Year: 1872

Ii is amusing to observe what mess the
Office Holders newspapers make IN their at
tacks upon the character of the Liberal
Candidate for the Presidency. For instance,
here is one of them which says:


"No one questions Mr.. Greeeys success as tho late


Editor OF The TRIBUNE but nowhere has he inspired the
people with confidence in his views on any important
question"


Queer. is MT this, which comes from man
whose reputation as a journalist, such as 1t
was, did not hinder him from becoming
Senator, such as he has been. This nice dis
tinction is presented by an individual who
would not much have relished it if he had
been told, when he aspired to be one of the
Senators of Rhode Island. that though he had
got along after fashion with newspaper,
he had "faled to inspire confidence in his
views Oh any important question" 1t might
have been true, bat would MT have been
pleasant


Can there possibly be anything more absurd
than this notion which the Offce-Holders'
journals are sedulously propagating that
man who has succeeded as an editor of a
public journal can't possibly succeed in public
Office Here is a newspaper conductor who
has every day for a long period been discus
sing every important political affair. Has he
shown himself incapable of understanding
them Has he proved himself stupid, igno-
rant, laundering How did it happen, then.
that his newspaper was success BY every
rule it should have been miserable failure,
and long ago sunk in the abysm of bank
ruptcy, These editors do not seem to see,
when they sneer and snarl at Mr.. Greeley az
nothing but an editor, that they make two
deplorable blunders, viz:


T. They insult the public, without the coun-
tenance of which no newspaper can continue
to exist. They ay that the readers accus-
toned to rely to certain extent upon the
opinions of the public prints pay their money
and give their heed, which is worse, to writers
and managers whs are merely theorists, and
who cannot be trusted for a moment with the
conduct of public affairs. That is to say, by
way Of illustratim, that a newspaper man
may propose q measure, may 80 ably advo-
cate it that o great many other men come to
agree with him, may finally force it upon the
attention of Congress and receive its legal
embodiment; but, mark you the same man
who could thus, as an editor, get the matter
into Congress wouldn't himself, as Member
of Congress, be good for anything! Would MT
himself as President be competent to recon-
mend the very same policy to Congress by
message is MT it rather dolorous that editors
themselves should conspire together to instil
this notion into the public mnd' Because,


2. BY so doing, if they were not binder
than blind, they would see that they are thus,
for temporary purpose, conspiring to bring
their own profession into public contempt.
What strange birds are these which are thus so
busily engaged in fouling their own nests
If an editor is not fit for the Presidency, they
may in time come TO think in Rhode Island
that an editor is not fit to be Senator land
sometimes they may be right The newspa-
pers which have been in such hot hurry to
fling dirt upon Mr.. Greeley, the journalist-suc-
cessful, they admit, as mere journalist can
possibly be-must not be surprised if they find
a little of it sticking to their own skirts.
They are doing what they can TO write down
the profession in the public estimation. They
may partially succeed in a way which will
hardly be agreeable or profitable to themselves.


Meantime let us PROFOUND little conun-
drum. IL one of the dullest OF Editors-say
Mr.. Henry B. Anthony-should make about an