New-York tribune., 1899-06-29
THE PERFIDIOUS KISSING BUG.
1T BETRAYs THE TRUST REPosED IN IT
AND COMES TO NETWORK.

AND COMES TO NETWORK.
The Tribune desires to retract all that II sal1
Yesterday on behalf OF the melanolestes pcipes IL
Il not unusual and II is not pleasant. TO nave 70
reract anything that has once Teen said but IN TINS
case II is n public duty And the retraction Itself
Is not so unpleasant the occasion for H. The IT'D
une wishes now2to say without reservation that the
melanolestes picpes Is a poltroon. olacKieg III
orally and fguratively, deceiver' Wrecker u
homes n traitor, n coward, a vulgarian' toui' re-
pulsve bloody minded blot on the fair name OF IN
sect. a selfish conscienceess, perjured prosecutor
OF the poor. a hdeous, hateful heartless horror
Of the helpless q wayward, wanton wreaker OF
wrong upon the weak a fearful, fierce. frghtfui
feeder upon the feeble, deadly. dastardly, deVI-
sh destroyer OF dermatic beauty, plratcal preycr
On peaceful pelt'y. a common coarse coruptor OF
comeliness. a blackguard. bane. blast ana
blight.
It was insinuated In these columns yesterday that
the melanolestes picipes had some honor about It
that this ruthless creature this insect, this KISS
ing bug was going TO conhne its depreda tions 10
New-Tersey where It would be welcome. where the
people would delight in it-would be proud OF H.
But the meanolestes picipes has betrayed It's de-
tenders The words In its behalf were not printed
before It came TO New-York and bit a man. True
he was Tammany man. but that was no display
Of morality on the part Of the bug; It was only
display Of bad taste. II is no use TO try to be the
friend Of such a creature as this Defend Il: say
that II attacks the strong instead or the weak;
that II IS promoting the knowledge OF oacterioogy
by practical demonstration. and the next moment
II bores a hole in your neglbor and he swells up
and goes 10 the hospital and takes up room and
the attention Of physicians In an Institution which
the taxpayers support largely as refuge for the
victims OF Ina gnary creeping things not real ones.
II was weakly represented by another paper yes
terday In defence OF the meanolestes picipes
that II had not yet been known TO attack woman.
But It is coming TO that. The melanoestes picipes
Is a bully 1t is powerful. and no way to night II
has yet been found. and II knows II. SO II began
with the men OF science in Washington. and then
attacked Jerseymen. This intended to show
that It could deal with anything, and TO make II
the more OF terror when II attacked helpless
creatures like New-York men, II has come TO this
now and It will be biting women and children next.
And yet the kissing bug was not always thus.
The story OF its life has been q tale OF right mo-
tives perverted OF philanthropy soured and turned
TO wrong of temptation undermining moral worth.
OF gradual yielding. OF fall and OF degradation. The
story is quickly told Hatched the Western
farms the fsvorte food OF the melanoestes picipes
kingdom which the country well spare. But
the cimex lectularius often carries human blood
about with II. and this was tasted by the meano-
lestes pcipes There the temptation, and
there began the fall. For a while II made show
OF resistance and attacked only cattle and chickens.
Then IL could resist no longer. IL had the decency
to flee the West where felt doubtless, that
the people trusted II; IL came to the great cities Of
the East, Washington and Paterson. and began Its