The Russellville Democrat., 1879-01-16
SPURIOUS VIRTUE.

ADu II lb suUuIQ HDb Uc tiHV, then that wonld sscertainly show that Col Johnson has to encounter the hostility of as mean and uLscru pulous foes as ever attemptedforbase and selfish purposes to blacken and defame the character of an honest and honorable man, The papers Of the state who have retailed this un just, infamous and malicious charge against Col. Johnson have done more real injury to the cause of high toned journalism and more to degrade the standard of political canvassing in this state than the sale of forty papers could have accomplished. We blush for the meanness of the man who could resort to such base methods to injure political oppo- nent.-Gazette.
 It is really humiliatlng to sec to what an extent some of the papers in this State will go in their bitter and unwarranted animosity against k. ". Johnson. In their childish anger and well founded fear that he will be elected U. s. Senator they have stopped so low as to charge those papers that support him with being thought up," paid to support him. &c. This is astep lower than we thought an Arkansas editor would descend. We have looked upon them as too high toned andcourteous to degenerate into such contemtable littleness. We are sorry..to see this. Harrisburg Tribune.
 It has been the constant aim of the DEMOCRAT, although it makes no grand pretentions to ''high- toned ness," to do nothing to degrade the standing of honorable journalism. We know that we have on several occasions differed very materially with several of our brethren of the State Press, but we have carefully avoided, as far as possible, all per sonalities, all billings gate and dirt throwing.
 We are as stongly ;n favor ofa courteous, dignifed style of iournals ism as either the Gazette or the Fri bune; but we tell those papers right now that free press cannot be bull dozed by any such clap-trap ser mons on morality as the above.
 Let us see what constitutes this great ''degeneracy," this contempt | ffie littleness," this "meanness and unscupulousness" which "has done more to degrade the cause of high toned journalism than the sale of forty papers could have accomplish ed.
 But in the first place we will most smphatically deny that there has been any attempt to blacken and defame the personal character or in- tegrity of Col. Johnson; nor has the majority of spe Press supporting him been charged with being infiu- enced by any improper consldera- tions.
 The whole truth OF the matter is about this:
 The Gazette has been charged with being the personal organ oi Col. Johnson. We leave it to the public to say if thls charge is not well founded.
 It has been stated as the bellef Of several papers that the Arkansas Traveller was bought over to Col. Johnson's support. Is this belief well founded, or justified? We will state what is known about it and leave it to any reasonable tribunal to say.
 When the various aspirants for the Senate were making the canvass Of the State last summer, the Traveller was one of the strongest anti-John- son papers Tn the State. Warner, the proprietor of the Traveller, was also proprietor of paper at Morrll- ton, the Plebian, which was also anti Johnson, and kept the name of Hon. J. D. Walker.at it's mast head as its favorite for the Senate. A few weeks ago the two papers owned, or rpurpor- ting to be owned by Warner, turned complete somersault and came out red hot Johnson papers. Warner said he had been offered Two Hun dred Dollars to support Johnson. It may never be known to the public who made the offer, but that the offer was made is known by Warmers own admission.
 THESE ARE THE FACTS, and for ex- pressing the belief, with these facts before us, that the Traveller sold out, we are told thatswe have "degenera- ted;" that we haYe shown an "un- warranted" unjust, malicious and
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