The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-01-11
POLITICAL.

This is calculated to foster dlSSatlsiac
:, ton at the start and to leave false i'm
preston upon the public mind as to the
political complexion of this paper. The
: language used in the circular referred to in
o reference to the personal and political caste
I of The COMET, was SIT will be free-the
mCuth-piece of no man, the organ of no
clique, the slave of no party-just, honest,
. and fearless.
( 1t was not deemed necessary to in
dulge in earnest and elongated platitudes
of fealty to any party That style of jour
nalistic self~sufliciency is too stale, flat and
, improbable. Everybody las heard that
many times before, and the hope and OBJ
ject of this paper are to ventiate views and
principles with some degree of freshness,
and to relieve its columns, if possible, from
the hackneyed sameness of style in saying
a thing.
Strictly speaking, it is quite true that
The COMET does not aim to be party Or
gan. There are enough party organs al>
ready, and largely more than enough, good
ness knows. The strength of party is
not measured by the number of its organs.
1t is a question in our minds whether a
weak organ, with a collar around its neck,
and capable only of feeble defense, and
still feeber attack, is not really a source Of
injury to the party it advocates. We are
not so sure but that the party would get
along quite as well or better without it.
The COMET has not returned to this
sphere to shove any old orthodox party or
gan off the party platform. Let them all |
go ahead and be organs and lest the vim
and pronouncement of their editorial col
umns should fail to give the public clear
idea of where they stand, let each OF them
write under his picture: 'This is horse"
or, ''This is the organ of the party of redemI-
ton" The COMET aims higher-it aims
to be newspaper-the organ of the people,
of justice, hherality, wholesome conserva-
tism, progressive democracy, and earnest
patriotism. 1t does not propose to be the
slave of any party with no broader ambi>
ton than to register its edicts or to echo
The teachings of its leaders without inquiry
Or question; but it does propose to DE as
rue as steel to that party which promises
'he most good to the. people, and which is
he best coadjutor with them in all things
to promote their comfort, happi- /
less, liberty and prosperity.
In the present aspect of the political -,
parties of this country The COMET would
,e false to all its past if it did not adhere ,
warmly to the National Democratic party. fl
his is undoubtedly the party which en- fl
traces the bulk of the real conservatism V
nd the real patriotism of the country. So
ar as the South is concerned the Republi>
an party was born in strife, grew up in S
7ar, and went out in corruption. There &
re very few here now who desire its resto~ c
alton, and those few are not the models !,
re would choose for patriots. party Il
aus conceived in sectional intolerance,
urtured upon hate, and fattened upon
under, can hardly be expected to become o
onest and just in one generation. The y,
reat want of this country is a party, and -
triumphant party, free from all the shack u
S of sectionalism, the bigotry of party> I'll
m, and the demon of corruption-a brave Df
lrtY which can hold its head erect and DEFY n
q venomed shafts of the world-a party he
at will wrench the scepter from the tremh- te
lg hands of the jobbers and tricksters in
ID kneves who have revealed so long in an
gh places, and restore the glory of our Re- an
Iblican government-a party that will de
ing back the integrity of our fathers and
ep abreast with the advancement of
'eral ideas. WI
Such party the Republican party cans Ne
t be. They are hampered all alound by me
possibilities. The authors of the mis- to
iSf, it would be unnatural for them 10 Oh
come the reprovers and the correctors of tire
elr own wrongs. You cannot reasonably Ne
oect the professional highwayAan to be- VIII
ne all at once an exemplary Sunday am
lool teacher. 1t would be folly to look Ma
the outlaw for a wholesome code of laws. am
The soNcalled Independent party is a ne
lare cheat Every man who calls him am
independent" and thinks binself in VIII
is cheated. Never was a the
I'd SO horribly abused. An independent MI
ty is paridoxical absurditv The verr, way
ne party carries with it the proof of we
tallacy of the boast. If you really Pet
1t to be independent you must not Join to
Independent party. 1t is the most ear
'ish organization you ever got into. No not,
n Is great enough to be independent of anne
fellows and he who plumes himself subj
st on his independence is generally the ton
subject for abject submission to the beer
Iy lash. We love the word Independent, Pete
we despise its perverted application. an
re IS nothing at present before this tice
ntry that the Independent party can do, repu
the man who rushes into it stands a ever
ndld chance of losing all his thunder. polit
qually powerless is the SO called Green. pect
party. This party had the merit of q in g
nd principle to build on. 1t is undenia- sion
that the government has oppressed the u 80 =
:, and stihed the industry of the coun- rest
by servile shaping of all its legislation that
ne Interest Of the rich, and especially GUT
oond-holding classes. But this party. plan
'st before it was born, in the very limo. hunt
y OF its childhood, with its pure and PREP
promptings, was seized upon by such MED
al banhupts as Butler of Massachusetts dane
such agrarian lepers as Dennis Kear-
OF California, turn ed ont Of its natural "
anu PiOS'l'utou 10 lhe most selfish Con,
bastst OF uses. Whatever chance the expe
nback party may have had, it has been will
-oyed by its self constituted leaders. pose
lus we come back TO the only two par Wick
Fhich have any ,igor, or any chance covei