The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-09
An Ingenious Argument.


on which they have assumed to write
| their articles.
| An Ingenious Argument.
If four men are honest, and one man
is a thief, there could be nothing done
! which would be more completely in the
| interests of the thief than to charge
| that all five of the men We're thieves.
| 1t would, of course, render 1t impossible
to distinguish between them and when
one of the honest men was proved to
be honest 1t would be a fair inference
that the thief was honest. too. 1t is an
ingenious argument like this that. the
President will apply in his Decoration
day speech to convince the country that
the magazine and newspaper writer's who
make wholesale charges of graft against
the Senate or the House, or the army.
or the navy, or the administration of
the government generally, hamper the
ends of justice and of honesty just so
long as they fail to produce satisfactory
evidence
Believes Great Mass Is Honest.
Furthermore. the President will insist
of his own personal knowledge that the
great mass of American public men, es-
pecially in the higher ranks, are hon
est. This fact, he believes should be ex-
plotted by the graft authors at the same
time they draw their differences as to
the dishonesty of individuals. 1t is the
attack on the classes, after all. which
has incensed the President and he takes
strong ground on this subject, and will
say in his speech that in his opinion the
throwing of mud at public officials with
out proper proof is degrading to the
community and tends to lower the ideals
of public men, because if they find they
are accused of dishonesty, no matter
what they do. they will not have the
same motive for living up to the best
ideals.
Will Challenge Graft Exposers.
1t is more than likely that President
Roosevelt will challenge the graft writer's
and magazines reformers to produce the
evidence to justify any statements they
have recently made. He will promise them
that If they will give him the necessary
proof he will see the persons charged
with graft wear stripes" and he used
that expression in a recent conversation
on this subject.
II the President were addicted to the
use of a sporting slang he might natur-
ally say to this recent school of sociologi-
cal writers. Put up or shut up" and
that is what he win say In effect in his
Norfolk speech He will then promise to
use all the power of his great office to
send to the penitentiary any man, no
matter how high may be his political sta
ton, who can be convicted of dishon-
esty in public office, or of using his po-
sition for unworthy ends. or OF being in
fiuenced by motives which would render
him liable to criminal prosecution
Will Appeal To the People.
Having made this open defiance to the
men with the muck rakes.'' the Presi-
dent undoubtedly will go on and insist
that the public no longer shall patronize
or newspapers which INDUCES
in wholesale mud singing. and attack
the character of whole classes of public
men merely by innuendo or by volleys
of abuse. His speech will be a distinct
departure in the way of public address, |
es 1t will be in no sense defense of |
his own administration, because no one |