| Show characteristic SMALLNESS THE commitment of mr C W penrose by judge anderson for contempt because he declined to answer a question which the court ruled to be proper aroused a great deal of sympathy in the community for that gentleman the whole 4 movement which led to his being placed in custody of the U 8 marshal is political but into it religious and social affairs have been dragged by the liberal party some of whose most active leaders have conducted the proceedings thus far aar while mr Pen Penro roses ees offense is constructive contempt he is to all intents and purposes a political prisoner p ri being in durance because he declined to personally give publicity to his h Is domestic affairs he is a gentleman ol of well established e ability and standing in the community and all decent people even among those who differ with him in religion and politics will regret the position in which he be is placed it is an unspoken understanding among the journalistic fraternity that outside of differences arising from divergence of opinion upon public matters there should exist among them whenever occasion demands it a certain degree of pro fees ional amenity when one member is presumed to be at a disadvantage especially if he be placed in a tight position on account of being adjudged guilty of a mere technical offense efi ense such as refusing to answer a question regarding his domestic relations it is ot not the rule for journalists with souls to jump on him with both feet and gloat over what they might consider his discomfiture tu to act in such a brutal fashion would not be magnanimous nor professional a in such case the least indication Y of generosity that could be in manifested nife sted would be a semblance of decency in the shape of silence there is nothing of that sentiment in a half expressed wish that the position of the person placed at a disadvantage be rendered worse and more irksome but fresh water cannot be drawn from a dry well on the same premise you cannot extract com ratty mity from where it does not appear to exist consequently circumstances 4 have long ceased to justify an expectation of anything like magnanimity from the leading liberal journal orthis of this city towards those it esteems to be lie its antagonists it carries on the conflict in a personal sense with tj C an ai a opponent whose hands are tied it is not pleasing to see aee journalism thus disgraced these comments have been super induced by the following which appeared irr in this mornings mor ninga issue of the chief liberal organ of this city penrose was not taken out to the penitentiary until 8 aud and the action of the officers in allowing him to remain in the city until that hour was deverel severely y criticised criticized by some deputy marshal vandercook who has charge of theoffice the office in the absence of marshal parsons explained this by saying that the penitentiary wagon had to wait until that time for a prisoner who was brought up on the tram train we hope the indecent haste exhibited under cover of the expression was severely criticised criticized by some did not exist to any extent beyond the corpus of the writer of that paragraph we are of opinion that it was confined to the more unmanly and vindictive class of 11 liberals to whom magnanimity toward political opponents is almost a deadly bane if a little of that lofty sentiment were to be injected into their composition the effect might be disastrous so perhaps it m may ay be well enough to leave them to wallow in the juice of their own malignity |
