Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-01-07
4mosbiI aaIsskp Gbronis aaltusOap yaunarp (, 1879
APPLYING THE LASH.

For months number of the rural Dem,
ocratic papers of the State have been speak
ing out in terms not calculated for concil.
iation, against such journals as the Mem.
phis Avalanche, Nashville Banner, Jack
son Courier, and perhaps a few others
that have ventured to express their unbe-
lief in the infallibility of the Dem.
ocratic party and Democratic lead
ers. These journals have been de-
| nouneed, sneered at, read out of the
| party, and so far as the power of their
| censors extends, consigned to contempt and
| oblivion. Thus far, metropolitan journals
have held off in this business, or have been
more temperate in their spirit and Ian
guage. But the firing of small arms was
only the beginning of the regular battle for
determination, and as the time for the State
election next November draws nearer the
big guns will be unlimbered and brought
into action. The Union and american be-
gins the new year by throwing shell into
the camps of neutrality-suspicious., and if these
recalcitrant journals do not shift their po-
sition, the next movement will be an en-
gagement with a view to capturing and
spiking their batteries. The Union and
american consoles itself with the idea
that the Republican party is in state
of rapid disintegration-that the "true
bluen Democracy will soon be in power,
and alludes to these unfaithful ones as
follows:
For some months past the role of such
organs has been to pick out of the cesspool
of Radical rottenness some stray scrap of
honesty which might be praised. They
have seized every possible excuse to laud
the dominant party for this or that small
crumb of comfort. When they can not
praise, they have asked the people on
Bonded knees to thank God and the Adj
ministration that things are no worse
| On the other hand, to keep up the bravado
of pretended impartiality, they have dill
gently sought notes in the eye of their
Democratic brother, and the pettiest pee
cadillo on our side has been exaggerated
into absurd dimensions, in order TO reach
the ultima thule of sublime Indifference,
| that both parties were equally cor
rupt! They have found this role rath-
| er difficult to carry out, because Radicalism
has given them little opportunity for laud-
| alton, and the Democracy has afforded but
few excuses for blame. They have strug-
gled manfully under this double difficulty,
but never have they permitted their pre-
tended impartiality to betray them into
good word for the Democracy They have
been eminently 'independent' of justice
and reason, but in no sense impartial
The Union and american, then proceeds
to charge "these same organs" with want
| ing full fellowship in the Democratic party
now, when they see the Republican party
is doomed"
We will be surprised fthe party lash APP
piled by such journals as the Union and
american, the Brownsville States, the
Chattanooga Times or the Shelbyville
Commercial will have any sort of effect up
on either of the independent journals
| mentioned above.
The object of these Democratic organs
is to break down all opposition to their
own special ring or clique; to form close
corporation with view to monopolizing
the offices of the Safe without having to
pay out twelve thousand at one time for an
office, and to do this they will read every
man out of their party that refuses to do
their bidding, or to be governed by their
dictation.