Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-09-27
The Abuse Of Public Officials.

NIT to this kind of attack; but when the
election is over. and the people have
made their choice. some measure of
common respect is due their verdict,
and there does not appear to be any
very good reason why it should not be
enforced After the great conventions
have met and made their nominations.
the political war is on. The standard
bearers of the respective parties will
rot expect to escape all forms of
partisan bombardment. The forum,
the pen. the pencil. and the brush will
all be brought into requisition. The
press will be unusually aggressive. 1t
is fortunate at such times. if the
strain and stress of political activity
can be confined-as was so largely the
case in the last two national cam
paigns-to the discussion and criti-
cism OF party policies and principles
rather than men. The public when
the campaign is on expects such forms
or political activity and is prepared to
accord them their true value and
significance.
1t is a pleasant thing to reflect, that
during the two great campaigns in
which Nil. Mckinley and MIR Bryan
were the opposing candidates there
was no attempt to impugn the personal
character Of either The battles were
fought out upon the issues involved.
When, however. the election was over.
v hen the people had made their choice,
it was time for the battle to close.
Mr.. Mckinley was no longer the candi-
date of = political party. He was the
President uf the whole country and of
all its people. AS such he was entitled
veepect due to his high office. We do
not mean to he understood that his
nublic acts were not properly open to
the honest criticism of those who diff
fered with him on matters of public
policy That must at all times be
privilege Of American citizenship. \
Just respect. however, for the Presi-
Dental office. might suggest that such
| criticisms should in all decency be free
vituperation and disparaGement This
| much at all times is due the greatest
Office in the gift Of the American peo-
| pie.
| offences against these obvious pro-
prieties have been exceedingly COM
| mon. Few of us have been guiltless OF
| them The tragic death of President
| Mckinley has served to emphasize
| their folly as never before in the his
| of national bereavement party lines
have been obliterated, and the Ameri-
| can peopIe as a whole have united in
bearing testimony to his greatness and
| goodness. The conviction has come
sadly home to our citizens.
| that one of the broadest truest.
| nODlCSC men WIlo tNtl poit tlit pNA
deus of the executive office. has gone
forth with unfaltering courage, and
in the fullness of an unfailing faith. to
enter into the Divine inheritance and
be at rest.
| Among those who now pay glowing
tribute to the greatness and noble
ness of his memory, are certain news
papers. which. not content with the
| activities of the campaign, pursued
| stricken down by an assassin's bullet
| with cartoons and caricatures. OF a
coarse and disparaSing character-a
form of attack which was directed, as
they now haste to assert. not against
| William Mckinley the man; but
against William Mckinley, the Presi-
dent of the United States. the honored
executive of the American people.
The great national tragedy which,
| while it has shocked and grieved the
| whole civilized world, has. at the same
time, drawn the American people to-
uethcr in common grief. has had
among ether objects. that of causing
our people generally to think seriously
Of this phase of our national life
Tho introsnection has been searching
| and men are seriously asking them
| selves not only whether the broadest
exercise Of a proper personal liberty
| should give Il man the right while en-
ioying the protection and the blessings
OF our Republican institutions tc
| preach the gospel of social chaos and
| assassination, but also whether il
should permit him to needlessly
thoughtlessly and maliciously vilify
and disparage the men entrusted witt
the duties and responsibilities o.
official lfe-especially the Nation:
chief executive who is. in the broadcs
sense. representative of all the people.
There are many features of yellow
journalism that deserve to be sup