Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-08-06
From the Democratic State Journal.
Political FIunkyism.

Political F1unkyism.
| In a republican country where every cin-
zen should be considered upon an equality,
without his virtues entitled him to superior
| ity, or his vices merit disapprobation and
scorn, he has an undoubted right to solicit
and receive the suffrages Of his fellow citi :
zens, if his views of political measures and
questions are approved by those whom he
seeks to represent.
The necessity for the formation of politi-
cal parties and of adopting and adherlng TO
certain principles and crseds is apparent to
every man. There could be no unity OF &C
ton by majority of the people without the
obser vance of some certain rules for their
guidance.
Political parties without some fixed, GER
! tain and definite plan of action IN their pri-
mary capacity may be aptly compared to
the world Immediately after its creation,
when no necessity existed for them to settle
villages, towns and cities for the purposes
of trade and commerce. When the earth
was sparsely settled and bounteous natures
spontaneous productions supplied mans
wants, without having TO leave the shade OF
his own "vine and ng tree" there was no
necessity for him to depend upon the help OF
his fellow man to obtain the necessaries anu
comforts of life. But as times rapid stream
flowed on, and the population OF the earth
rapidly increased, that period arrived when
mans wants could not be supplied without
an interchange of commodities, ana some
fixed permanent habitations Hence the
building of cities and organization of pat
riarchal, and other laws, sanctioned by the
customs of the people
For a violation of these customs various
punishments were administered, the most
frequent of which was Punishment from the
community or tribe to which they belonged,
and none were allowed to hold intercourse
or transact any business with them.
This character of punishment, while 1t left
the offenders physically unharmed, created
the most bitter hatred in the hearts of the
guilty once, and frequent instances are re-
ded in ancient history of their having
committed acts of brutality and violence
upon those from whose society their own un-
worthiness and baseness had exiled them
Who cannot see the similarity between
these enemies of organized communities in
ancient days and some of the enemies OF the
Democratic party of the present time Who
are those who formerly fought in many past
political contests, and who are now either
openly reviling the Democratic party, or Sc
cretly extending "aid and comfort to its
opponents? Who are those who wlfully
misrepresent the actions, objects and prin-
cples of the party in the present contest,
when heretofore they have been its warmest
supporters?
In answer to these questions we have only
to say that they may be fifty compared to
that class of mean, debased characters which
the Scotch term "hunkys." Who these ''po-
litical hunkys'' are, we need not name; but
all may know them by their bitter denunci-
atoms of the political organization to which
they claim to belong, because f0rsooth they
think their claims or the claims OF their
friends have not been properly appreciated
by a majority of the people in their primary
conventions.
He who claims to be q Democrat and de-
nounces the principles and creed of his party
or repudiates the action of a majority of
that party, is guilty of the worst character
of ''politcal funkyism," and the sooner he
throws off his mask and gives up all claim to
membership in the party and joins some po-
litical faction, the better it will be for the
Democracy. 1t is subject of congratula-
tion that we have so few who claim to be
members of our party to whom this term
can be applied, and those few are so well
known that all their efforts to iDju the
party must prove frutless and vain, and
their opposition will only tend to increase
the majority which will be given for the
nominees of the Democratic party in Sep
tember next.