Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-11

estimate was discounted BY some Of the re.
publican wheel-horses, who expressed the
Judgment when solicited for 4 bonus to pre-
vent the Independent from Hopping, thse
the party Gould batter afford u give il aome-
thinSSto goin case Il was held BY no higher
purpoee than to make money out Of the
campaign.
II needs no homily from US to demons
trate the total lack of principle which the
Independents course exhibits, That 10
s~elf.evtdent. Every honorable man at once
that it IL q disregard of those sensibilities
which are recognized everywhere as noble
and worthy. Even the Independent itself
has felt this as will be seen by extracts else
where In this issue, printed 10 that paper
before ito petty greed for q paltry bride
sMothered the sentiments it then expressed.
It knows that such q step Is treachery.
But, in addition to forfeiting the conf
dence and respect of the public st large, in.
GLIDING even those who completed the sub.
ornstion first broached by itseaf, the Inde- !
pendent may be spread out to day ii. 1 sam.
pie of Che most ekreGious stupidity eyersde.
spised BY common business prudence. BY
this Transaction it has in dollars and cents
sacrificed much more than il has realized,
to say nothing Of tho dishonor involved.
Sometimes . questionable act may have
about 1t some feature ia the way of artistic |
conception Of cunning execution, which
secures applause for its novelty; but for
bungling knavery, people have only con.
tempt
1t seems almost incredible that after years
Of labor in building up 4 business in a COM
munity Of honorable men, a paper could
stoop to sacrifice its past record and its fu-
ture prospects for such 4 bagatelle a. $500.
Just think Of it! What estimate would be
put on an attorney who, after being engaged
in the furtherance of most important cause,
should sell out to the other eide for $500?
What would be thought of q physician, Who,
after. being engaged in Il family for q series
Of years, should when danger threatened it,
not only abandon it but attempt also to ad-
minister poison to his patrons, and all this
simply because some enemy Of the family
offered him a $500 fee? How much respect
or confidence could be claimed by a pastor
whos after long ministration to a congrega-
ton and . lifetime devoted to spreading
the truths Of the 2ospel, should 70 to preach
ing rank inidelity from his pulpit, not be-
cause of any change in his views as to the
stability Of those truths, but solely because,
to sell out his influence and abandon his
principles. somebody paid him 5000 more
than his congregation would give him for
doing his duty before God and man? What
difference would there be between such con-
duct on the part of these men, and.a paper
which, when the principles Of its party are
threatened at home and all over the country,
should abandon that party and turn out for
the opposition for 5000? Such an abandon
ment for any sum would be pertidy, but for
5000 it becomes also contemplate fool
ishness.
But, in this flop, the Independent has been
guilty of more than treachery and stupidity.
To these 1t has added that basest Of ofienses
-ingratitude. Ever since its birth it has
been the recipient of public patronage, ag-
gregating many times 5000, demanding this
as a republican newspaper, and now in re-
turn for these favors, it abandons the party
which granted them, and goes over to the
enemy. II it had Observation-Disclosures.
ed that the principles of that party were
not for the public veal, or that circumstan-
ces had risen which when viewed in the
light of the best interests of society warran-
ted an effort for their overthrow, then Of
course it was not only its privilege but its
duty to attack them. Or if BY schemers
some man had been foisted upon the party
as its candidate, who was unworthy of the
suffrage of republican voters or the support
of republican newspapers, then unquestion-
ably the Independent or any other journal
would be justified in striving for his defeat.
But neither of these conditions exists. The
righteousness Of republican principles the
Independent does not dispute, and the fit.
ness of the republican standard-bearer it
has en,phatically affirmed. All under heay-
en- that has changed its tone is 5000 cash in
hand paid. For this it has torn down the
flag under which 1t enlis.ed; for this it has
kicked away the platform on which it stood;
for this it has sacrificed it's reputation for pc.
litical integrity; for this it has alienaied
men who have Tor years been staunch friends;
for this it has ungratefully deserted the
ranks of the party which had a right to
count upon its loyalty.