The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-03-29
Tg7n POLITICAL SITUATION

the American system is, that the ma.
iority Of men think, act and vote accor.
ding to their prejudices, and not accor.
ding to conclusions resulting from u
careful consideration of the questions
submitted to them. Thi5 is in great |
measure owing TO education. Two !
ncigh6ors live side by side equal in
poiut of Intelligence, and having idcnti- |
cal Interests on all the political issues of
the day. One is a Democrat, the other |
is not. They differ simply because
their fathers differed before them, and
their children will differ after them
with no better reason. Party affiliations
create partisan ties and partisan antipa
thies, so hard to overcome that they of
ten drag Hi"kjay men into conflict
with their convictions. while the un
thinking but follow their accustomed
leaders as the disciplined soldier ohcys
the mandates Of his superior, with as
much Indifference as to the right oriustice
of the contest. And so maioritios run
for generations with hardly any percep.
tible change. Berks is still. as it has
been for years. the stronghold of De.
moc~acy in Pennsylvania, while Lancas
ter lying alongside, with the same kind
$ of population. ever since Anti Mason
ry was born to its ephemeral existence.
: has been the Gibra'fer of the opposition.
But occasionally, radical differences be.
t tween the leaders, disorganzes the
0 party. weakens its hold upon the intel
c iigent members. while those who had
- been blindly rushing on, beholding their
n accustomed oracles in hostile attitude
o toward each other, are suddenly brought
\ to a standstill, and forced. as It we're. to
" investigate the causes of discord. and
decide for themselves Perhaps we
have stated this too broadly for even
G then large proportion take sides more
d from personal consideration than from
J, any decided oninion upon the merits Of
- the controversy. Such events there.
le fore as n discord among the chiefs Of y
at party intnxicatnA with suocess and
q grown arrogant with mower. (minorities
rarely quarrel among themSelves( scpms
i. to have tcnGpncv to awaken the neo
It's pie TO a nr0Der sense Of their grave res
tn possibilities as sovereign voters and are
W consequently followed by n more on
Of lghtnnnd exercise Of their durv Srcl
be q ra>s seems to have arrived and thrs
ne rehectiont have been succcsted hv III
vi present situation nf nNitical nartins -
:, That situation is somewhat anomalou
of A majority of the lenders Of tho mart
ne that elevated the President m mower. \
!! variqncn with him IN tho most imoor
bo tant question which can aritatn th
N nrhlic mind at this rnriod IF ou~ Nictr
IN rv with monv of thom in h;ttor ho7tilit
III to him. while those ~ the naItv wh
p onnnSnd his election are loud ond don
n. Onsfrativp in their Snnnort ie certainl
III. not an everv dnv occurrrncn in Amnrica
politics. That Democrats shoul2 /
hoisforous in their enthusiasm fo~ Az
drew johnson while thnrp IS anv hon
IN
VOL of his aid in their behalf in the comin
ITS elections Is not stranon -thNt tho ~nd
III Gals should nndoavor tn cloHll thoir m
az mostly IN him FROM the same SiriSf'
-: motives. is IN he nvnnrtnd 60 fHr
g these motives actuatn tho two UrnHt n
on lificai nartieS nr rather thn lnNAnrs
cal Them thew are rrohaIlv onuallv entiFlr
to our canSurn Rut honest man mn
vo decide for them olives thn ornat iss,
e. which has heen mode hntwnan tho Pre-
Tor idpnt nnd the rqd;oolS - and hone
'nt' men will decide that iseue uttorlv '
tIo qardloss Of marty mqneuvprs for the :
tainmpnt of mower II ,s tn such on
the we would nrnsnnt few thounhts
Nlr' With tho hiooted. whether hn ho ron'r
On lican or democrat. We waste M wor6
rill tie IS Joined to his idola let him a'or
off The Presidents nosition as we u
yeW derstand it, is that the Southern Stat
lo l.n5 have always been and are TODAY. const
itv uent members of the federal cove,
to mcnt, and are as such entitled rs
the course to all the constitutional rnlatio
of States. That the rebellion was
:. attempt by an appealto force 70 disSo'
pcb der these relations. which failed TT