| Show HE MUST BE MISTAKEN there are few men in this life who tand stand higher in public esteem or are freer from partisan parti ean assaults than george washington childs founder and editor of the philadelphia ledger he it was waa whose establishment was nearly destroyed by fire recently anti and whose paper aper appeared as aa usual not a number being being missed however this thin is no unusual thing in american journalism and is only spoken of incidentally the thing more MOM than anything else that strikes the general reader is the proposition of how it is that a man of mr childs well known beneficence and good feeling toward all mankind could find it in his heart to say that the fire are was the deliberate work of an incendiary when there is no evidence supporting such a statement he should remember that hat fires in largo large buildings are oftener than otherwise of very mysterious origin probably because the builders left a flaw somewhere or of one or more of a myriad of possible things we know not of and he be should not so underrate himself the proud position he be has gained by merit alone nor the record of good he has done for others as to say or believe that there is any one in the world who would knowingly cause him such loss and harm certainly there are no grounds for vengeful feelings toward him anarchists are not numerous in philadelphia is and if they were there are other targets for their mischief much more inviting than the I ledger edger or its benevolent proprietor etor aud and if it had been the work of an insane person detection would have been easy 0 and certain on second though mr childs will hardly persist in that statement we think it was not like him to say it in the first place and after the lapse of so much time with no evidence to persist in it would be unbecoming |
