The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-06-27
The vicksburg ierald's Method
of Attack.

not have escaped the impression that
the Editor lacks the sense Of evidence,
that is to say, that he has no proper
conception of the natuIe of proof.
What he has done may be described
as an endeavor to beat retreat
under cover Of vaguely suggested sns
picious, and of old refuted SANDERS
that never have been Endorsed by a
single credible witness. There are,
perhaps, some weak minded people
who will believe anything against any.
body if it Is only repeated often
enough; but when serious accusations
are brought against public servant
who owes his position to the conf
dence reposed in him by Lis fellow
citizens, clear-headed and just men
generally will ask for the proof. To
say that certain things have been
believed, or suspected, that such and
such an impression obtained some
where at some time or other, is sim.
ply to indulge in quite indespsnsi :
BILE kind of gossip. Take a case in
point: Senator McLaurin replyiHg to
tile Editor of the Herald's charge that
he lodged the railroad rate law until
its enactment was certain, said I am
q member Of the Interstate Commerce
Committee, and when it was report
ed favorably by the committee,
The bill, it was by vote of six
for and five against the rate law
was one Of the six who voted to re-
port to the Senate in favor Of the rate
law. When it came up in the Senate
I made speech in its behalf - That
reply is certainly to the point; but Of
course it is altogether unsatisfactory
to the Editor Of the Herald, and so he
pronounoes it a "scant'' denial In
fact another dodge rather thana denial
of the Herald's statement. = But he
ought to see, and it is difficult to doubt
that he does see, that the Senator 8
reply so far from evading the charge
has met it squarely with absolute
disproof. For if the Senator had been
opposed to the measure in question,
and if he had desired that the Inter
state Commerce Committee should
report against it, his vote would
have sufficed to secure an unfavorable
report. And if it had been his pur-
pose to win the favor Of the railroad
magnates, he would hardly have taken
the floor of the senate to make a
speech urging the passage of the rate
bill. Actions Speak louder than
words, md clear REPUTATION is more
satisfactory than mere denial. Now
let US see how fair and how logical
the Editor Of the Herald is when he
is confronted with Senator McLaurin' 8
reply. Why we find him relying
upon the baseless conjeotures and un-
traceable rumors reported by news
paper correspondents from Washington
during the deliberations of the Inter
state Commerce Committee upon the
rate bill. The Editor of the Herald
quotes the following telegram, posi-
bly, sent to his own paper he doesn't
say whether it was or not: The In
terstate Commerce Committee stands
five to five on the rate bill, with Sem
ator McLaurin doubtful. Senator
Bailey labored for several hours last
night with Senator McLaurin trying
to impress upon him the necessity Of
standing BY his party colleagues. =
Here is the statement Of an unnamed
witness who must be supposed to
have got his information in some
clandistine way conquering his
delioacy in order to- serve the
public and be is the authority upon
whom the Editor Of the
Herald relies. Otherwise it
would appear that either Senator
Bailey or Senator McLaurin reported
the purport Of confidential converse
tion to press correspondent in order
that it might be known Of AL men.
How absurd But the Editor Of the
Herald goes on to say: AS Senator
McLaurin has been very free in oharg
ing others with being controlled By
railroad influence, he cannot complain,
If the quoted special be- coupled with
one that reported Che railroad lobby as
very busy at Warrington at this time.
Does this mean that the lobby induced
Senator McLaurin 10 vote for 3 favor
able report on the rate bill, Or that It
paid him to make : speech urging the
passage 81 tho bill !? or does II mean
that The lobby tbe busy lobby fail
~. after strenuous attempt, To-
induce him 50 vote against lavora-
DO report "a tho rate bill, ana ~
speak. II he spoke 81 all, ii oppozI
tion q ~ PASSAGE The Editor d The
Herald somotime1 Appears q forget