We
say this without unkindneSs Notwithstanding
our esteemed contemporaries sneers at The Trib-
une's signs of mental decay" and its descrip-
ton Of the article referred to as 'pointless and
inane" serving "only to move the commisera-
'tion Of readers who remember The Tribune in
Its better days. We are too much accus-
toned TO that sort Of thing to harbor any resent
ment.
And now that we are on the subject. we may
rs well say. in perfect candor that the treat,
ment which our esteemed contemporary habitu-
ally gives TO public questions and public men is
so destructive to any influence for good which
il might exert by the exercise OF moderation and
reason, that in the general judgment its support
of any cause Is detriment rather than an adj
vantage II not only never has tolerant or
civil word for an opponent but it seems to he
unable to treat its co-laborers in the same cause
with cvlity or common courtesy. as shown in
its wholly unprovolscd attack upon The Tribune.
We dislike to attribute this to pure wantonncss:
it is certainly misdrected zeal Only few
months ago it was denouncng Mckinley in the
most violent fashion and rather coddling Mr.
Plat in one Of those queer freaks Of association
in which it sometimes indul%cs. because he
doing the same thing. IF we must have either
Plat or Mckinley" il said. better have Plat.
'ff we have to choose between eczema and
double pneumonia. give us eczema" Well.
Notwithstanding this outburst. 1t had to take
both. 1t took the double pneumonia with cheer
fulness: it ought TO he able TO take the eczema
without unseemly grimaces or ridiculous loss Of
temper. 1t is n great deal better and more be-
coming TO take ones medicine with phosophc
resignation than to kick and squrm before TAX
ing it and curse all mankind and the general
course Of things afterward II may be that the
whole world would be better off and tho millen-
mum be ushered in II the editor Of "'rhe Even
ing Post were permitted to edit. in addition TO
his own newspaper. The Tribune and all the rest
Of the press, together with Congress- the Legs
ature and creation AT large. He evidently
thinks so. But before il comes to that, we may
be permitted 10 hope that he will experience a
change both of heart and Of manners.