Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1879-11-13
Glforin Marium
Chas. e. Cassell .....Editor.
Ghrrs s R E; Sfasse'' rnop'R's.
THURSDAY. NOV. Is , 1879.
The ssOrgan'' and the Voter.

BATTERED, when ne remembers, mat IL
is assumed, that he will be influenced,
or taught how to vote, by ths bosh
and balderdash, that occupies nearly
the whole space, in the "organs, de-
voted to political matters, for weeks
before the cleo ion. For our part, We
are ready to believe that the voters
of our cou nty, especially those, who
support aud regularly read the coun-
ty papers, have sufficient intelligence
to asses the difference in weight, be
tween an appeal to their reason and
judgement and and an appea! to their
prejudice, and as readers, seeking in
formation, prefer the former. We
are advocates of, and firm believer,
in, the plan of organization as applied
t. no i,i'a mattrrs in this country,
bat We 10 not advocate, or believe
in, blind attachment to party, regard
less of any errors that may be COM
mitted by that party, that the "or-
gans' invariably insist upon. We
advocate the utilization of every ones
self, with one or the other Of the great
political parties, to aid, in carrying
out every good measure, or in elect
ing every good man, it may bring for
ward, the question as to the good or
evil OF the man or measure, to be de-
termincd by the voters own intelli-
gent judgement, or as it may be aid
ded by sober counsel, not violently
partisan or predjudiccd.
Especially, in the matter Of our
County elections. would we insist up
on the right of our position, and to
strengthen it, refer to the verdict of
the people at our last two elections,
both Of which, 60 to prove, that par-
ties or factions Of parties can no long
err maintain their inaexible hold upon
the intelligent voter. In the four
counties of western Maryland lying
contiguous to one another, Carroll.
Frederick, Washington and Allega-
ny, We have had in the election Of
last week most remarkagle demon
stration of the righteousness Of our be-
lief. In state matters, the counties
have been unanimous; electing all
those officers when any one Of GER
tain party was elected, and yet in
every one of the four counties named
we find that when the local issue Of
home, or county affairs was reached on
the ticket, the independent voter as
serted his first right of American cIti-
zenship, to control his vote by his
judgement and conscience and the re-
suit has been, divided ticket in eve
ny County.
1t is simply absurd, for any one to
assert, that in County ma tiers, the is
sues are defined, in the Magma CaarSa
ofeither, the Republican or Demo-
cratic parties; that the cardinal points
of difference, States Rights, Tariff for
protection or revenue, Resumption or
Imitation are the most remotel y con-
nected with the peoples interest in the
recording Of judgements, probsting Of
wills, prosecuting, feeding or hang
ing of criminals, making of public
roads or even the making Of the Laws
of Maryland. We say, it is absurd to
attempt to prove it, other than a local
issue, or that it ever can or will, in
reality, be other than question as to
the ability and integrity of men and
not question Of policy.
1t is necessary to have placed before
the voter, two or more tickets, for the
most excellent reasons, that they be-
get rivalry and instigate comparisons
as to virtue and ability, and it is
convenient to give them the names Of
the great political parties, for the
want Of specific issue from which to
obtain the titles, and when the voter
"splits his ticket" by virtue Of the
comparisons he has made, then have
the two tickets served the full pur-
pose for which they were named.
We know that this will be consid-
cred treason and "Aat burglary" in
the opinions Of the "straigt outs the
''unwashea" and of the "organs," yet
having the 'm,ens conscia erec6' and
our record as voter, to attest the
consistency of our practice with our
profession, we fearlessly quote, "if
this be treason, make the most Of it..
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