Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-11-02

companies, or some other person
whose name is not given. Here and
there use is made of two or three
names on unimportant matters, but
wherever Colonel Barnett is unduly ac-
cused it is in some sort of an anony.
nous, cowardly way. No newspaper
correspondent has dared to attach his
name to one of these stories.
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.
Under the caption Character AS
sassins at Work" the Pittsburg Com
mercial Gazette. the leading stalwart
Republican paper in western Penn
sylvania, says:
character assassins are at work in
Pennsylvania In a desperate eleventh
hour effort to promote the fortunes of
the Democratic party. The better ele-
ment of that party, be it said to it's
credit, has shown disposition to
avoid mud singing. But, unfortunate
ly for the party, it has as adherents
certain knaves and fools who cannot
be restrained from campaign methods
that are beneath the contempt of hon
est men. The fact that the leaders
of the party are not attempting to
check these thieves and liars-thieves
that seek to rob an honest man and a
gallant soldier of a well won reputa-
tion; liars who deal in cowardly in
uendo, without the shadow of an ex-
cuse for their brazen falsehoods--
shows that they are desperately hard
up for campaign ammunition
The object of the cowardly assault
is Lieutenant Colonel James e. Bar
nett, candidate for state treasurer.
The attack upon him is not made by
military men, but by the stay-at-homes,
the copperheads, the sympathizers with
rebellion. Not word of testimony
that is worthy of credence have they
brought forward from military men as
basis of their charges. Not a flaw
exists in Colonel Barnett's military
record as known to his superiors lie
served many years in the National
Guard, and rose step by step in rank
until he was second in command in
his regiment. When the war broke out
he volunteered with the rest and did
his duty with them. He showed his
patriotism, braved the perils of Luzon
swamps and Philippine fevers, Spanish
and rebel bullets. while the men who
now scoff at his courage sulked at
10000 miles invented their theories of
how soldier should fight.
Until Colonel Barnett became
candidate for office-yeS, not even until
months after that event-not word
was breathed, not suspicion raised,
that he was not among the bravest of
the gallant Tenth, and not a voice was
raised in the section of the state where
he Was born and reared rejecting
either on his business ability or his
social standing. In all the scores OF
letters sent home by the Tenth bows
in Manila and widely published in both
the city and rural press. not q hint
was dropped OF any dissatisfaction.
He r'GS Il hero until he consented to
run Tor office. Then anonymous cow
ards arose. and in anonymous letters
to the newspapers began to tell what
anonymous members of the regiment
had to say of their lieutenant colonel
"The copperheads of the sos VINO
would not fight on either side, yet as
sumed to know how campaigns should
be fought and won, were of the same
class as these latter day criminal ig-
noramuses, who stab in the dark
Grant was assailed for cowardice.
every military hero of modern times
has had the same experience. Every
soldier candidate since the civil war
has been attacked by men who know
no more of military matters than they
know of common honesty and manly
principles. There are many low lived
scoundrels who are willing to DESTROY
reputation for political gain. But
their tactics meet with no encourage.
ment from honest men in either party.
and therefore do not succeed The
expectation that they Will be successful
in this case is an insult to the irtclli-
gence of Pennsylvania.