The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-09
JOURNALISTIC BLACkGUARpIsM


ent e~gsar for notoriety and office" A
local Po2u1s- organ reprints the article
with evident approval The ACT iha. O.,
! Roosevelt IS the nominee n he Repuhlcs,
party for governor Of che state o. New YORK;
- considered ample justification Tor TIL,
choice specimen Of journalistic 0lackguar3
ism The Democracy OF the Empire s,ats
must ;ind .tself n e sad plight Z il "a re-
duced 10 the necessity Of making such villa
personal attacks upon the Republican can
diiate. Col Roosevelt does not need anv
defense TO such attacks particularly In hin
native state. He has 4 national reputation
and few stand higher III The estimatiog. Of
the people.
Few Americans have had 80 varied ard
distinguished a career before reaching their
fortle:h year lie was member 81 .hs
New York legislature at tweuty-three:
chairman % The committee on cities a,
twenty-five. chairman Of the New York
delegation to the Republican national con.
vert.on. which nominated Blaine, At twen-
ty-flve: the Republican candidate for Mayor
Of New York city at twenty-eight; presi-
dent Of the national civil service commits.
sion at th!rty-one: president % the New
York city police commission at thlrJy-seven,
and assistant secretary Of the navy, colonel
Of the First United States volunteer cavalry
and Republican candidate for governor Of
New York state at thirty-nine In each Of
The public positions which he has been called
upon 10 fill Col. Roosevelt has displayed
conspicuous ability. When urged by his off,
cial superiors 10 reconsider his determina-
zion 10 resign his position as assistant Sec
rotary of the navy and enter the army asa
volunteer at the breaking out OF the war
with Spain he replied: Il cannot remain AZ
my desk in Washington at such time and
be true TO my ideal OF American citizen
ship" This utterance voiced the character
OF the man. He determined 10 live up to
his ideals. and his ideals are high. He was
an able and valued member Of the national
civil service commission, and as president
OF the New York city police commission
made a reputation as a fearless and honest
reformer Of political methods in the DEPART
ment under his control that brought him
the ennlity Of all the political bosses. ire
spective of party, In the city.
The New York Times, one of the most
venomous OF the self-styied Independent
ant!-admnistration papers. while deprecat-
ing the fact that Col Roosevelt is the
nominee of the regular Republican party.
says that his high personal character viii
bring him many independent votes. The New
York Evening Post. a paper of like char.
acter as the Times, says that Col. Roose-
welt is a better man for governor than JUS
tice Van Wyck, the Democratic candidate.
Such testimony as this. coming from thu
source Il does. speaks volumns and dem
onstrates the high estimation in which Col.
Roosevelt is he'd in his native state. Il 10
needless 10 speak OF his courage and "a
triotism. His demonstration of these quail
ties Is 4 matter Of history which the peo-
pie will not forget. That such a man
should be vilihed by such papers as the
Journal and its small imitators is perhaps.
no more than can be expected OF such
sheets. II may be that the proprietor OF the
Journal during his brief visit to Santiago In
search of notor!ety. lmbibed considerable
Spanish honor of that quality which led the
mob to cheer Weyler and stone Cervera,
These attacks will not hurt Roosexe In tho
least. The sentiment OF the country 10
voiced by the editor OF the Mississippi. VAL
ley Clarion, who. in recent number Of
that paper sad: IF we were In New York,
although we a Democrat, we would vote
for Roosevelt or raise hell"
Another species OF journalism blackguard-
ism which is being largely displayed at thu
present time. Is the refusal of these papers
which were mos; violent In their attacks
upon the administration for It's conduct Of
the war. and filled their columns with mag
mary details of hariships suffered by the
volunteers. to print the testimony of Gems.
Wheeler. Boynton and Lee before the COM
mittee OF investigation. Because these well
known and responsible witnesses, who were
in position 70 have personal knowledge Of
the facts. emphaticaily denied the narrowing
tales these papers were so industriously cir
culaing. Is deemed by them sufficient ex-
cuso Cor failure to publish their evidence.
The truth *. facts are the last thing these
yellow journals want. unless they can DO
twisted INTO such shape as Will he Of service
20 them IN their efforts 10 distract public
attention from the wonderful success OF the
war. When such wei. known general off,
GERS as Wheeler. Boynton and Lee testify
that the army was not only we'll clothed AMI
cared for. but the best fed army in
the world, the sensational press at oncs
becomes mute, and, SO far as their readers
can learn from their pages. no investigation
Is being made and therefore no evidence
elected. The proprietors OF these papers
have been summoned before the committee
and viii have opportunity 10 tell VIVA. they