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Pecksniff In Paradise

Pecksniff In Paradise image
Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
March
Year
1874
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Since the rebuke administered by Mr. Pecksniff to the indecent greed of the relations of Mr. Chuzzlewit, that masterpieoe of the moral sublime in fiction has sought in vain its parallel in the way of a moral 8ublimity in histoiy. On Wednesday Mr. Butler realized tho ideal of yearning his own heroic image. The Chuzzlewit whoin Mr. Butler desires to protect is his own beloved country, and the villains against whose machinations he desires to protect her aro the editors of the newspapers, whom it is proposed that Congress shall eneourage in their iutamy by a bounty of " free exchange between publishers " and " free transmission of " weekly newspapers in the county within " which they are published." As for us, our readers know that we are opposed to this bounty. Whether Mr. Butler is opposed to it or not we are really at a loss, even after his vigorous denunciation of us and of all newspapers, to teil. He is clearly opposed to granting us favors which he does not himself enjoy. He distinctly disapproves of appropriations by Congress to enable the editors of newspapers to fatten upon their own vonom, such being, itappears, their notorious though disreputable practico, and privily to shoot out arrows to consume members of Congress, unless members of Congress are reciprocally encouraged to fatten themselves on their own venom, and te lio in wait for the editors of newspapers. In short, Mr. Butler will insist that the franking privilege shall be restored if the privileges of newspapers are restored, but with all his eloquence he neither saya nor intimates that he would object to the newspapers continuing to debauch pub lic moráis at the public expense if the; would allow him to resumo the purification of public moráis at the public expense by franking. But for the newspapers nobody would know anything about vice. That is whnt ho doea say. IJnlil the newspapers told people " how banks aro broken, how safes " are robbed, how counterfeiting can be " practised, how murder may be coinmit" ted," this republic was in a state of Paradisiac purity. If there were no newspapers it woukl be Edun still. But the peoplo ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and e vil, sent to them postage free by the complicity of a careless Congress, and the criminal statistics of our country are the melancholy result, until now Mr. Butler is forced to stand at the gate, with a naming sword which turns every way, to insist that his fellow-citizens shall not bo ruined body and soul with his consent, unless he gets the franking privilege. If we would havo any adequate conception of the fervor of Mr. Butler's patriotism and the intensity of Mr. Butler's righteous wrath against the newspapers which havo perverted his country froin her pristine peaco and purity, we mu9t recall the fervor of Pecksniffs affectiou for Chuzzlewit and the bitter, burning words with which Mr. Pecksuiff brandad the the wretches who had conspired to pervert tho mind of his cherÏBhed Chuzzlewit as the newspapers have endeavored to cheat Mr. Butler out of tho affections of his beloved but unloving country. " Oh, vermin," said Mr. Peckgniff. ' üh, bloodsuokers, is it " not enough that you havo embittered " the exiatenco of an individuol wholly " unparallelod in tho biographical records 11 of ainiable persons ; but must you now, " even now, when he has made his elec" tion and reposed his trust in a Nurable, " but at loast sincere and disinterested " relativo ; must you now, vermin and " swarmers (I regret to mako use of these " strong cxpressions, but there are times " when honest indignation will not be " controllod) ; must you now, vermin and " swarmers (for I will repeat it), taking " advantage of his unprotected state, as" semble around him frora all quarters, as " wolves aud vultures and other animáis " of the feathered tribe assemble round - " I will not say round carrion or a carcass " for Mr. Chuzzlewit is quite the contrary " - but round their prey - their prey - " KorBnB their voracious maws, and btain" ing their offensivo beaks with overy de"scription of carniverous oDJoyment?" - y. T. World. The ïreasury Dopartmunt states that the whole amount refunded for duties collected on fruits decided to be in the free List is $71,000, and the whole amount now rtue and upaid is f37,000.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus