Two Columns Of Indecency

"No rosue 'ere feit the halter draw, With Hood opinión of the laiv." The above couplet does not apply to the Argus, but to those wbo have been misrafoi-ming it. ïliat paper of last Friday contaiied two columns of asseitions in regard to a reign of iinmorality and pollution in this city, that is truly astonishing, and wliich would be deporable and humiliating if true. In fact it would be so disgraceful that instead of publicly proclaiming it, an ordinarily proud spirited and delicate man would hang bis head in shame and sileuce. Our C-eyed contempoi'ary asserts that ït knows (by proxy, of course) a place that "has been running this winter where questionable characters congrejTOted and liquors were sold, although the place had no liquor license." (Where were the the democratie U. S. officials, all this time?) Of another small business place," whose owner "allowed disreputable woinen to frequent his place." Of auother place where two girls roomed and received company and "that the nightly visitors 'of these girls were young men, seme of them of pretty good family." And so on tluough two columns or inore. Novv the Courier does not believe that there is an immoral house in the city of Ann Arbor to-day, nor lias there been for any length of time this winter, and challenges the Argos to name on e that the authorities liave not broken up, Furthermore, if any person, any good citizen, had knowledge of the tliings set fortli in the columns of the Argua and liaa alluwed them to exist without making eomplaint, he has committed a crime. It is xery strange that thia horrible state of indecency in which tlie city lias been reeking that the Argiu, exposes so glibly to the public, even to tlip naineless díseases resulting therefrom, lias not been brought to Jight before. VVhy should the Argus live riglit aloqg, day 'Jp and day out, witli thia wickedness exiating "within a block of iteofflce," and never open its lieud until just before the city election? This is so remarably atrange, that the Courier is indeed wonderfully surprised thereat. Jhe idea that a good, luw abiding citicu shoulii Ije cognizant of tlie evil rehearsed and neyer make it known to any one, is past comprehension. Now the Courier does not believe Aun Arbor is so morally rotten as the Argus tries to make out. The Argus editor does not speak of these tliings from personal knowledge. Tlie lynx eyes of the Argus itself has never gazed upon any of it. It's editor knows no more about the "down town" goings on than any other good citizen, nor as mucli as some of tlmm, for we do not believe he is ever "down town" late nights. He is told all this, and lie retells it to the public because lie thiuks it can be used for partizan advantage. The Courier heiieves still further that the editor of the Argus, in nsing a lot of overdrawn and distorted stories, dul not stop to tliink that he was in that way besniirching otlier people, and good officials who huve done their duty faithfully and well ; officials who are above reproauh and tliose standing in the community will neverbe effected by any sucb. slanders published for politica! purposes. And still furtlier we do not believe ;hat the Argus stopped to tlifnk of the 'oul name it was giving its owu city- ts own home. In its haate to iñake political capital it forgofeverythiñg but he idea of lienfifiting its own paíty. The "poor hl Odurier" you dear jright Eyes, inay be very stupiíl about uch tilinga, but it never yet knew of a vionir thatit did not report to the pro per officials to be risrhted. It never yet landered its own city by repeatinf? floatngstories told fur a purpose. Neither s itso atupid as not to recognize the act that every city has its abandoned nd disreputable characters, and that Aun Arbor ia no exception to the rule, Dut it does not believe that this city ia sTad as are many of its sister cities nor as bad as t lias been in the past; nul it does not believe that tlu Argus tscli' -ves credence to half the filthy Stuff it lias had the questionable taste to give to the public. [f the f ditor of that paper bas had personal kuowledge of places ruiming without a tícense, (which no one will believe for a moment) it was his duty to raak e complaint to proper officials, and in not doing so lie has coinmitted a serious offense against tlie good name of the comtnunity. The Courier realizes the fact tliat the democratie party is in desperate straits, but it is astonished, extremely así on - ished, tliat the Argus 'should lend itself to éuch disreputable tactics to try and help it. Is it not true, Bro. Argns, tliat all of the disreputable characters of the city, to borrow an expression from their own vernacular, "have got it in for" field, l'or Mayor Darling, and for the Municipal Club, and is it not true also, that they are telling all sorts of stories, and iloing everytbing in their power to kill them off? And is it not true that all these stories origínate with them? VVhy? Because that class has been made to obey the law. Will the Argus name some one or reputable people who will become responsible for the truth of the stories it tells, and who speak f rom personal knowledge? "No rogue 'ere feit the halter draw with good opinión of the law," and no official ever yet enforced the law againat law breakers, without becoming the object of their calumny and vituperation. Is it not a fact made as apparent as the nose upon aman's face, that the editor of the Argus when looking upon the defects of those of opposite politica] fiiith uses a field glass to magnify theni as ímicli a.s possible, but. reverses the glass vvhen looking apon ts own party's delinquencies and sliort comínga? Tlie Argiia very well knows, or ouglit to if it does not, that our justices of the peace are forbidden from receiving the complaint öf any offieer vvitliout said complaint is accomfpanied bythe affidavit of some person, that is, they not issue a warrant on heresay 'vi.leiice, ulien the arrest of these iminoral wouaen are in question. Here is a grand opportunity for the Argus to purify the moral atmosphere of clie city. If it knovvs about all these bad women it should go with an officer to a justioe, lile an atlidavit, and have the city rid of their presence, thereby not only doing the act of a pure and honorable citizen and earnest Christian, but au act which will receive the hearty comnoendation of every law abicfing citizen lof tlie city. And the Argus need not fear for the resulte, for i t ia true that the law abiding citizena out number tlie law breaking citizens two or three to one in every locality, and far more than that in this community. In the laneuage of the classthe Argus has assumed to be spokesman for : "Put up or shut up."