The Placer herald., 1867-08-24
The Qorham Press.


ing:
. II is true as the Union inI Iimates that the
chief responsibility for the existing division
in the Union ranks lies with the partizan
newspapers which have so meanIy ratified
and defended the fraud and trickery that
placed Gorha m where he is. Had they done
THEN du,y-had they boldly denounced the
wrong put upon the party, and insisted upon
prompt action to correct it after the plan
since carried ou, by the July Convention
Gorham and his colleagues III trickery would
would tie harmonious and enthusiastic as ev.
er. BY pursuing an opposite course and
making themselves the savsh instruments
of an insolent faction, where they should
have been the frank exponents and defend,
ers of popular opinions and rights, they b ave
degraded the character of party journalism,
essened their influence and won the con-
tempt of every independent thinker. What
respect can any portion of the people have
for newspapers which make the dicta Of
few political wirepullers their guide and law
instead of following their own honest con.
victions and devoting themselves to the pub.
lie ntere'ls9 The worst evil that aillcs the
community to-day is the growing serviity
Of the partzan press This blun,s or confuses
the the general perception of political wrong
doers, lowers The standard of morality with
public men, and encourages abuse in party
management which would oherwi' e not be
tolerated. No party can long retain power
which is without The corr ctive of an honest
and outspoken press. One OF the first sym
toms of party decay is the general turbulence
and subserviency Of the papers that support
its candidates rather than expound its sprinci,
pies The most valuable aid the Union party
of California la has ever had came from the
powerful independent press, which supported
it from thorouhly disinterested motives, for
the sake Of its fidelity to the public and to
certain great measures Of reform. This por
tion Of the press, in circulation and influence
far exceeds all the partizan press combined,
although the latter are much the more nu
merous, and the Union party can i'll afford
to slight its counsel. But whether that
counsel be taken or not, the Independent
press knows its duty, and will persevere in
the course it has heretofore pursued Its
idea of its mission is too lofty to be aban
doned because partisan sheets or partisan
leaders ars abusive, treacherous and malig
nan,. The average judgement of the people
will be with it at any event, and can be
more useful TO the State hereafter for not
being false to it now Better clean defeat
than dirty victory. .l.-.
GoRHAM's CORRUPTION FuND-A gentle
man, who occupies high and responsible
position in a large commercial house in this
city was informed, few days ago, by an
intelligent Chinese customer, that the lead
ing Chinese firms of San Francisco have al
ready advanced and paid over to George c.
Gorham's "ring" committee, the sum Of fifty
thousand dollars as contribution TO the
Radical electioneering synd. In considera-
tiui Of this amount, Gorbam, he says has
pledged himself TO his bea,ben hackers to
secure ,be repeal or modification Of all State
laws which, in his opinion, discriminate
harshy against the Chinese race. In the
first place. he has pledged himself to obtain
the repeal of the laws excluding Chinese tes
limony from our Courts in cases where a
white man is party. In the event Of the
triumph Of the Radicss party and the elec>
ton Of Radical Legislature, most deter
mined effort will be made to repeal these
laws. Already two Of their party organs
the Times and the vena Alta have decami
cd against their injustice, and now demard
that they be expunged from the Statue
Book -Ead0siner. nr.n r.a.st