Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1899-04-22
WHALLEN'S VICTORY.

Blackguardism-thatl is the proper
name-is the bane of American
politics, and has become so common
that any man who is candidate,
officeholder, or takes active interest
in political affairs, naturally expects
to be denounced, ridiculed and
charged with being almost any
thing but a gentleman. In any
other country this thing would not
be tolerated, but the liberal ideas of
the American people let it go on,
and to a certain extent they enjoy
the plights of the politicians. AS a
factor in politics, however, it
amounts to but little, only adding
zest and excitement to the cam
paign, except as it may influence
the partisan and ignorant. Usually
the inuendos, though startling and
sensational, lack directness and de-
tail, and are only general and super
fetal. Occasionally, however, in
the heat of partisanism, direct
charges affecting character are made,
evidencing malice and likely to in
jure ones standing among his fell
lows. Then the courts are called
on and generally vindicate the
maligned individual.
Col. John H. Whallen has been
made the victim of more ridicule,
abuse and charges than any man in
this State, and until recently bore it
good-naturedly as part of the way
of politics, but there is a limit to
forbearance, even in one of the
genial disposition of Col. Whallen,
who, though a politician charged
with everything known in the cal
endar of political chicanery, is well
known to the people generally as
an upright and public-spirited citi-
zen, honorable in his dealings,
prominent in every generous and
charitable move. So persistent and
directly personal had the charges of
the political newspapers against
Whallen become that to the people
out in the State and many here,
who do not know him, Col. Whallen
was regarded as bold, unscrupu-
lous rascal, unworthy of respect or
confidence, whose only fit place was
in the penitentiary, and everything
and everybody known or supposed
to be identified in any way with
Whallen was subjected to like vi
tuperation, the efforts to wreck the
Dispatch by litigation being due to
its defense of Whallen more than to
anything else.
The Times had for months been
most prominent in publishing those
charges against Col. Whallen, and
when it went so far as to publish
that Col. Whallen was in effect a
professional briber and corruption
list, who, for a compensation, die
tated the action of the City Coun-
Gil, and supplemented these charges
with a fictitious call for the Council
to meet to receive instructions from
him how and when to vote on
public questions, he concluded
it was about time to call down
the Times, force it to show its
proof or retract. He sued the
Times for libel, The suit dragged
through many stages in the courts
for months, owing to the legal
quibbling of the Times attorneys, f,
who were beaten at every move
and finally compelled to toe the
mark, the case being called for trial /.
in the Common Pleas Court last
Monday. Brought to a stand-up /.
and showdown, the Times attor-
neys asked for conference of coun-
sci, which, being granted, resulted :
in the Times retracting all charges
against Col. Whallen, agreeing to
pay the costs and asking that the e
case be dismissed, which was done d