Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-14
What is 4 War Democrat !

| SlSnlHcatlOu OF the TERM W Ut DeIu-
ocrat." The Chandler resolution
adopted by the Legislature throws
a flood of light upon this vexed ques-
ion. 1t was introduced as a party
measure and voted upon as such, and
we find that Mr.. White, Represen-
tative from King county, the only
"War Democrat in the Assembly,
voted an emphatic "aye" for man
ifesto, which declares the departed
politician to have been q "patriot
whose pub'ic and pirate record had
shown only the sternest, mos, con-
sistc,a and m,dincl,ing adrocacy Of
Me cause of right and Hberty.' We
now know that the campaign planned
by Mr.. Chandler, of massing troops
in South, previous to the Presiden-
tial election, as alleged to prevent
intimidation of the colored voters;
the alternative Of throwing out the
returns if the party vote was insult
ticient to elect Mr.. Hayes, and the
iniquitous programme by which the
voice of the people was ignored, was,
in the estimation of such politicians
as Mr.. White, ga consistent aud un-
tlinching advocacy of the cause of
right and liberty" And that must
be what "War Democrat now
means.
But we do insist that the term
does not signify what it did few
years ago, if Mr.. White possesses a
shadow Of title TO it now. To have
been IL War Democrat during the
rebellion and especially to have
fought the country's battles was the
highest need of praise that could
be awarded to patriotism; but even
such gallant service does not give
anybody copyright to the term for
the purpose Of degrading it to base
political uses.
Nj. White, if we are correctly in
formed, fought for the Union. This
was right. We accord him the same
honor, as we would any other of the
many thousands who did the same
thing. We are willing for him to
make this record his boast, and free
ly accord him precedence for risking
his life to perpetuate the blessings
Of free government, but he should
remember that War Democrat"
and Republican, are not syno-
nyms, and much that was done before
the war, during the war and after the
war, by the IL" eminent patriot, whose
public and private record has shown
only consistent advocacy of right, ]"
in Republican parlance, no true
War Democrat would approve of or
endorse, or if he did so, it would be,
by bis former acts and professions,
regarded as absolute qualification.
Mr.. White certainly does not wish
us to substantiate this position by
any better proof than mere refer
ence to the wide line of demarkation
drawn between the terms War Dem
ocrat and Republican by his present
party associates few years ago when
the gallant Marshall F. Moore,
War Democrat carrying Rebel lead
in his lungs, made the canvass for
Delegate to Congress against Selu-
cious Garfielde, the Republican NOM
inee. They had no difficulty in con-
vincing the majority that " consistent
unfinching advocacy of the cause of
right" required the sacrifice of the
soldier for the political charletan.
Even the brilliant oratory which
made Sidel watchman would have
passed as naught in a convention
where party lines were drawn with
anything like their usual inflexibility.
Let us hope that term, which is
held in grateful reverence by all
true friends of the nation and
around which clusters so many glo-
rious "reminiscences of the battle
field may not again be prostituted
for such selfish or partisan objects.
Rev. Mr.. Utter and others recently