Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-03-04
conservative mcans In this connection

conservative means IN this connection.
We apprebend Tint is use in political
circles as applied to candidates for Office
is intended to commend said candidates
to the favorable consideration of their
political opponents. Thus, ghcna Dem
o%cratic candidate is desoibed ,g conserva-
tive it iSexpccted thOtthi quality, what
ever it is, will render him less obiection-
able, if not entirely acceptable, to Repub.
lican voters, so as 10 secure some Repbli.
can votes that wonld not otherwise be cast
for him and, on the other hand, when a
Republican candidate is said to be con.
Servative it is hoped that some Democrats
will be induced to vote in his favor wSo
would not otherwise give him their sup
port.
Hence it is important to have a cor,
rect comprehension of this quality or
element OF political character. We
therefore inquire what d es the word
conservative as applied toa Democrat
mean? Does il mean that he is not s
Democrat in any Of the essential quail
ties of craftsmanship? If 50, what are
they? What Democratic principles or
what Democratic policy does he discard
in order to entitle him to this description?
If he believes in the wisdom and justice
OF all the principles of the party, and
its announced public measures, in what
sense is he conservative?
Or does a Conservative Democrat
mean one who believes in the princirl s
oil his party, but who will not carry them
out in practice? II so he would seem to
be a Democrat in theory aud a Republi.
can in practice. But we are taught by
the Divine writer's hat a mans prrnci.
Piles must be judged of by his works, as
the qualities Of a tree are known by It's
fruits.
1t is, therefore, fair to conclude that
a Conservative Democrat is no Demo,
crat at all, and that q Conservative
n
Republican is equally unreliable, if the
term means anything. If it has no
well,defined meaning, and does not
imply that the party is bound to the
support of any principles, ii is a-cheat
and a fraud, and in practice it is found
to be deceptious, and intended BY those
who use it to delude unrefecting voters
into the support of their opponents.
The principles of the Democratic
party are either right or wrong, and the
measures proposed to carry them into
effect are either wise or unwise, and
the a~ntagonistic principles of the Re-
publican party are either right OF wrong.
] hose who believe the former to be
right are honest Democrats, and are in
honor bound to support Democratic men
and measures, just as those who honestly
believe in the principles ofthe Republican
party are in honor bound to strive in good
faith by all fair means to carry them out
in practice.
1t is just as absurd to talk of a conser-
vstive Democrat or a conservative Repub-
lican, by way of commentator AS it would
be TO talk of a conservative Christian, a
conservative Jew,or a conservative in6del,
conservative truth, conservative ~falsehood,
conservative justice, conservative injustice
conservative right or conservative wrong.
Political partisians should be candid, and
stand or fall by the principles which they
promulgate. All such subterfugss as the
foregoing are disreptuable. : aShingtoE
Chronicle.