, 1864-07-08


canery," ETC.; yet we frequently hear men,
claiming to be patriotic, and assuming to be
guided by fixed principles, talk with great
sincerity about dividing the public patron
age and filling the various offices upon fair
basis with men whom they have not scru-
pied to denounce as traitors while they be,
lOnged to certain party. For instance,
we heard professed Union man, short
time ago, say that he had caucussed with
Democrat or two in this county previous to
the late election, and had made a PROPOSE
ton that the names of certain number of
Republicans and those of an equal number
of Democrats be placed upon ticket, and
that the ticket so gotten up (by those three
or four individuals, be it remembered)
should go before the people with the Union
prefix to it, and recommended as being Pc
culiarly in accordance with the wishes of a
large majority of the voters of the county.
This programme, so neatly chalked out was
unfortunately, Gas our informant thinks not
agreed to by one obstinate Democrat, and
thus the "trade" was lost. This instance of
what was almost trade furnishes food for
reflection. If man, protesting to be
Democrat, is sincerely one in fact, believing,
that the principles of his party are the only
ones which if carried out, can preserve the
Republic and restore national harmony, how
could he, in any honorable sense, consent
to make bargain whereby he would for
sake, practically, his former views and adopt
those Of party which he believed when
carried out would produce at the very least,
national disintegration? (? If sincerely dem
ocrat from principle and thorough convic-
ton of right, he could not sink the partisan
in the patriot by attaching himself to party
which advocated views that his own judg-
ment sincerely condemned. He would by
getting into a party, the principles of
which he could not freely endorse, be act
ing the hypocrite, or in other words, sinking
his patriotism in the partisan. The same
reasoning is equally applicable when We put
the boot on the Republican leg. 1t fits just
the same.
By what authority, we should like to un-
derstand, does politician assume to trade
for an entire community =? He certainly
arrogates to himself an immense amount of
importonce when he essays to trade or speak
for "his people," Our attention has been
called to this matter more particularly at
this time, from reading an editorial article
in reference to the subject, in late number
of the Washington Standard. Speaking of
the trading system now in vogue, it says;
"If the policy adopted at Baltimore. and
which we have upon all occasions advoca-
ted, had been pursued in the several coun-
ties of this Territory, at the late election,
the Legislature would have been at least
three-fourths Union Administration, instead
of 'Democratic,' as it now is. Indeed we
believe every county in the Territory might
have been carried against modern 'Democ-
racy,' upon fair Union basis. But instead
of this, some of our strongest Union coun-
ties have been lost by driving voters into
the Democratic organization, who would
have to act with the Union party had they
been permitted to do so on terms Of politi-
cal equality"
The Standard thinks that the men of dem
ocratic antecedents, should be "entitled to
share in the Government patronage, upon
fair numerical basis" 1t appears that the
patriots CD who "sunk the partisan in the
patriot" were treated shabbily in "numer-
icap' sense, in the Union organization
throughout the Territory, and hence they
"went out to stand" among the unterrifed
Democracy until they were offered better
numerical trade in the Union party The
principle, if it be proper to call it principle,
seems to be, give as your principles and
your votes and aoe aoiU give you c6ice-pro-
vided, there are enough Offices to go round,
and that your services as blowhards are
almost indispensable. Out upon such pat
riotism.
The Mountaineer thinks that Office hold
ers, from the President down, should be kept
in office more than one term, and thus pre-
vent extravaganza The present Office
holders are so shamelessly extravagaat that
it is doubtful whether they would ever learn
to practice economy. AT all events there
has been more money used to defray the
expenses of government since Mr.. Lincoln's
inauguration, up to the present time, than
was used by all previous Administrations
combined since the formation of the gov
ernment. We had much rather see the
official terms shortened than heightened out
to an indefinite period. The present in
cumbents ought to be rolled out of Office as
fast as possible, keeping up the rotation prin-
ciple until an honest batch finds the way in,
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