The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-26
THE BRASS COLLAR IN POLITICS.

merely smacks off party tyranny with a
vengence but is virtually bold and ar
rsgant indictment against the intelligence
and the integrity of the age. Coercison
under this method is fatal not only to the
free growth of political health, but Of even
that of party fealty. The infliction of such
coercive drill alienates as much in one case
as in the other. Treat with intolerance those
of your faith whom you should seek to
conciliate, ana they will soon enough afford
you good grounds for the treatment, but
this will be Of your making. Say to them
We are your masters, we are the brains Tor
you and you are merely the
bone and mus2lo for us to manip-
ulate, we are your standards and your pat
terms because we are more powerful to-day,
and your cynical arrogance and assumption
can have but one result. The truth is We
want more political liberty. As Auberon
Herbert well observes: "Cut the cord; give
us full freedom for differing among our
selves and it at once and only then, becomes
possible for man not merely to hold by his
own convictions, but yet be completely toler-
ant Of what his neighbor says and does"
Somewhere in his work on "Social States
Herbert Spencer says; "The contribution
taken forcibly from the weak brings neither
grace to the giver nor the receiver, II has
the evil SAVIOR about it and always brings
evil consequences" In this connection Our
mind reverts to .E;op, who says in one
of his inimitable fables after this fashion:
Once there was dog rambling through the
woods for recreation. He was a fat, sleek,
handsome animal, fair to look upon. In the
course OF his meanderi ngs he came upon his
cousin german, wolf. They soon scraped
up relationship and fast friendship
was cemented. AS they wandered
together through outrageous groves,
beside purling streams and in
the midst Of sweet smelling flowers,
while the birds made all the woodlands mel
odious with their songs, they conversed and
discussed various subjects. They talked pol
itcs, and enlarged upon the under dog in a
fight, and quoted poetry, and compared the
relative merits of logic and rhetoric, and
grew philosophical, astronomical, classical
and metaphysical. The range of their con-
versa.ion covered all subjects, and
each was most agreeably entertained
by the other. Finally the wolf observed |
about the dogs neck a crease, mark like
the imprint of some heavy substance and ex-
cusing himself, for the wolf was polite
g Gentleman, he asked the causes of it, if it was
not subject two delicate TO be preached. The
dog smiling very courteously assured him, for
the particular dog ID question was a gentle
man, too, that the subject was by no means
delicate one and that he would take pleasure
Ia telling him all about it. In fact he was
rather proud of the mark he held it as an
insignia of honor to himself. He had mas
ter that he loved dearly, He was kind to
him and proud of him, and reciprocatng
these feelings, he had only reverence and
gratitude for his master, Especially was he
grateful because he provided him warm,
nice kennel in. winter, shady, cool
place in summer, and an abundance of
scraps from his table, delicious chicken
bones, substantial bits Of beef and bread ,
with butter smeare1 all over it. In tho day
time, unless no happen to ovade him as
was the case on this occasion, his master
kept him chained up, and it was the mark
Of the collar on his neck that had attracted
he attention of his friend. "The mark of
collar on your neckp said the wolf. "You
don't tell me that you are chained, that
you are denied your liberty and freedom
Of action'' "Oh it is only in the day
lime and l don't mind that" responded the
log. "And tell you friend wolf" the doc
vent on" l earnestly entreat you, my cousin, :
o give up your wandering life, subsisting as
pest you can, and living the precarious OK.
stence you do, and come with me to my
masters home. Be my companion and
hare with me the benefcent bounty of my
MASTER" excuse me-" answered the
wolf. "Precarious as my living may be,
,njoy freedom, l have no crease of the collar
lround my neck, and l prefer my liberty of
,hought and action" This is but fable.
but it illustrates the true in
vardness of the collar in politics. The time
was when man could entertain political
opinions the opposite of his neighbours and
IT'LL be his neighbours friend and boon com.
panion. Of late years this has changed.
Political and social ostracism has been the
portion of that man who dared differ with the
political party in power, that is in the
majority in any locality. The party lash has
been laid upon the backs of Democrats or
Of Republicans who dared to think or
act counter to the commands of conven.
ton. A nomination was equivalent to
dictation; a platform must be the wade
mecum. Happily change has come over
the spirit of the peoples dreams. The age,
with its enlightenment, its means ofenlghten-
ment, is lifting the people up out of the ruts
of blind acquiescence to what leaders. and
often self consttuted leaders, may dictate.
Conventions with their dicta, ofteutimes un-