The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-02-15

Ger whip the Pilot With several OF
our cotemporaries, this is the Aaron's
ROD of questions at the present time
New Departures, Passiyity, Possumism
and what not, are held in allegiance for
its consideration.
Not to be singular, we will take small
part in the discussion, promising, however,
that no little weight is TO be attached to
the opinion of the Democratic members
themselves, whose conduct Is under re-
view, and who are presumed to know
something of their responsibilities and
duties as Representatives They are the
pick and flower of the State. They were
selected with special reference TO their
capacity, qualification, and inhexible de
votion to their cause as the standard bear
ers of a forlorn hope in the severest
and most hard-fought and trying civic
campaign that has ever been witnessed.
Most of them had seen service, too, on
other fields where the earth fairly shook
beneath the tread of armed men and
trembled with the clash and roar and
thunder of battle.
Descending from the sublime to the
ridiculous, these valiant soldiers of the
People, were summoned to bear their
part in another fght-a smaller affair
this time, over the Printing "spoils" be-
tween the Rival Radical Organs. And
the mighty question was to be determin-
ed whether they should make the "PilOt
,uI,ip the Leader or the Leader ,chip the
Pilot" Presumptively they knew their
own business better than any man could
tell them, as they were on the ground
and had personal knowledge of the '.sit-
uation, and so the impartial public will
regard it. Nevertheless we will review
their action briefly in its strategic politi-
cal bearings, while other newspaper men
are ventilating their opinions.
In the first place, the fight was some
what of triangular affair. The CLAIR
ION drew the first blood. 1t struck both
| the Rivals, one a left-hander and the
other Highlander, and sent them to
grass with black eyes; and while they
were concentrating their forces for a
combined attack upon it, like practised
athlete it quietly took itself out of the
ring, and permitted the blows of the
Organs which were intended for it to fall
ON each other. The Leader was knocked
out of time; and has not yet been restor-
ed
Now the momentous question comes
up, ought the Democrats to have permit
ted this catastrophe to have overtaken
the Leader? With due Difference to some
of our contemporaries we think they
ought.
In the first place, both the Rivals had
been well fed from the Public Crib
The Pilot had drawn largely; and the
Leader had accumulated its pile of $50
900, more or less in the few short months
of its existence. Neither had any claims
above the other to their sympathy on the
score of not having gotten anything snug.
| If the Democrats had stood alOof, we
have the information contained in the
Leader soon after its catastrophe, that
after the first ballot, it was I'M
derstood and agreed between the Rivals
that they were to suspend hostilities-
adi0urn-and effect compromise which
of course meant that both were to re-
ceive share of the "spoils' and thus
both to be made secure in their Organic
existence. Hence, we would have had
too lusty Organs pulling away at the
Treasury teat at the same time, each In
terested in, and striving to keep up, the
present exorbitant rates. This nice
little game was spoiled; and thanks to
the tactics of the Democrats we have but
one Organ to feed and to fight instead OF
two.
But why not have sent the Pilot instead
of the Leader to grass =? We reply that
the effect would have been the same as il
an opportunity had been allowed them
for "a compromise. There would have
been two Radical organs here virtually
quartered on the taxpayers. For while
the Leader could live only by the State
printing, the Pilot with its support from
| the Federal Government and the Radical
county officials, and its extensive circula-
ton, could have lived without it. To
strike down the Leader was to kill off al
least one Radical paper; to have built
up the Leader would have resulted in the
continued existence and efficiency OF
both.
Aye, but the Leader was ''the Alcorn
organ!" So you say but the Leader
though dead, speaketh and if you will
turn to its columns you will find there
recorded its solemn, and almost dying
declaration that it was a Republican or
gan, knowing neither Alcorn nor Ames.
Like the Pilot it held up the light of
Ames, but unlike the Pilot it spoke also
in praise of Alcorn. Aye, but it was a
Conservative Republican paper" So
kind, SO liberal, so generous, (may Its
like never be seen again y Who will
forget its Lunatic Asylum invectives
against the Conservative members of the
last Legislature and the opposers of Rad
ical misrule, in the last canvass?
Still, it was the "Alcorn Organ. "
Well, what if it was e? Were the Con-
servatives never to grow weary of playing
into the hands of the Eminent Man and
~, q. sr,s4.,nA &c 4hnnI- e. 4ho: