Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-04-29

oeidIOT IOr tfllS district, q MEMBER
OF Congress from this district, and
soon will, no doubt, furnish us U.
,. Senator. We find its oracular
annunclations upon these subjects
copied by greenhorns as if they had
the weight OF democratic authority
about them. We think that paper
Will lind that the democrats know
how to choose their own representa-
tlyes both in the Legislature and
congress, and as we admonished
them upon former occasion, they
are about the last persons from whom
the democrats would be inclined to
receive advice. Let every Democrat
take heed lest he find favor in the
columns of the Martinsburg hide
pendent.
The above specimen of egotistical
bosh is from the autocrat of the
Charlestown Free Press. who labors
under the delusion that he is a very
extraordinary individual, and that
no one has right to express an opin-
ion on political matters-the fitness
or unftness of men for positions of
public trust-unless it is done i'll the
regular old-fashioned style of parti-
Zan preference. AS the Free Press
seems much worried on the subject,
we take pleasure in informing it that
the Independent is not a Democratic
paper any more than it is Republi-
can paper. 1t is not in the "organ"
grinding business, and has not the
slightest disposition to encroach up
on the Free Press in this respect
We are not turning a family crank
just now. If the Free Press finds
pleasure and profit in that line of
business, as it seems to, we most
cheerfully accord it a full monopoly.
But perhaps it may as well under
etand that the Independent will assert
its right of independent thought,
criticism and action, regardless of
the Picksniffery of the Free Press or
any one else. The Free Press SIM
ply falsifes the facts when it says we
have attempted to ''give as State
Senator for this District" "Us''-
which means him of the Free Press
can select his own State Senator,
Congressman and U. S. Senator, just
as he pleases, and we shall neither
modest nor make him afraid. And
if the people, recognizing their own
inability and the superior wisdom and
intelligence of the great man of the
Free Press, prefer to have him do the
whole business and make selection for
himself. and them as well, we shall
interpose no special objection to this
either. We are disposed to be quite
liberal, not to say Indifferent about
the matter. We are even ready to
concede, and do So cheerfully, that
the Free Press is the only regular,
genuine, "Old Doctor Jacob Town
send' Democratic "organ" in the
District, in which there is no guile
nor shadow of turning. 1t has
full and complete monopoly Of the
"circular" business, and is turning
the family crank with sweet devo-
ton and servile meekness that de-
serves high recognition from its en-
ployers. Let all true and genuine
Democrats dance only to the music
of the Free Press. And when the
Free Press has selected it's candi-
dates-the regular, genuine, Bour-
bon straight-let no liberal or radi-
cal Republican, or Union or war
Democrat profane the sanctity of
it's selection by casting their ballots
for such shining representatives of
the Ben Hill, Bob Toombs and Ran
Tucker spirit Of Democracy. The
Free Press don't want any such Scat
tie" in it's fold. 1t is going to run
the thing on the ''blue blood" prin-
ciple, and like Ben Hill, and the
other impracticables, will succeed
admirably in running the Democrat
ic party into the ground.
We repeat, we are not in the "ma-
chine" business, and the warning of
tho Free Press that Democrats take
heed lest they find favor in the col
umns of the INDEPENDENT is en-
tirely superflous, if it refers, as we
presume it does, to the scheming,
office-seeking machine Democrats Of
which the Free Press processes to
be the oracle, and hind and front.
The INDEPENDENT will support for
Office only those candidates whom it
believes to be honest and capable,
and in making its choice it will not