Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-14
The Lesson OF the Campaign.

Mr.. EDITOR:
Iwant In the out set to indorss your own
words in the last issue of your paper:
POLITICIANS in this county this year have
been very selfish. and the out come proves
the correctness of the old maxim that ''sel-
fishness often defeats its own ends" II
the politicians are many of them defeated
they have themselves to blame.
The Tribune has been censured up in
this county for its supposed half-hearted
support of the regular nominee for the
House. While the editor maintains that
his paper has cordially and psrSiStintly ad-
vocated the rights of Grant county and
urged the support of its candidate.
We are all willing to eoRcsde that such
was the case up to the time that MIR Com
stock came forward as an opposition can
didate, but since that event the best that
can be said of the Tribune is that it as
sumed an impartial and neutral position,
and in doing SO virtually abandoned the
cause of this county. But, sir, if any Of
the friends of Mr.. Sanford desired you to
"assail the character Of Mr.. Comstock, "
they deserved themselves to be assailed
Defamation of character is the bane of
modern politics, and 1t is working its legit-
innate result: that of electing really bad
men to Office. So long as indiscriminate
slander and calumny follows every man
who aspires to position, regardless Of his
real character, just so long will 1t be pos.
slble for men who have driven from Offices
they have corrupted, to succeed as we'll az
the best man before the popular vote; be.
sides, good men who have the courage to
breast the tide Of calumny are getting
scarce. Let the man Tor the men) who
wanted you to begin fusillade of abuse
upon MIR. Comstock, be exposed at once.
But the friends of Mr.. Sanford did ex
pect the the Tribune to dcnounce the
scheme or trick" by which Grant county
was defrauded of her jus, rights; trick
by which it was sought to give Stevens
county both the Senator and the Represen.
tative; and if she has lost both, let her re
fleet. Let her recur to history and find in
the annels Of the past thousand similar
examples Of auicidal sslfishnesS.
The Tribune finds fault with Mr.. Sanford
and his friends because they did not dc
more electionering In his behalf. This
charge is especially brought against Mr.
SanfOrd-a charge that we hear repeated
daily in this county. Let it be remember
ed that the nomination was urged upon
him, and was not of his seeking. If he
labored under the delusion that "the Office
should seek the man, and not the man the
Office, and acted on that principle through
the campaign; and if he entertained that
still worse delusion, that the people of this
district would appreciate that kind of po
litical doctrine, he certainly must have
been the most ignorant simpleton that cveI
entered the political arena. Modesty ir
politics! A 6Gshful poIitSciGni Like
angels visitsi they are few and far be
tween" Even the Tribune doesn't wan
that kind of politicians. II seems to pre-
fer the brdzen kind. Sanford should have
dashed his modesty aside. He should
have gone round the district blowing hi,
own horn. He should have patted every
body on the back, promised to help then
in all their little schemes; promised I,
abolish the ''little brass tester" and rails
the price of wheat, and do dozsn othe
impossible things, and then after all 90
beaten, after which he could retire 10 tn
shades of private life and hate himself I,
death. However. laying aside all satir
and irony, Does not MIR. Sanford AM
Grant county stand in the most enyiabl
position of the three counties and thei
candidates, to-day? Grant comfy ha
nothing to regret. She was entitled b
justice and common consent to the Repre-
sentative; she obtained the nominatio
fairly aud squarsly. Had Stevens count
known and consulted her own interests
she would have stood by Grant and not b
trayed her. Il was because the friends 9
Mr.. Sanford relied on the good sense an
Judgment Of the votsrs of the district tbs
they took no active part In the campaign
They did not expect that the people q
Stevens county, who should have bee
their allies, weuld turn against them an
display 20 fagrantly the leading characte
istic of that domestic animal which dom
Giles in pen and diets on sUsU.
| In.the little political drama just close
in the Both district, the part enacted b
Grant Ia honorable and unselfish; that
Pops, selfish and mean. but charactsristl
that Of Stevens. contsmp.iblsl
Yours, truly,
I, THos. G. HoDGsoN.
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