Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-06-27
INDEPENDENT
Daily and Weekly by the
INDEPENDENT TFlf1lFC GO.
Bio nieps uilding Corner Queen & MnrtlnSt;
PRINCIPLES AND mEN.

The average citizen is honest and
wei intentioned governed in the
exc else of the freeman's greatest
privilege the right ofsuifrage-by
conscientious, pure motives. Proud
of the land of his birth or adoption,
glorying in the memories of the
past, and cherishing high hopes for
its future. the accusation that In
the manner of the exercise Of such
right he endangers the very exis-
tence of the government he loves,
would be repealed in angry scorn
and, vel, does not our present we'll
doing and our future greatness de
pend, not only on the maintaining
of correct PRINCIPLES, but also on
the proper administration and ex-
ecution of the law? 1t follows there
fore that in the exercise of the cleo
tive franchise the vote of the cltl-
zen should be cast not only to
advance and further just ideas and
principles, but to have such ideas
and principles represented by hon
est and capable men. This is aplain
duty-a duty requiring Judgment
and determination. But how is
the Judgment to be exercised? How
is the balance to be adjusted be-
tween right and wrong, if party
fealty requires blind adherence
to caucus nominations Does Re
publican forswear all his anti-slav-
ery proclivities ora Democrat con-
tenn the memories of Jackson or
Jefferson, because their sense of
duty and honor requires them to
rebuke the aspirations of unfit and
unworthy men who have been
foisted on their respective tickets
by means VIGOROUSLY corrupt? A
partizan, to render his party effec-
tive is often times required to sac
rifice principles to yield his in
dividual views to the nominating
convention, and where issues are
strongly marked and defined, the
temptation to the thinking man
to support his party in inJudicious
and bad nominations is very strong
During the war, and for several
years after its close, men made wry
faces and "swallowed the ticket"
even when they not only suspected
but absolutely knew they voted
men to offices of honor and oftrust
to whom they would not have en-
trusted the transaction of the most
ordinary details of their private
business. The honest and sincere
partizan recognizes this fact, but
soothes his conscience and Gains
uneasy feelings by the reiteration,
ofwhat he conceives to be an un-
answerable argument, that he votes
for principles not men," This has
the semblance of honesty, and un-
doubtedly is the doctrine Of many
honest men. 1t also at first blush,
would appear the true doctrine /;
nevertheless its practical advocacy
has heaped upon us the crying evil
of the times, viz: political and Of
fetal corruption. II being under
stood that nominations, however
made, must and ought to be sup
ported, and that whatever might
be the personal character, and abil-
ity of the candidate, would be sup
ported heartily by those personally
disappearing and doubling the
nominee, penthouse politicians and
loud mouthed brawlers have forced
themselves to the front. So flag
rant has the evil become, and so
powerful the mere professional pol
itician, that advocacy and support
of the best men, independent of
party nominations, has in itselfb be-
come a principle; and this is the
more felt that at the present time
nolive issues divides the two strug-
Cling parties. We do not mean to