Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-07-13
A WORD TO THE WISE.

Mr.. c. T. Jordan has taken opportu-
nifty to refer in public address to the
SPECTATOR, not in an altogether COM
plimentary way. The SPECTATOR has
not heretofore mentioned Mr.. Jordan
in any manner, but since the ice is
broken it is possible that the SPECTA-
TOR may mention him, and in doing
so will not feel now that it has violated
any conventionality. We will say,
however, that we shall always aim,
should we quote Mr.. Jordan, to do so
in the utmost fairness, and truthful
ness and with no ill-will or malice.
| We accord to him the right to his own
personal views on all subjects, and
claim that right ourselves. Mr.. Jordan
and ourselves have been in accord
on many political questions which we
have discussed in most friendly
spirit. We have known each other
from boyhood, and it will require, on
our part, more than local option fight
in Staunton to entirely estrange us.
This is one of the features of the fight
we so much deplore. No one can
differ materially with Mr.: Jordan
side of the cause without laying him.
self liable to Incorporate remarks and
be classed possibly as in league with
"thieves." Mr.. Jordan and the editor of
the SPECTATOR differ widely on the
subject of license. The editor lived for
considerable time in Dry State-dry
from CONSTITUTION down. He knows
how hollow is the sound of prOhibi-
ton. Mr.. Jordan may not. He goes
ON the theory that law passed accom-
plishes the end. We know better,
hence we prefer conditions as they
now exist here, to those Mr.. Jordan
advocates. We prefer Staunton as it
is, TO any Dry town we ever saw. If
Mr.. Jordan would make our town
better he can, we think, find many
ways of doing so,o other than to periodi-
cally start Wet and Dry fight, and
stir up strife-a thing he himself
is the first to begin, because he has in
his first public utterance not only
impugned the motives of the editor,
but misrepresented the SPECTATOR,
and sent out the report that he himself
was to be personally attacked by some
imaginary foe. Mr.. Jordan made the
following statement On Friday evening,
when introducing the Rev. Mr.. Wood
ward, from Clifton Forge, to his audi
ence He said that he understood there
was to be a fierce personal attack on him
(Mr. Jordon) just before the election,
with view of diverting the issue to
him instead of leaving it where it
really belonged-against the saloons,
and called on God to witness that he
had never been guilty of an act OF
which he was ashamed. These were
in substance his words.
We want to say that Mr.. Jordan
may be right about a personal attack
on himself. We are not advised on
such subjects and cannot speak for all,
but if such is ever made it will not be
made by the Business Mems Associa-
ton, the SPECTATOR, or any body con-
nected with either, directly or indi.
rectly. No such thing was ever heard
of by any body of whom we have any
knowledge, until publicly announced
by Mr.. Jordan himself-and we can
trace no thought of it to any body Of
men, or any individual, and fear that it
arose only in the mind of the would-be
victim. Mr.. Jordan has been guilty
in the past of what seems to some as
doubtful politics. His conscience may
prick him, or it may absolve him from
any wrong-doing; we are not the
keeper of that, nor of his actions, and
it may be that he is preparing himself
for martyrdom on some altar, built in
fertile imagination. But we submit
that Mr.. Jordan takes himself toe
seriously. He is not the whole show;
others must assist him in his work.
| We think We can safely say that Mr..
Jordon is not to be martyr, nor to be
inundated on any altar. 1t would be to
his liking, no doubt, to inflame public
feeling to the point of offering up a
sacrifice. But nobody has any idea
that such will occur. In this contest
the SPECTATOR assures Mr.. Jordan
that it will treat him with the utmost
courtesy as long as he makes it posi-
bic. 1t never mentioned his name
until now, and only does so in this is
sue with view of stating its position
and his. 1t can take position on this
question without feeling any moral
turpitude or leagueing itself with the
"Devil," and it yields to Mr.. Jordan
all the liberty that it claims; at the
same time believes it knows right from
wrong as well as he, though the editor
cannot with Mr.. Jordan call on God to
witness that he has been guilty of no
act of which he is ashamed. Such self
righteousness is given to but few on
ca nth.
In closing, we may say that Mr..
Jordan might get better estimate of
himself by perusing the following lines:
The Perfect Man.
There is man who never drinks,
Nor smokes, nor chews, nor swears;
Who never CANDLES, never fiirts,
And Shuns all sinful snareS
He's paralyzed.
There is man who never does
A thing that is not right;
His wife can tell just where he is
AT morning, noon and night
Hn'S Haa6