Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-06-10
CONGRESS.
The Results Of Unfair Dealing.


In summing up the progress thus far in
the premature Congressional campaign,
we fiad the older and steadier papers with
in the district have adopted the only meth
cd of binding together the sentiments of
the people and that method is clearly de-
fined in the editorial remarks concerning
the congressional candidates, by all the
papers in the district with but two or
three exceptions. To what extent the IN
fuence Of these exceptional papers may
extend, is yet unknown; but that the wi
ser and more experienced portion of our
political men may continue to hold the
same steady coarse toward the different
candidates, in which they have started, is
to be fervently hoped.
That it is difficult, if not impossible, for
any one or two persons or newspapers to
ascertain to even an approximate degree
Of certainty, the state Of the public mind In
reference TO any one particular candidate,
no experienced politician will deny ; there
fore, men, and especially those having con-
troll of newspapers, should be remarkably
careful, even exercising the .profoundest
diligence, in finding out, and then be slow
to pdblish anything unless undsputably
warranted by the facts, in relation to the
political popularity or standing Of any Of
the candidates in the arena.
The reasons for this eautiousness must
be apparent to every thinking and cxpe.
rienccd man. No man is entitled to have
his private or political character attacked
by the public press until he comes fairly
before the public claiming public conf
derce, and the newspaper that attempts
to forestall public opinion in reference to a
private individual. has, so far, mistaken
its vocation and mission, and is unworthy
ofpublic confidence. ~ .u4
TO build up a public sentiment on
supposed state of facts, is great abuse OF
the public mind, and may, and alGost al
ways does, result in evil to the public.
The time, and the only proper time, to
canvass the merits and dement's of can
didate, is by the properly chosen delegates
or representatives of the people in conven-
ton. If the delegates appear in this con-
vention uninstructed by their constituents,
it is their duty to represent their wishes
as nearly as possible, and if they have
been instructed, to obey those instructions
implicitly.
1t is a clear case Of mistaken policy for
public journal to attempt to forestall
public opinion against a candidate before
lie is nominated, when, in the event of his
nomination, they would either have to
retract their former expressions, or assume
the perilous consequences Of boiling. And
this is the inevitable tendency of the
course pursued by very few Of the news
papers in this congressional district. The
editors of these sheets may not be wiser
than their fellows, yet they are driving
right onward, recklessly, disregarding
consequences, and appearing to aim at
nothing but the discontinue Of their per
soaal enemies. We have faith in the in
telligence of the people, and believe that
all the vanity displayed by these untuncd,
untutored, and i'll timed political or gans,
will fall harmless into the past.
We are not prepared in this great Re-
publican Congressional district to have
our faces covered with shame, and our
cause deserted to the enemy to crafty the
personal animosities of few. who lacking
judgment override law, and lacking liscre