Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-09-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THE RETIREMENT OF MR..
GEORGE S. GRAHAM.

Sir: The practically forced retire
ment of Mr.. George S. Graham from the
District Attorneyship field was a fore
gone conclusion from the time OF mis-
notorious Ell Caney epistle. Mr.. Ora
hams second letter-a letter that was
as wise as the first was unwise, and in
which he withdraws his nnme-rightly
admits the inadvisability of sacrificing
his party for the mere sake of Justify
Ing any real or fancied personal impu-
tations. That Mr.. Graham should have
acted in so wise and patriotic a man
ner is proof positive that both his head |
and heart, when all is ssid and done.
are alike in the right place.
In the retirement from public office
OF Mr.. George S. Graham we fall to
perceive any cause for exultatiOn, any
cause for the throwing up of hats. TO
our way Of thinking, and to the minds
of most people, there is something in
expressibly sad and depressing in the
public breakdown of so able and gifted
public official as Mr. Graham, a man
who for nearly twenty years has en-
joyed the confidence, the honor and the
respect Of the community at large.
Such an untoward event must ever be
greatly deplored, not altogether on ac-
count, or for the sake of the incum
bent of the office, but by reason Of the
shock which the confidence OF the peo-
Pile is called upon to sustain. In the
case of the ex-convict Bardsley-a man
who would have appropriated the Pub
lie Buildings had those buildings been
of a portable haracter-public conf
denee received q severe shock as well
as a bitter experience Of the frailty OF
human nature. But the two cases are
not in the least parallel except 50 far
as the confidence of the community
being more or less shaken. In contra
p distinction to Bardsley, we venture to
say that to-day Mr.. Graham has not
the ill-will and bitter animosity which
I were justly meted out by the people to
Bardsley, that Colossus-like appropria-
/ tor of the city's monies. We venture
K to assert that to-day Mr.. Graham mere
3 ly possesses the ill-will and animosity
): of certain hypercritical, ultra-sensi-
: tive and -puritanical class. Thank
A God that the name of that class is not
s legion. Were it otherwise, and were the
:, members Of that class vested with th'
e prerogative to hold the world in theil
4 grip, the christian and charitable spirit
Of tolerance would become obsolescent
3 practically dead.
it The charge has often been made tina
1t Mr.. Graham, as District Attorney
"pigeon-holed" cases. We suppose tina
he "pigeon-holing," in this instance
of means that MIR. Graham '1aid down,
Id or, in other words, that he prostitute
C the sacred functions of us office b
" shelving either this or that case at tn
~ bidding or dictation of either this O
in that influential politician. We kno'
a no more than the man in the moo
rs whether Mr.. Graham was, or was no
Is guilty of "pigeon-holing." But on
II thing we do know is, namely, that WEI
such the case, then all such anomaliC
or irregularities are not confined e.
Nv clusively to the office of District A
in torney. In vulgar parlance-"thel
xt are Others" We sometimes fail to T
,,ies member that in the shelving or abal
,st donment Of a given case the inkeres
ed, of the public are benefited by such
at course Of procedure. Other and equal
ID foolish rumors, rumors affecting Il
ne probity of MIR. Graham, have from tin
m. to time been in circulation. The tittl
an tattle of every gossip-monger increas
nd by what it feeds on, and either this
om that monstrous fabrication becomes a
w. tistically embellished as 1t passes frc
~, one lying mouth to another. If the d
pi- tails of any supposed happening a
,dy not sufficiently saacious to suit t
ION palate, then the Paul Prys of IL
IL world will not fail to supply the re-
Even assuming-and we only assun
We 10 uOL dbbSAN -ludA MI vi aAoh
morality is not, or was not, Of
lis same rigid, irreproachable and irid'
w. cent. character as that of his ''hidd
foes" we are not at all prepared, in
og- event of such a possibility to jul
oat upon that gentleman with both fe
Nothing of the kind. Morality in
-De man is oftentimes a negative Writ
nv and many man, like many wom'
ces is plentifully charged with that icy
edy straction called virtue, charged W
the the same, not through any volition
ltiy will Of their own, but simply by reas
~ of certain physiologica1Shnd irresp'
der sIble conditions. Therefore that bel
the a fact, and it is a fact, we would he
ged tate before presuming to pass Jul
T. ment upon the possible moral obliqu
e.s, of any man. We frankly admit our
,eS, ability to arrive at a safe and accur
,,s,.df tot. ,.ra looxra II m Mr. (.r-ahal