Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-10-31
j. h. ODER, Editor
FROSTBURG, MD, OCTOBER 81, 1874.
1t is not little entertaining to OBJ.

Coming electlon. laklnS those OF oui
district as examples we have each or.
gan estimating its party majority in
round hundreds in the counties and
thousands in the district. Then the
voters are urged to increase these ma
jorities by giving their standard bear
ers all possible electioneering aid.
OF course these organs and thei1
statements, with widely diverse prog
nostications, are regarded by many Of
their respective partisans as oracular
and undoubted. That one or the
other is more or less correct must be
admitted, but that one is more largely
invested with the spirit of prophecy
is not quite so clear.
There is something ludicrous, there
fore, in the stereotyped, venerable
expressions, short, sweet, grave and
facetious, daily laid before the unre-
s:sting voter. He is told all about it
beforehand until he is nearly convinc
ed that it is useless to 60 to the e.
pense of an election. If he listens at
all to opposite statements it is to
smile at the obtuseness which gives
them utterance, or in his heart pities
the man who throws away money by
wagering on the other side.
The real effect of this exaggerated
style of prediction is, after all, exactly
what is not designed. 1t seems equally
mischievous to under estimate the
forces of the opposition. In either or
both cases indifference to the issue is
spread among more people than is
generally conceded. The man who
feels sure of success is neither so par
ticular or enthusiastic as he who is
taught that very much depends upon
his personal action. And as it is the
manifest duty of every sovereign to
do his legally allotted part in giving
expression to popular will, it seems
that fair, honest, truthful information
us more in harmony with the end to
lbe attained by the decision of the
ibellot. This would relieve the
"fence" of the multitudes who before
important elections are either open to
. corruption or looking for the strong
est stde-on which, finally, they de-
-. sire4 to jump.
And, then. these Organs, taken
lby The members of their respective
!partissare otherwise engaged in use
less appeals for party support. Dem
ocratic 'fapers spin out long ar
ticles and short paragraphs to per-
.suade Democrats to vote the Demo-
cratic ltcket. Republican papers
xdopt the same policy to get Repub-
leans to do exactly what they will do
anyhow. Too often the truths uttered
aye not as complimentary to adverse
ries.aa they should be, but the cause
j ia not assisted by invective and slang,
or swhen' The facts are exhausted, by
,.dcsnriShtnying.
The trade of politics is interesting
,syen If ,@egimately conducted, but
,whan diverted by trickery and falsi-
dfeatiom from proper uses the results of
public and official immortality are not
.5alegitinaate. No true representative
Of the press should lend its potent influ-
ence to unfair means for the success Of
any party or candidate. Hope of tri-
,nmph, ';tis tr',se, rs great inspiration to
effort, but that hope should be fed and
sustained by plain, solid, decent truth.
The political situation is unsettled.
Both parties are more or less in q
maze, and both candidates seem not
to have the cordial, undivided support
of their ostensible adherents. There
is but little appearance, however, of
"bolting" or trading" on the part Of
voters or politicians, and bets are
controlled more by hard times than
election certainties. Things look
mixed; nobody is quite satisfied.
The large, earnest crowds which at
tend the public meetings show a con-
fused situation !; even party managers
are more or less cropping in the dark.
BEYOND the candidates the interest in
both parties is largely traditional and
artificial, end is snost genuine and
hearty among those who are studious-
1y the least informed.