The record-union., 1898-10-12
Weather Forecast.
AN ALLEGED JOKE.

Some weeks ago an infamously men
dacious article was put aflOat, so con-
structed as to create the impression
that it came from a branch of the Re-
publican State Central Committee,
which gave advice to Republican pa
pers what lines of debate to follow in
this campaign. 1t was adroitly con-
structed to deceive, and purported to
be a secret and confidential paper. 1t
had the qualities Of neither wit nor
humor There was nothing about it to
indicate that it was intended as "a
joke" This miserable cheat was
quoted with gravity by a number of
Democratic papers, many Of which
commented upon it gravely, and
pointed to it as revealing the secret
springs. and workings Of the Repubh-
can party. Among these the Wood
land Democrat" was conspicuous for
seriousness of treatment, and for its
insistence that it was a genuine docu-
ment, becauset it had not been officially
repudiated.
This charge, through inquiry made
by the Mail of Woodland" brought
out a reply from the Chairman Of the
Republican State Central Committee
denouncing the article as a gross fraud,
a miserable, dishonorable and unmanly
device on the part Of fusion managers.
But the Woodland Democrat" while
conceding that the Chairman was in
nocent of the authority or knowledge of
the fraudulent circular, retorted that
there was ample reason to believe the
letter to be genuine, manly because
the Literary Department of the State
Central Committee had not declared
it a forgery. It recited also that the
thing had been regularly received by a
number Of Democratic papers, printed
by all of them and accepted by them
as genuine The Democrat" there
fore, held to its contention that it was
genuine, for another thing, that three
weeks had elapsed before any repudia
ton of it appeared.
that the vulgar and witIess fraud and
attempt to deceive was about to react
to the injury of the fusion ticket, an
editorial writer Of the Stockton Mail"
published a personal card in the San
Francisco Examiner confessing that
he had written and printed the fraud;
that he did it as a joke, and express
ing his surprise that so palpable
fake had been accepted seriously. He
took occasion also to discredit the in
telligence of those who failed to recog-
nize it as a joke, adding that a very
ordinary amount of horse sense"
should have been sufficient to discover
its fictitious character.
This left-handed compliment for the
Woodland Democrat" and all the 9TH
er fusion papers which printed the
cheat, presented it as genuine, and
reasoned from it as such, will un-
doubtedly be thoroughly relished by the
Stockton "MaiTs' fusion contempora-
ries.
The "Record-Union' denounced the
fraud as such within the hour in which
1t was brought TO it's attention. It
treated it as it deserved, as a rank
forgery, intended TO deceive, and per-
petrated with malice prepense by
some intelligence lacking moral sensi-
bility and manly honor. Its judgment
has now been confirmed. The pitiable
plea that it was intended as "a joke"
and that no one was able TO compre-
hend 1T as such for want of a label,
may serve TO salve a conscience case
hardened against ordinary rebuke. It
will not, however, excuse or palhate
the fraud or clear its author of the dis
grace attaching to its creation, in the
Judgment Of people who love fair play
and relish genuine humor.
The Stockton Mall is welcome to
all the glory or credit for wit it can
gather from the fraud and the sickly
attempt to excuse its pusillanimity by
advancing the plea of practical joking
Others may be encouraged by such
defense in like manner TO excuse their
contemplate acts, but we apprehend
that sensible people will continue to
disregard such pleas, and leave the per-
petrators to congenial association with
their kind.