Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-10-24
Apostate Politicians.

witnessed by these friends with Indignation
and disgust, and sometimes with degree of
horror. We speak now of such men as
change their course of political action, not
being impelled thereto by the force of public
opinion. Such men have the merit of bold
ness, but the de-merit Of Icing unscrupulous.
Their career is usually short.
The defeat of HESTER CLYMER, at the
late election in this State, affords lamenta-
bic instance of the disaster which may come
to strong, and proud, and confident party
by allowing its management to fall, to some
extent, into the hands of self-aggrandizing
politicians who have not the good of their
party at heart, and are willing to sacrifice
Governor for the sake of accomplishing ul-
terror and selfish objects. Unfaithful MEM
bers of Congress colluding with President
known not to be over scrupulous, attempted
to do, what? Establish new party; and
Democrats of succeeding years (for the party
will Meier die, will blush when they read the
history of the ostracism, in this attempt, of
the good and true men of their party of the
present day.
This vilainous effort to break up the Dem
ocratic Party, made by leading members and
the President, has had Its legitimate results.
The first and most deplorable one is, the
party is in the dust The second is, the
apostate Republicans, sometimes called
copper-J ohnsons, have the patronage of
the Government, so far as the President has
it in his power to bestow it; and the third
is, the golden apples of hope in the hands of
apostate Democrats have turned to ashes
Thinking Democrats foresaw this, and shrewd
Radical Republicans were not blind to the
probable results. That portion of the public
press which was inclined to be severe, if not
just, and certain prominent men in the State
who were inclined to be both severe and just,
talked about drunken President, and about
drunken United States Senators, who could
h.ccup with Andy" at the White House,
and go home and do little hiccupping on
their own account in their private chambers
asserting, in Short that there was ''Whis-
key Brigade of the most formidable char
a;ter, though not large in numbers, at Wash
ingtOn and that through natural imbecility,
inebriety, and political incompetency, this
disaster would come to the Democratic Party
Dropping the subject of the private habits
and the natural abilities of gentlemen, wheth-
er in or out of Office, as not a proper one to
be discussed in public journal, we can safely
say, that political incompetency, combined
with political treachery, defeated HESTER
CLYMER. Where are the votes of the cop
perl ohnsons'2 No echo is required to
answer, where? They are IN the Geary side
of the ballot 6or. And through whose con-
nivance, and, in some instances, at whose
solicitation? At the instance and solicitation
Of certain cold-kemted and jealous poIiti-
cianS lol,o ,cisted to lag HESTER CLYMER on
the shelf aad, what is worse, to lay the Dem
ocratic Party on the shelf, that they might
become the head and front, and the leaders
of new party which was to "Moses" the
American people out of the wilderness To
make this new party they established news
papers; apostate Democrats who didn't
want to be hung walked 'arm-in-arm" into
the White House with apostate Republicans
who did want to hang-sOmebody. Frater-
nal embraces, of a triangular character, were
had with happy Andy" We won't go
home till morning was the song while the
delivery of this diminutive but most hiIeous
monster was being accomplished What is
the result? In this County where the Coluna-
bian, johnson papef, was established about
six months since, under the auspices of rene
gade Republicans who had been local leaders
in their party, ,and which paper has been coun-
tenanced and encouraged by certain renegade
Democrats, aspiring to be leaders of our
party here,-what was the result in this
County? Why, Judge ELwELL. the Dem
ocratic candidate for Congress, a most esti-
mable and accomplished gentleman, against
whom no word of reproach can be said, ran
only ono hundred and nineteen votes ahead
of CLYMER, in vote Of five thousand FIVE
hundred and forty-eight Making reasona-
bic allowance for the Judges home popu-
iarity, careful collators of local political sta
tistics, make the renegade Republican vote
in the County ffty-nine. So much for tbs
mountain and tits mouse; and like results
occurred throughout the State. Apathy on
the part of some prominent Democrats, jeal-
ousy on the part of others. the two combined
with che desire for selfaggrandizement, on
the part of third class, defeated HESTER
CLYMER; and thus destroyed the status
which Pennsylvania was about to assume as
Democratic State
But of this slaughter the true Democracy
can say in better sense than the Shakespe-
rian character, Thou canst not say dill
it: never shake thy go,y 10 ks at me-" The
murder was committed by debauched pj,i,i-
clans, and not, in reality, by the rank and
file Mr.. Wallace and the State Central
l,ora ar,,;ttoc, &c -,-h;nh ho y L.