The Nevada Democrat., 1859-03-16
Omcial Patronage.

the patronage Of The Sheritf's Office. Its false
hoods, so boldly asserted, having been exposed
driven from one subterfuge to another, unit
unable longer to keep up show Of deception
it abandops its clients and their cause. In thip
it has, perhaps, acted wisely, for it undertook
to defend official delinquencies which could moi
be defended SO long as regard was had fol
truth, and when its falsehoods were unmasked
| II had no resource but to sneak out Of the con.
test. The subject Of the Journals last article is
Of little interest to the public, and we shall,
therefore, dispatch it as briefly as possible.
The statement that the patronage Of the
Sherif's ONCE was opened to fair competition
between the four papers Of the county is not
true. The competition was "fair" only be-
tween the National and Journal and from an
article in Saturdays issue of the National, we
learn the arrangement has never been carried
out SO far as those papers are concerned. We
knew nothing Of the arrangement until long
after the other papers had had an opportunity
to consummate their plans. 1t was an under
hand business from beginning to end. The
truth is, the only competition opened was the
competition Of sycophancy, and as the Journal
was able to bid the lowest in that article it sue
ceeded in its object.
| II has always been the custom, not only in
California but throughout the Union, for pub
lie officers to give official printing to their par
ty papers But the rule has never been carried
out in this county. We have published the on
ly Democratic paper in the county, and scarce
ly man has ever been elected to o county Of
flee who Was not supported by us and opposed
by the Journal and the Grass Valley paper
and yet, both Of those papers have received
more of the public printing than we have. The
principal reason of this is, that the officers
elected, with few exceptions, have been weak
minded men, peculiarly susceptible to iattery,
and we were too independent to attempt to
compete in servility with the conductors of the
other papers. OF this, we have never com
planned, because 1t was matter that did not
interest the public, but have taken such crumbs
as were occasionally thrown US from the offcial
tables, without considering ourselves under
any especial obligations therefor.
The statement of the Journal, that the "great-
est benefactJr" of the DEMOCRAT is now the
object Of Its hate, is simply ridiculous. For
the very liberal patronage the DENocRAT has
received from the business community, we have
reason to be thankful; bat for every official
crumb grudgingly bestowed on US, we have
given more than q quid pro quo TO those from
whom we received them. If II is the present
Sheriff to whom the Journal alludes as our
greatest bcnefactor," we can only say that
we have never been under any obligations to
him. II thorc is any balance, the indebtedness
is not on our side. We supported him both
for the nomination and election, while the
Journal took not only On open, but an IN.
derhand and contemplate, course to defeat
him. For o year after he was installed
in Office, we advertised such Of the judicial
sales as were not specially requested by the at
torneys to be inserted in the other papers.
Since September last they have nearly all been
sent to the Journal, without regard to the wish
es Of the attorneys. The judicial sales are re-
quired by law to be advertised, the Sheriff can
give them to such paper as he sees ft, and no
attempt was ever made to interfere with what
ever disposition of them that officer might
make, until they were given for short time to
the DEMoCRAr. We had every claim that il
is possible for paper to have for the advertis.
ing of the Sheriff's sales; but the cajolery Of
the conductors Of the Journal was too much for
the Sheriff, and his patronage" went, as the
nri of nha nf coruiIiiv 10 tha thai
has, as occasion required, either unjustly abus
ed or fulsomely lauded almost every public
man in the county.
In the discussion Of the Griffin matter w
have been actuated by no unkind feelings to
wards the Sheriff, nor should we have alluded
to his course towards us had not the gross mis-
statements of the Journal rendered an explana
ton necessary on our part. When the facts w
have published in regard to the escape of Grif
fin are disputed, it will be time enough to cal
in question our motives for making them pub
lie. WeHk-mindcd men, who have attempted
to injure us, may occasionally ds!ort plair
narration Of facts into malicious attack upoI
themselves; but the politicians, and the pas
and present officials of the county, have hat
ample opportunities to learn that our column
are not controlled by sordid or malicious mo
tives ...,....... ...
A few words in regard to our relations will
the lawyers of the county, and we have done
The Journd! intimates that we have abused al
the county lawyers, and that they were very
much disgusted that the resources" of th,
DENocEAT should be fed by the advertisement
Of their clients. This is silly trash. We hav,
differed politically with many Of the lawyers o
this county; but with one or two exceptions
they are not made of the kind Of stuff tha
would torture political into personal differ
ence, nor will they take it for granted that they
have been abused because the Journal says so
During the past four years, we have done three
fourths Of the printing that was under thei
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