Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-11
THE DECLINE OF THE STUMP.

The Cincinnati Enquirer recently OBJ.
served that stump speaking, as means
of rousing the people to political action,
has fallen into decline" This is not q
new observation, but it certainly has de.
rived very striking confirmation from the
recent campaign in this State. It may be
said that the test was made as fairly as it
ever has been. 1t was noted at the begin.
ming of the campaign that all the best
speakers were on the Republican side.
The head of the ticket was fluent and
practiced speaker, and he was supported
by men like Edgerton, Woods, Morrow and
other veterans of the stump and the forum.
On the other hand the head of the Demo.
cratic ticket did not speak at all, or so lit
tie as not to count for anything. And the
Republican speakers made a most thorough
canvass of the State. They, or some of
them, were in every part of it, and they all
made long speeches. Yet the result does
not justify the conclusion that all their
speaking changed single vote. Estee
made himself generally known to thousands
of people. Stoneman stayed at home. Yet
the man who canvassed the State is de-
feated, and the man who went nowhere
and said nothing is elected by 10000 ma.
iority. Truly it appears that in politics
speech may be silvern, but silence golden.
There has never been more stump speak.
ing done in California than this year, and
the Republicans unquestiona5ly out. talked
their opponents in the field. But the PEG.
pie listened to them, heard all they had to
say, apparently disbelieved them, and GER
tainly went and voted against them.
1t might be argued from this, as indeed
it often has been argued, that the press is
taking the place Of the stump altogether.
Yetthere are some facts which it is diff.
cult to reconcile with this theory. For
example, everyone can call to mind in.
stances of journals which, possessing large
circulation, and being conducted with
ability, yet have utterly failed to convince
the voters. Indeed in the recent campaign
the failure Of the journals which supported
the Republican ticket was quite as marked
as that of the stump-speakers. The ex-
PLANTATION of this perhaps is that the people
are less capable of being led as they in.
crease in intelligence. When the press
reasons correctly from the fscts which are
accessible to all alike, the people agree with
it, and it may seem to be leading them.
Bat the moment it attempts crooked reas-
oning, and tries to misrepresent and distort
the facts Of the situation, the people
ignore it, and go their own way in direct
opposition to it. And there is another
consideration in regard to the alleged de.
cline of the stump. The indifference of
the people to stump speaking may after all
only be one of the consequences of that
disintegration of parties which is SO plainly
proceeding at the present time. When
parties represent principles which are be.
ieved in firmly by their followers, those
who represent those principles are sure to
have attentive and enthusiastic hearers.
But when, as now, both the parties are
living upon tradition, and all their activity
and energy is attributable mainly to the
lust of Office, it is impossible to interest
the masses in stump speaking.
The influence of the press, like that of
the stump, must depend in the long run
upon the truth Of the messages it delivers.