Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-04-10
rnEY DO NOT SCRATCH.

GOLD NIL sLfuIDAY. APRIL 10. ISIS
rHEY Do NOT SCRATCH.
Vim. II. Barnum was last Monday re-
elected 10 Congress In Connecticut.
This fact 10 mot remarkable, since this
10 tho Afth time he has bean chosen TO
that once. Mr.. Barnum d . Demo
erat and no 10 rspstsd wealthy. These
two qualifications comprise al his rec
concentrations for the oface. He has
never bean beard Of in Congrsss. except
ON rare ~occasions when his name has
boon called and he has answered thereto.
He ID rarely in his seal in Congress. he
IL notorious as an 'habitual absentee.
Mr.. Baruum had for an opponent DIR.
Hubbard. Q gentleman nominally . Re
publican. never an active politician. but
a man Of very liberal tendencies. In
his iettsr Of acceptance he said. "what
We need Il not 20 much new political
theories d honesty. patriotism, economy
and earnest effort in operating tho ma
ehinsry Of the Government" This Is
platform which all good eid-
.sns. regardless Of party. should
endorse. II 10 . platform which
his opponent has per~istently violated,
especially that clause about ''earnest
effort" An impartial observer would
naturally suppose that under such con-
ditions q large number Of Democrats
would have supported Mr.. Hubbard.
They are 20 earnestly in favor Of reform.
and all that sort Of thing. AL tho I'm
dependant journals Of that section
urged the Democrats TO scratch Barnum
and vote for Hubbard. That great
apostle Of boiling. the Now York III
b,ms. entered zcalously into the work OF
proselyting In favor Of Hubbard. II de-
voted . column OF editorial to tho sub
ject, and its special correspondent was
profuss In isuding Hubbard and decry-
ing Bar,um. There Is no doubt that
the former Is tho ablest and best man.
But what was tho RESULT Only this:
Barnum was reelected by an increased
majority. The Democrats didn't
scratch. They never do. II isn't part
Of their creed. They have no precs-
dents for such q course. Wherever the
Democratic party Is In q majority. there
they ''tais IL straight" It is only
whom in . minority that . good Demo-
crat favon reform.
In Missouri tho Democratic party had
. chance TO show their zeal for honesty.
ability. and 90 forth. The term Of Carl
Sohurz vas about 10 expire. He 10 con
fessedly an earnest, incorruptible. lib
eral. statssmanliks man. To him the
Democracy Of Missouri were under obli-
cations. Did they remberthis whom thoy
came into powsras amajority ofthe Leg
isiaturs, Not much. Did thOy scraichi
Not psresptibly. Thoy "took thsir'n
straight" Looking around they found.
mot . statesman; not an orator. not .
man Of power. force or experience in
public life-but whsti An e1-rsbsl
General. renowned for nothing save the
fact that he had fought against the
Union and Was q Democrat. This was
enough. Il did not matter that Cook
rsli vas . cipher o. compared with
Carl Schurx. He had stronger recon-
msndations. He was IN ex-rebel officer
and - suoh entitled 10 reward. With
such . record his Democracy was indis-
putable. He was elected by q straight
Democratic vote. There was no scratch
ing. so IL has been and will be. To-
day over one-iourth Of our national Con-
grsss arc mon, who ten years ago, were
in arms against tho Government; vero
opposed TO its existence a. a united
body. Every y Of these sx-rsbsls Ia
. Democrat. Tho Republican party
does MOI send Rebel Generals 10 Con-
gross in large doses. They arc not rep
rcssntstives Of Republican doctrine.
And for two years, at least, that
element. which. under the name Of
Democrat Is in reality disloyal. will hold
the balance Of power in a nation to dss-
troy which its best energies were bent.
This element Is representative Dem
ocrscy. elected not because Of honesty.
ability. patriotism or energy. but on &C
count Of its record. These men are
Democrats. elected BY q constituency.
who. whom in majority. never scratch
their tickets. They are straight" Dem
ocrats. elected by voters who. at an cleo
ton. shut their eyes and vote straight
tickets"