The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-10
Cutie Fish Tactics

The hard pressed Richmond Times Dispatch
which recently provoked very general criticism
by vrulent attack upon the members OF the
general assembly and those county and city or
hcers in the State who are remunerated by Iees
has been smarting under these CRITICISMS from
various newspapers, which felt that hs lnuis-
criminate and violent denunciation of good and
honorable unjustifabe, Incorporate
and indefensible That newspaper has virtually
admitted all this by abandoning Its extreme at
titude of denuncation and invective but II mas
not frankly admitted its error. Stung by these
criticisms from many sources and goaded into
expression, 1t comes back at its critics IN the
characteristic manner of a man with poor
cause-it denounces its critics But denuhcla-
ton and the use of epithet Go not dispose OF
either facts or arguments. The bitter. in
temperate editorial on the plunberbund, pet
phrase Of the Richmond paper, was an unfor-
tunate for its cause or for any cause IL
not frank nor courageous, but 1t made up IN
virulence what it lacked in these respects
Yesterday Richmond contemporary in
leading editorial comes back at its critics
whose structures it seeks to mitigate by sneering
at some half dozen Virginia newspapers as
ring organs" as If this sheer answered the
specific allegations of these reputable newspapers
or sufiiced to justify Its own incorporate and
indscriminate attack upon the city and county
officers OF Virginia and the members OF the
general assembly. 1t says in the gist OF Its
retort II such an evasive rejoinder may be
properly characterized:
The Times Dispatch now declares to the peo-
pie of Virginia that 1t has been made the OBJ
ject OF concerted and carefully timed attack by
the ring organs in Danville. Blackstone, Irving
ton Clifton Forge and Richmond. With well
simulated Indignation, those VINO dare not con-
front an awakened electorate and openly sup
port the iniquity and the offense Of the fee sys-
tenn have sought to divert attention from this
important and desired reform. not by Justifying
the existence Of the fee system, but by a venom
Gus and personal attack upon the Times-Dis-
patch, The bitterness of the assaults which
have been made upon and the ferceness of
the anger that we have aroused conclusively
show well the fee system supporters of this State
appreciate the peril of their present position
An awakened nj informed electorate Is the most
dangerous foe that graft and Incompetence can
meet"
AS one OF the newspapers designated in the
paragraph quoted. we can speak for ourselves
We Incorporate editorial assault upon
the officials and legislators and the same day
wrote an editorial comment thereupon in the
nature of a refutation of the charges therein
made and an exposure OF the inconsistency OF
the Times Dispatch Is denouncing legislators as
tools of the plunderbund Is one breath and
courageous and patriotic men in the next be-
cause they refused to pass the enabling act,
which our contemporary opposed If there
was any concert about this perfectly legitimate
criticism of the papers PUBLIC Mtterance we do
not know Of 1t. 1t so happened that The Rich
mond Virginian made a very similar comment in
it's issue of the same date ours. We
and repubished that Immediately because it
tended to sustain view and contention. Is
that concerted and carefully timed attack 2"
If we alone concerted and timed It. We
do not know when the Clifton Forge paper made
its comment. The newspapers at Blackstone
and Irvington are weekly and could hardly have
sumo that they wrote as we did, because they
were impeled to resent an unjust and bitter
attack upon many good and honorable men.
some of them our fellow townsmen and friends.
SO much for that phase of the matter
Next the Times Dispatch seeks to divert at
tention from the real ISSUE the bitterness and
violence OF it's attack upon good men without
discrimination. TO the fee system, its fayorite
hobby. We do not know the attitude of the
other papers with reference to the fee system,
but we do know own. That Is that we have
always favored any feasible plan that will pro-
vide for just and adequate remuneration Of Of
hcials holding responsible public offices. We
have always refused to get excited over the
and devious conspiracy involved. But tho merits
or dement's Of the fee system are not the issue