New-York tribune., 1920-02-25

Controversy is not what it used to
be. Somehow or other a set Of rules
has come into being. When modern
writer wants to get after anybody he
finds himself gravely Handicapped BY
the fact that though he may jump up
and down on his opponents soul. he
risks disqualification if he comments
on the shape Of his nose No writer
of to-day who wants to pay off a
score in print ever thinks Of dwelling
on the cut or quality OF his enemy IS
clothes, no matter what he may say
about the style of his sentences.
1t was not so in 1S44. Then no holds
were barred and journalist could bite
in The clinches. One Of the most COM
plcse and satisfying battles of this sort
we found the other day in Augustus
Mavericks Raymond and New York
Journalism The contestants were
Colonel Webb, the editor of "The
Courier and Enquirer" and Horace
Greeley, OF The Tribune. The colonel
began the attack on the morning of
January 81, 1874, with the following
editorial:
"The editor of The Tribune is an
abolitonist; we precisely the reverse.
He is philosopher; we are a Chris
tian. He is pupil of Graham, and
would have all the world live upon
bran bread and sawdust; we are in
favor of living as our fathers did and
OF enjoying in moderation the good
things which Providence has bestowed
upon US. He is the advocate of the
Fourierism, Socialism and all the tom
foolerles which his ~e given birth to the
debaslng and disg> ting spectacles of
vice and immortality which Fanny
Wright, Collins and others exhibit
He seeks for notoriety by pre-
tending to great eccentricity Of char
acter and habits and by the strange
ness of his theories and practices; we.
on the contrary, are content with fol-
lowing in the beaten path and accom-
pllshing the good we can in the old
fashioned way. He lays claim to great
ness by wandering through the streets
with a hat double the size of his head
coat after the fashion of Jacobs of
old, with one leg of his pantaloons in
SIDE and the other outside of his boot.
and with boots all bespattered with
mud, or, possibly, shoe on one foot
and boot on the other, and glorying
IN an unwashed and unshaven person.
We, on the contrary, eschew all such
afectatlon as weak and silly; we think
there is a difference between notorietv
and distinction; we recognize the So
clal obligation to act and dress accord
ing to our station in life, and we look
upon cleanliness Of person as insep-
arabic from purity of thought and be-
nevolence of heart. In short. there is
not the slightest resem blance between
the editor Of The Tribune and ourself
politically, morally or socially: and it
Is only when his atfectation and impu-
dence are unbearable that we condo
scend to notice him or his press"
horace Greeley replied in The
tribune next day as follows:
1T is true that the editor Of The
Tribune chooses mainly (not entirely)
vegetable food; but he never troubles
MS readers on the subject; it tloes
not worry them; why should it con-
Germ the colonel? II ;s ho
'or philosophy that SO humble man
should be made to stand as its ex-
while Christianity is per-
,ohlhed by the hero of the SUNDAY
iuel with Hon. Tom Marshall; but
'uch luck will happen. As to our nsr-
'onal appearance, it does seem time
nat we should say something.
oome donkey, a while ago. anne~.n+,n
- to assail OF annoy the editor
p khiA nanap and ~.A -,