Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-29

would like to say, and that is when you
sit down and write out criticism of
some poor devil who is exercising a re-
sponsibiity that is very hard to exercise.
first give him the benefit of that which
every criminal has the benefit ola rea-
sonable doubt; second, don't use any par
liamentary expressions If you can help it,
for the reason that If you do, and If you
overload your criticisms with superla-
tives and intmations as to a lack of hon.
orable motive. in the end you are going
to weaken all your criticism. and nobody
is going to pay any attention to 1t.
Il remember having to do in the early
history of the Panama canal construc
ton with the selection of a gentleman
who was called to fill position which
was unfortunately denominated as public
ity agent His name was Bishop. and
the belaboring that he received for a
year or two after his appointment was
something dreadful. He came to me one
night. with beads Of perspiration on his
brow, after a particularly severe article
in one Of the papers. of which he had
formerly been editor. and said: so help
me God. 1 tell you / wish l were editor
again; / would never say a mean thing
Of any man. however despicable.' l don't
mean to say, of course. my friends. that
things are not to be criticised, and not
to be severely critised. and that spades
are not to be called SPADES but If you
use the term spades for all sorts of In
struments, it ceases to be discriminating
and distinguishing.
A Business Question.
an respect to this matter of the post
age. which, of course, I know you haven't
at heart at all, but which concerns me
greatly-that is a matter for investiga-
ton of judicial character reaching a
conclusion that we ought to reach as
business men. for it is a business Ques-
Io,h hot
find in Congress and in the committees
whose duty 1t is to consider the question
that careful judgment which such a Sc
rious question ought to have. I don't
judicial temper of the committee to be-
gin with calling everybody grafters and
robbers; but, after all. it has its humor-
Gus side, and / am sure that nobody who
has any responsibility is going to allow
himself to be led astray or to do any
injustice just because some gentleman S
heat has Carried him beyond dignified ex-
preston.
Now, my friends. I am very much
obliged to you for giving me an oppor-
tunity to greet you this way 1 was told
by your distinguished president. when
I suggested that l could not go over
to New York and attend the dinner. that
you were coming over here to meet me in
order that I might come here. / only tell
you that to show you the diplomacy of
your president in his accuracy and verac-
ity, because 1 could find other reasons for
the presence of this association than the
existence Of the executive in Washing
tom
Senator Delivers Address.
Senator Deliver remarked: "As / un-
derstand it, an insurgent is merely a
man who wants a bill read before it is
adopted, and who demands protection
against hand-me-down legislation
His definition was greeted with tremen-
dous applause.
Now, in the first place. I think the
President overestimates his troubles"
continued the senator. He thinks he
has been mixed up with the tariff and
pursued by insurgents, but the truth is
he has escaped both-so far. And he is
not likely to suffer much from either.
Now, l have a great reverence for the
brilliant. transient form of literature that
you represent. But the President OF the
United States gave you timely warning
when he said that just and true facts
should be your most powerful weapons.
You must get over the fiction idea
81 do not know anything about this
postal business. but there are a good
many thousands of people that do. If
is short-sighted policy that attributes
the loss sustained by the post office to
carrying your interesting reading. am
not In a position to promise anything,
but have distinct feeling-an intuition
that has never been wrong yet-that If