The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-02-10

IN the democraCles OF antiquity democrat
lc institutions were principally corfined to
the cities, which subjugated the sun ounding
territories and ruled the Inhabitants despot-
ically. When the people of Athens wished
to make law or to abrogate an obnoxious
statute they assembled in the great central
square OF the city, and voted directly by a
show OF hands. There stood the Bema and
the advocates and the opponents ef q mea-
sure OF public policy we're alike free to as
CeGd its platform and harangue the voters.
In representative democracy, such as ours,
! this simple method Of law>making cannot @
employed. and tbs modern editor has taken
tho place OF the ancient orator Now every
faction, however Insignificant, must have its
organ, and every citizen arrays himself under
the banner Of some political party. In this
country nearly every newspaper assumes a
partisan character. Even the religious press
! finds it difficult to keep out of the political
arena. 1t manages to find various connects
! ing links between morals and politics, and
! sometimes seems to discover such relation
when none exists. The great political par
! ties into which our people are divided fnd it
necessary to maintain one or more political
Journals in every county to rouse their adj
hereuts to action and to keep them advised
in reference to local, State and National pol
itics. The potency of the press as political
agent Is fully recognized. and with the inn
mense power which it welds commensurate
responsibility is necessarily assumed by those
| who conduct it.
Upon most public measures the two great
political parties Of this country are divided
in opinion. and the newspapers of each arc
thus constantly arrayed against each other.
With too many editor, the fact that the party
to which they adhere has taken one side of
question Is sufficient to determine their po-
sItion. They seem to regard themselves as
bound to support the views taken by those
whom they recognize party leaders, and
they voluntarily assume the attitude which
a lawyer takes when he accepts a retainer.
The consequence is that public measures are
not ALWAYS discussed with that honest free
dom of thought which should be the rule in
a republic. What is demanded Of the parti-
san press Of this country is bold and manly
discussion cf all political questions. What
i most needed by all who engage in political
controversy is loyalty to the truth, no mat
ter where the evidence may lead or what
may bs the effect upon party organizations.
| The man who Is not ready and willing to
follow truth beyond the narrow limits of
party must necessarily be an unsafe political
councillor, and such one can never feel the
proud consciousness Of being perfectly hon
sst man.
A party strongly entrsnched iu power may
| commit many wrong acts with impunity,
even IN representative government such as
ours, If the newspapers which adhere to it
are servlIs supporters instead Of being free
and bold cenSOrs 1t is a great mistake for
the newspaper press of any party to hold
| subservient position. Our best frierde ere
those who tell us freely Of our faults, and
the best friends any political party in this
| country could have, would be a press suffi-
! GENTLY independent to sound the note of
alarm when any improper measure was pro-
| posed, and sufficiently honest to denounce
! every form of corruption whenever and wher-
eyersit might appear.
The curse Of our polititics and the most
msnaCing enemy of our government, is that
| blind, partisan bigotTy, which is born of self
| interest. The enemies Of true and substau-
! ta reform are the men that fear that their
party may suffer from the exposure of this
| or that corruption. The press ought to
break all such sbackies and rise to a freer
and noblor life, but it does not do so. For
years past, upon the adjournment of our
State Legislature the political newspapers
Of Pennsylvania, without respect TO party,
nav" eerA roented severely upon the general
demOral'ZatiOn OF members; ana YET, when
the very worst men Of each party have been
renominated, voters have been urged to stick
]
without a scratch upon them. Thus do base
men enlist party prejudics and party organ
zation in their defense and support, instead
of being held up to public execration and
driven from public life, as they deserve to
be.
1t must not be supposed that public opin-
ion in any party will rise above tho standard
which is set by its press. Had the press
doEe it's whole duty in the past so many of
the best men Of each party would not be
found shrinking from any entrance upon the
political arena. Representative government
is based upon the assumption that the uso-
pie will select of their number the wiscst and
best men, and have these devote their SER
vices to the public veal; but our politics have
fallen into such evil disorder that few of our
best men can he induced to become candi>
dates for office. They will not stoop to the
meaus which are necessary to secure a nom
| ination. G0the's aphorism that "societv is
| a conspiracy for the success of fools and
knaves" car. n.soon be truthfully applied to us
unless tbs prevalent tendency to demoraIza-
ton shall be arrested. Bad and incompe-
tent men must be taught that they cannot
expect the support Of the journals of their
party after they have secured nominations
by resort to vile agencies. A few sharp
examples will dispose of many of those who
seek office for the purpose of making unlaw-
ful gains. There are signs Of an awakening
in this respect.
In some of our large cities the manages
ment Of political affairs has so completely
fallen into the hands of the worst elements
of society as to excite universal alarm. In
New York the best men of the Democratic
party, men who were recognized as its lead
ers. united with Republicans to overthrow
the Tammany ring. la other cities we see
indications that the reputable men of both
political parties have determined their right
to manage political affairs. Bat it is pot in
cities alone that reform is imperativoly de,
mauded. The evils engendered by slavisb
adherence to party have spread like conta-
eious disease all over the country. In the
rural districts there is need of a regeneration
which can only be brought about through
tho agency Of the rural press. There are