Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Editorial
May 9, 1881
Daily Globe
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
What is this article about?
Editorial denounces the Land League for accepting a denial that evades the Globe's charge of MacCarthy trading league support for Sanborn's election in exchange for a clerkship, warning against endorsing members' corruption.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
A DENIAL THAT DONT DENY
If the land league committee on Saturday night had focussed a little horse sense upon the Presidential affidavit and Gen. Sanborn's accompanying testimonial, they would have discovered that no denial has yet been made of the charge presented by the Globe. The president of the league, with due and awful solemnity, swears that he did not promise Gen. Sanborn to transfer to him, body, boots and breeches, the votes of the land league. Gen. Sanborn adds that this affidavit is "literally true," no such bargain being made; that is, no bargain agreeing to transfer the whole land league vote. The committee declares that this squelches all charges, and the league endorses the committee report.
In view of the fact that no such charge as that denied has been made, it is very safe to put in a disclaimer, and decidedly brilliant in the committee and the league to accept the denial as satisfactory.
The bargain was that MacCarthy, while pretending to be a Democrat was to have a clerkship in return for electing Sanborn, a Republican, city attorney. MacCarthy per se is such a nonentity he could not offer any one an inducement to make such a trade, and it was because he occupied the position he did as president of the land league that Gen. Sanborn made the arrangement. This is the charge of the Globe, and it has not been denied, and will not be. If the land league desires to endorse this kind of business and make itself accessory after the fact it is its privilege, but it is certainly exceedingly bad taste, if not bad policy, for a charitable organization to stand sponsor for the political corruption of its individual members.
The logical conclusion of this policy would require the league, in case one of its members was accused of horse stealing, to resolve that horse stealing is a highly moral and proper thing to do, and only an enemy of the league would condemn a member of the organization for engaging in it. The only thing necessary would be for the accused to say, it is true that I stole the horse, but I never claimed that the whole league stole the animal. Resolutions of "vindication" would then be in order, and horse stealing would be endorsed.
MORAL—Don't be too fast in shouldering the sins that belong to others. There is danger of getting your foot in it.
If the land league committee on Saturday night had focussed a little horse sense upon the Presidential affidavit and Gen. Sanborn's accompanying testimonial, they would have discovered that no denial has yet been made of the charge presented by the Globe. The president of the league, with due and awful solemnity, swears that he did not promise Gen. Sanborn to transfer to him, body, boots and breeches, the votes of the land league. Gen. Sanborn adds that this affidavit is "literally true," no such bargain being made; that is, no bargain agreeing to transfer the whole land league vote. The committee declares that this squelches all charges, and the league endorses the committee report.
In view of the fact that no such charge as that denied has been made, it is very safe to put in a disclaimer, and decidedly brilliant in the committee and the league to accept the denial as satisfactory.
The bargain was that MacCarthy, while pretending to be a Democrat was to have a clerkship in return for electing Sanborn, a Republican, city attorney. MacCarthy per se is such a nonentity he could not offer any one an inducement to make such a trade, and it was because he occupied the position he did as president of the land league that Gen. Sanborn made the arrangement. This is the charge of the Globe, and it has not been denied, and will not be. If the land league desires to endorse this kind of business and make itself accessory after the fact it is its privilege, but it is certainly exceedingly bad taste, if not bad policy, for a charitable organization to stand sponsor for the political corruption of its individual members.
The logical conclusion of this policy would require the league, in case one of its members was accused of horse stealing, to resolve that horse stealing is a highly moral and proper thing to do, and only an enemy of the league would condemn a member of the organization for engaging in it. The only thing necessary would be for the accused to say, it is true that I stole the horse, but I never claimed that the whole league stole the animal. Resolutions of "vindication" would then be in order, and horse stealing would be endorsed.
MORAL—Don't be too fast in shouldering the sins that belong to others. There is danger of getting your foot in it.
What sub-type of article is it?
Partisan Politics
Moral Or Religious
What keywords are associated?
Land League
Political Bargain
Vote Transfer
Denial
Sanborn
Maccarthy
Corruption
What entities or persons were involved?
Land League
Gen. Sanborn
Maccarthy
Globe
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Critique Of Land League's Denial Of Political Bargain Allegations
Stance / Tone
Critical Of Political Corruption And Misplaced Endorsement
Key Figures
Land League
Gen. Sanborn
Maccarthy
Globe
Key Arguments
The Land League's Denial Addresses A Non Existent Charge Of Transferring The Entire League Vote, Not The Actual Allegation Of Bargaining Individual Support For A Clerkship
Endorsing The Denial Makes The League Complicit In Political Corruption
Analogy To Horse Stealing Illustrates The Absurdity Of Defending Partial Admissions Of Wrongdoing