Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-07-20
FROM EXCHANGES
CEditorial Comment From Other News
papers. which May or May Not
Conform With the Opinions
of the AskOv Amefican.)
POST MORTEMS AND THE TRUTH

POST MORTENIS AND The TRUTH
(The Progressively
Daring, indeed, is the editor VINO
chooses to tell the truth about man
at his death. There is bit OF CHAR
ity in all of us that resents criticism
or condemnation of those recently
passed on. Most of us would rather
let the evil be ignored and allow the
good, if any, in a mans character
to be exalted and amplified. This
despite the exortation, 1.-The evil men
do lives after them; the good is often
inferred with their bones"
But daring is John Haynes Holmes,
editor of the magazine. Unity, ana
pastor of the Community church In
New York City. In telling of the
death of Horatio BOttOmley, English
wartime jingoist and yellow journal
list, Rev. Holmes writes:
The death of Horatio Bottomley starts
thoughts on many things-especiafy
war. and what war does to men ana
nations. Here was man VINO was
complete mountebank and a super
fraud He was as rotten morally as
he was disgusting physically. His huge
mountain of greasy flesh perched pre-
cariously on his handy legs. his long
thick hair. his Swinish eyes all COM
bined to make the perfect picture OF the
wretch he was. Yet he had the fatal
gift of energy, keyed to superb oratory.
which gave him his chance to thrive
if ever conditions Were favorable.
These conditions We're produced by the
War! Here was the opportunity for
mixed clown and william of this type.
for in war times all good things are
suppressed and all bad things glorified.
The murderer. the ruffian. the brute.
the liar, the cheat, the fraud-theSe
flourish when the bugleS blow. Bot
tomley saw his chance-and did he take
it? Our one admiration for this man
is prompted by the way in which he
capitalized the Great War in his own
personal interest. His paper. John Bull.
with it's millions of readers, became a
power in the land. His platform APP
lpearances gathered great multitudes OF
hearers. He was elected to the House
Of Commons. He was the friend of
ministers and soldiers. Lloyd George.
with characteristic ShallowneSS and
vulgarity made Bottomley his intimate.
1t was Bottomley's boast that he him.
self might have been premier. He at
least dictated Lloyd Georges khaki
campaign. and gave the inscriptions
Welshman his disgraceful slogan, Hang
the Kaiser" With the passing of the
War. passed Bottomley. 1t had become
known that thousands of funds raised
| for the soldiers in the form of small
contributions to John Bull from multi
tudes of wage-earners. had been apprO-
priated by the patriotic editor to sup
port his racing stables. pay his gam
bling debts. etc. To the credit of Brit
ain. be it said. the thief was arrested.
condemned and placed for six years in
prison-cell. A fortnight ago he died
in the charity ward of a London hos
pital.
| In this barbed language Mr.. Holmes
tells the true story of a man who
was both criminal and traitor to his
country, man at one time honOred
| in high places whose wrong-dOings
finally brought him downfall and dis
grace. Here in America we have had
our own Bottomleys and many of them
have lived and died without punish
ment or censorship. The selfish ones
who used the tragedy of the World
war to profiteer. who exploited every
means to plumber the American peo-
pie and their government for private
greed, have had only too little to fear.
Indeed, some of them have been &C
corded praise and high honor and
hailed in the success literature of
their day as the great in business and
industry because of their wealth and
power.
We are not for a moment advocat-
ing that the passing of a man from
this mortal coil should be a signal
for wholesale undertaking and char
acter assassination. If the truth is
to be made known, a man however
guilty should have his day in court
chance to tell his side.
But neither should the death of one
who has sinned grievously against
society mean that the evil should be
ignored and the good given ovation
In this connection, it is interesting to
compare Rev. Holmes frank discus
sion of Horatio Bottomley, his life and
passing and the colorful accounts
from ballyhoo journalists making Bot
tomley colorful, even heroic figure