The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-18
From the sedalia (Nlssouril Press.l
I'VE Had Rather be Dead Lion than
-.. a Living Dog"

We never could so fully adopt the
sentiment of the above proVerb, as
we can to-day. This old, trite saying
is forcibly brought to our mind, when
we reflect upon the political contest
through which we have just passed.
In this country in particular, we feel
proud of the noble men who were
thrown in the van of the Democracy
of Pettis. From our gallant candi
date for Congress down to Coroner,
our standard-bearers were white men
OF not only sterling worth as gentle
n en-, but of ability such as should
commend them to the confidence and
support of all men who have the in
terests of our country at heart and
whose feelings are not warped by
those unhallOWed passions and fanat-
icism which so pre-eminently distin-
guish the leaders and rank and tile of
the radical party. Philips IS beaten,
Crandall is beaten, Marvin is beaten,
and every Democratic candidate for a
county office is beaten; not because
our friends not eminently qualified
for any position within the gift of our
people not because a large majority
OF the people of the county did not
prefer them, infinitely,,tO the usurpePs
(for before high heaven and decent
men, they are UsURPERS in the mean
est sense of that term) who will stul-
tify themselves by accepting stations,
to which they were fraudulently pro-
NOTED but because the iron, depica-
BILE rule of the miserable minority
who lord it over the people of this
State, has outraged every principle of
justice and fair dealing. We are
proud of our defeated candidates; we
are proud of the gallant fight which
they made to strAngie radical despo-
tism, and we are proud of the lion
neryed democracy of old PettiS that
stood up to their chiefs. We envy
not the feelings of any successful rad
ical who is not bereft of every manly
instinct, when he reflects that he holds
his position by fraud and at the sacri-
fee OF those principles of honor which
appeal alike to the head and heart of
every American gentleman.
Victory or defeat in the abstract, is
a secondary matter; but there is a
principle in such matters that it were
not well to ignore. The right of the
doctrines of the Democratic party,
and is an essential attribute Of our po-
litical system. We have ever bowed
in meek submission to the will Of the
majority when fairly expressed; but
the right OF a minority, mere frag-
ment OF the people, to dictate terms
to an overwhelming majority and by
fraud and chicanery, enforce the prin-
ciples or dogmas, alike repugnant to
justice and good citizenship, is neith-
er Democratic, American nor manly,
and can never receive the sanction OF
the truly patriotic citizens of any
| State. Men who have a prlIrieilt am
bition for official place and plunder,
may reconcile the acceptance of Office
under such dishonorable circumstan-
ces and thus stifle their compunctions
Of consciences % but the true man
would scorn to become a party to such
a fraud, in order that he might be en-
throned in power, hence we say that
we would greatly prefer to be one OF
the defeated candidates, than to be
one of the elect on the Radical ticket,
or in the language of the text "we had
rather be dead LION than living
dog"