The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-09-05
WROUGHT UP

Have you ever noticed that those
people who are quickest to find naws
in the conduct and character OF their
fellows and who are the most violent
and unrestrained in their criticisms
of others, are the least capable OF en-
during comment on their own short
comings? Almost invariably the per-
son whose keenest delight is found IN
prying open the skeleton closets OF
other people, is the most sensitive
when the searchlight of exposure Is
turned on his own imperfections.
This singular characteristic Is strik-
ingly illustrated by the hot, inconti-
nent resentment displayed by our dis
tinguished senator and voluble be-
rater of men and things, Citizen Miles
Poindexter, because the Post-Intelli-
gencer accused him of nepotism. me
Seattle daily recently printed a list
of the Poindexters holding federal APP
pointive positions, eleven in number,
and charged that all of them had OBJ
tanned their places through the in
fuence of Senator Miles c.
Now, nepotism is not high crime
or misGemeanor. 1t is not an offense
punishable in law. The senator Is not
liable to impeachment even If he is
guilty as charged, nor will he suffer
any diminution of the privileges, pre-
negatives or emoluments of his office
because of it. The fact is that nepo-
tism is neither a crime nor an offense.
1t is merely an unpopular practice.
So the story in the Post-Intelligencer
levied no grevious charge against
Poindexter that would blacken his
character before men or ruin his rep
utation, impugn his probity. discredit
his motives or disgrace his name. But
career has been built upon ceaseless
career has been built upon a ceasless
| merciless and irresponsible TRADE OF
abuse and villification of other public
men, flew in.o instant and uncOntrOl,
able rage when he read the story OF
his nepotism in the Post-Intelligencer
His sensitive soul, that has Toasted sc
often on the ruined character of Other
men and which has delighted in di.
recting the finger of suspicion and oil
scorn at others momentarily under
the ban of popular disapproval, cried
aloud in the tortured agony of expos
ure, and the senator shouted forth We
hement and sweeping denials that he
was in any sense a nepOtist. From
denial he turned with the facility ant
ease of long practice to vile abuse OF
Scott Bone, the managing editor of the
Post-Intelligencer. Rising to a point
of personal privilege on the floor O.
the United States senate, Miles G
Poindexter, representing the prout
f....ter Tor washington, hurled coarse
epithets and brutal Billingsgate al
Mr. Bone, pointed his mixed TRADE an(
defense with nasty metaphors, ant
otherwise made a spectacle of himself
to mock, deride and shun.
The speech made in the senate thai
it might later be franked out as 6
part of the record to his constituents
though strong in abuse, is weak as 6
defense. By his own admission it ap
pears that, while he did not secure
appointments for all of the Poindex
tiers holding federal Office who were
named in the Post-Intelligencer story
he did have his brother appointed to {
clerkship, and he traded with Repre-
sentative LaFollette to obtain an ap
pointment to the Annapolis nava
acadamey for his son.
This is sufficient to sustain the
charge of nepotism against the sena
tor, and it was because the st-In.
telligencer was right. if not wholly
accurate, that Poindexter's sensitive
soul was wrought into such irruptivt
violence.