The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-08-15
Ehe Gazette.
ALFRED SANDERS, EDITOR,
DAVENPORT:
THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST Il, 1880.
THE CANDIDATE.

When n man presents himself before tue P1o
IL .,a ,.ones,s ,heir eutfrages for high and
,s.non.;hle .,a,ion, he should not find tau's win
that pub,ic il i, ask him, what are ms pa'"eua'
claim. 10 that Office and what his aoi'''es 'o'
d;.ch.rous its duties. If he be presented a.
the candidate Of party, he mus. exPees ne op-
nanen,s to sift his character, and II he possess
any vice calculated to injure his usefulness IN
~ discharge Of the duties otthe office TO which
he sspires, he mus, anticipate its exposure. II rs
no, only the custom Of the country, but y y q
duty which the press owes to the public, 10 ex-
nose auv vice or insufficiency which II may OBJ
serve in the aspirant to office. II we become
parfs,ans and elect men simply tor party purPo-
SEES any kind Of a man will serve our intentions;
il be possess the gift Of the CAB 1t matters little
II he be deficient in every one OF the catdinai
virtues. ,e the embodiment Of corruption and
venality.
In their zeal for party i, is 10 be regretted that
men % often lose sight OF the principles OF their
party and become mere partissns Some men
are never anything more than paitissns, wrap
ped in ignorance and prejudice, they neither
know nor care for The principles OF she'r party,
20 that their candidates succeed III being eieetea'
Were all men thus, il would then become the
duty OF the opposition press merely to show
wherein the aspiraui failed IN being partisan.
But as the presumption is not so degrading 10
cur nature, il is at once admitted that the cand'-
date is an exponon, Of the party which nomlna'es
him. More vulnerable points are then sought
in his incapaci,y and unhtness for the offce
which he seeks If these arc not at command
proficate controllers OF the press resort to gross
misre presentation and libel, those weapons so
appropriate 10 the dcyil, as Daniel Webster just
lyrenarks Blu, as human nature spretty much
alike, the fear Of legal redress inumidates even
them, 50 that Is general thing charges are not
preferred sgains, individual candidates unless
solerably broad basis OF truth is first obtained.
II is exceedingly unbecoming for candidate
to fly into passion and abuse an editor tor ex-
posing his uniitness for Office; it displays not on
ly an objectionable ignorance in one aspiring to
represent, the intelligence Of o,hers, but an I'M
gosernatle and uncou,h temper ill-suiied TO an
ineumben, of any office of influence. II man
have faults Of q public nature then is the time if
ever he must expect an exposure, and if he have
not the command Of temper TO suffer the mirror
TO be held up to nature he has missook bis voca-
ton in entering the political arena. and the soon
er he reiires the better for all concerned.
Il being presumed that those charges are bas-
cd upon truth, from the penalty incurred ifsuch
were not the fact, men should be exceedingly
careful to ascertain the amount Of truth upon
which they, If grievous, are founded, before they
allow themselves TO exercise the right Of suf-
frape II they do not, but without examination
proceed to vote for the candidate, they deceive
themselves and give to others an example Of ig-
norance and prejudice. Our remarks are of
general nature, we intend no personal applioa-
ton; If we get intelligent men to reflect serious
" upon the subject, our object is gained.