The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-08-24
support of Party Nominees.

edited by ). a. Clarke, processes to
think that we are inconsistent
when we say that we "will always
vote for the nominees of a Democratic
Convention, though one or more
should be the devil himself" Per-
haps after we have given our views
our contemporary viii not think we
are inconsistent.
When we made the above declara-
ton we, of course, intended it simply
as strong way of saying that we
always vote for the nominees of n
Democratic Convention. We vote
the entire ticket 1t sometimes hap
pens that the ticket contains one or
more names that we don't like-per-
haps personal enemies-perhaps their
morals don't suit us-perhaps they
drink more liquor than we think they
should, or chew and smoke more to-
bacco than we think is good for their
health and finances. Perhaps they
have done all they could to injure our
business, or reputation; perhaps they
hold totally different religious princi-
pies from those entertained by us;
but no matter what the trouble is, we
always vote the entire ticket. We
never scratch our ticket ;-we never
scratch anything except our yertebral
column, and that but seldom.
We do this-that is, vete the en-
tire ticket-for numerous reasons, a
few of which we viii specify. In the
first place, we vote for men to repre-
sent, uphold and defend our political
principles, and nothing else. When
we vote for a candidate for the Legis-
lature, or Congress, we expect him to
represent,-not our religious views,
nor our views on temperance, nor
chewing tobacco, or drinking tea and
coffee, or eating bran-bread,-but sim
ply and only our views on politics.
If we can be so fortunate as to nomi-
nate good, and pure, and able men,
personal friends of ours, and all that
that is of course all the better, in our
judgment. But the chief thing-the
vital questionable one which over,
shadows all others is" Is he right on
the goose? Will he, if elected, up,
hold, maintain and defend our poEiti.
cal opinions? IF SO, we vote for
him and otherwise yield him our most
hearty support.
Such course as this is often pro.
ductiye of the most happy results in
more ways than one. We have known
men who had been enemies for years
become warm personal friends because
the one voted for the other. It is one
way of heaping Goals of fire on ar
enemy's head, and it fills the breast o,
the voter with feelings pleasant and
magnanimous In their tendencies
Nor are the good results entirely per
sonaL The good effects, of a political
nature, are sometimes beyond all com
putation. For example: When the
Democratic party met at Charleston
In 1860, to nominate a candidate fol
the Presidency, they finally selected
Douglas after very warm and ex
citing contest. But some of the hot
headed Southern frc-eaters did moi
like Douglas, and they bolted, anc
brought out another candidate. Doug
las and Breckenridge both ran; and
that divided the Democratic party
and Lincoln was elected as conse
quence. Had the party remained
united, as usual, he would have beer
defeated; if he had been defeated W.
should have had no Civil War; 500,
900 of the flower of our land would
not now be sleeping the sleep tha
knows no waking; the country woulc
not now be filled with widows, anC
orphans, and MANNED soldiers; ne
groes would not now be on socia
equality with the whites; the natior
would not now, be on the eve O
another CONFUSION, nor would it bs
staggering under load Of public deb
more gigantic than that of any othe
peopleon the face of the globe. Whill
we hold, Of course, that the Radical
are criminal beyond all computation
for making a bad use of the powe
placed in their hands, yet those Dem
ocrats who bolted-who refused to b,
governed by the time-honored rule
and usuges of the party-are far from
being blameless in this matter.
These are some of the reasons tina
cause us Invariably to vote for tn
nominees Of q Democratic Convention
We do not claim to be at all odd Il
this matter. Other Democrats ar
governed by similar motives. AM
even Radical leaders, like the edito
Of the Record,-although they ma,