Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-26
THE MORAL EFFECTS OF EATING
CROW.

When there is difference of opinion
among members of the same political
party as to the eligibility of candidates
for Office, and when after a more or less
! strenuous resistance to certain candl-
dature, those who are opposed to 1t are
overcome by a hostile majority, and
are forced to accept the obnoxious nomina-
ton, the disagreeable obligation of affect
ing content and satisfaction with the out
come of the controversy is compared to
the compulsory eating of boiled crow, as
suggested by well known and venerable
story. 1t is very seldom that any political
action of consequence takes place without
oblig1ng some people to perform this I'M
pleasant task, and, sometimes the circum-
stances are such as to render the crow
eating a very remarkable and significant
phenomenon. Since compromise IS the IN
dispensable condition of nearly all political
action, it is impossible to avoid the neces-
sity of occasional violations of conviction,
and concessions to party exigency. But
there occur situations in which it becomes
necessary to inquire whether any conceiv-
able advantage derivable from party cohe-
sion can offset the patent and fragrant
injuries to public morality involved in the
observance of factional traditions in this
connection. It fortunately happens that
at the present juncture the most
serious evils of the kind referred to have
been escaped, and that the necessity for
crow-eating has been comparatively slight.
But it is only requisite to point out what
might have easily occurred, to demonstrate
the extent of the menace to public morals
concerned in the eating OF crow. net US
suppose, for the purpose of Illustration,
that Grant had been nominated at Chicago
and Tilden at Cincinnati, instead OF Car
field and Hancock. 1t will at once be
apparent that the effect of these nomina-
tions must have been to produce distinct
and appreciable degradation of the press
throughout the country, and correspond
ing debasement of public sentiment. For
while some few journals might have re-
fused to surrender their convictions, and
to support candidates they had persistently
opposed, it cannot be doubted that the
greater number would have held it neces-
sary to put party policy before principle,
and would have sought to cover the moral
disgrace of their qualification by paradlng
their partisan subserviency in the light of
virtue. The journals, for example, which
had opposed Grants nomination on SO
many and such strong grounds; which had
insisted that it would be menace to the
country and a discredit to the party !;
which had elaborated the most powerful
arguments in support of their position !;
which had indicated their antagonists,
and convinced their readers what would
their situation have been in the event of
his success at Chicago? In such case
there could have been no evasion. The
issues had been made too distinctly and
clearly for that. These journals would
therefore have been compelled to swallow
their own words, to repudiate and trample
to set an example of dishonesty and want
of principle, to stand conspicuously for
ward as illustrations of the deadening eff
feet of partisanship upon the conscience and
the sense of honor and self-respect in
fact to put their souls to open and
shameless prostitution. Among savage
tribes it is customary to beat drums
and make loud noises to hide the cries
and groans of those who are being
tortured in the name of religion or to satisfy
some barbarous conventions. In like man
ner the degradation of American journalism
is sought to be concealed by the loud sound
ing of the party drums, and the shoutings
of affected admiration at the base COM
pliance with partisan behests. But for all
these attempts at concealment the shock
given to public morality is great and last
ing. For it is not possible that such ex-
hibitions of contempt for truth and prin-
ciple and conviction should be made, with
out at once producing disdain for the pro-
fession that is liable to these periodical
debasements, and weakening the popular
reverence for the attributes SO held up to
scorn and ridicule. 1t is the party that is
made Fetish of by these feasts of crow, and
in exact proportion the attachment to
country is diminished and enfeebled.