The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-12-19
It is Over, Thank God.

1t has been the most disgraceful car
! paign ever known in the history of oil
country, and every man, of ever
party, is heartily ashamed that he ws
compelled to have anything to do wit
it. 1t has resulted in placing th
American people below the voters {
all other countries, and making on
country a laughing stock in all POI
tions of the globe. People abroad
who do not descend to dirty lies an
SANDER and scandal in their cam
paigns, believe all that is said by poll
ticians of opposing candidates in Amer
lea, and whoever is elected has no
the respect of citizens of foreign coun
tries. (This is written before the re
suit of the election is known.) II
some countries a man who would
make a personal fight on a candidate
and publish chapters on his private
life, whether false or true, would be
arrested on a criminal charge, pun.
ished severely, and lose the respect OF
all men. In this country the meanel
the things that are said of public men,
the higher the scandalmonger stands
with his party. If half that is said of
a candidate for public Office in Amer
lea is true, the candidate is not fit to
hold the position of dog catcher, and
as people in foreign lands take it for
granted that all stories are true, they
have no more respect for our rulers
than they have for their own dogs.
Our people are inclined to laugh at the
vileness of our political campaigns,
but it is very serious matter and one
that harms the country greatly. The
two parties have difference of opinion
on certain matters that are of public
interest, and if the honest voters of
one party outnumber the honest voters
of another, the party having the most
votes should govern, but the matters
of public concern are not discussed by
the papers and orators half as much
as are the acts of the candidates before
they were of legal voting age. AS
soon as a man is nominated, politi-
cal scavengers of the opposite
party go about inquiring if the
candidate did not make a false
step forty years ago, and any lit
tie circumstance, however trivial, that
can be tortured into something dis
is looked upon as bonanza
of filth, and otherwise honorable men
wallow in that filth for months at a
time. Men who, during all of their
lives, could not be induced to say
aught against or bear false witness
against a neighbor, roll the political
scandals as sweet morsels under their
ongues, converse on the subject in
heir families, read it in the newspa-
'ers, and get crazy over the topic,
the main issues of a cam
'aign in their mad desire to beat an
pponent, no matter by what disrepu-
able means. A mans public life for
wenty years may have been noble,
nd he may have done his state or his
ountry valiant service, and he may be
man above reproach, and one that :
ny American citizen would be proud !
} take by the hand, and yet if story {
an be manufactured to look plausible, :
the effect that in early life he was ,
areless in his conduct, the labors of
yenty years for the good of mankind
nd his country are forgotten, and his I
eak point-forgotten and forgiven
7 all interested-is made to overbal- '
Ice all the good he has ever done, Z
I'd he is made to appear by his polit- =
al enemies as the vilest of Gods =
eatures, until elected, when his ira
lcers will fawn around him. This is
rong, cowardly, and debasing, and IL
nds to make our loved country a Ii
ench in the nostrils of even our own p
ople. A political campaign like the ts
e that is past, can do more harm q
most, than rebellion, as it unset, o.
IS business, causes neighbors to rise W
against each other, and makes a Of
II of the people believe that who M
er is elected to the Office is whelp
the highest degree, unworthy and "a
clean, thief in a gentleman's in
ice. Many people are getting so tr
" would prefer to have their tn
lntry ruled by an absolute mon tv
n, who should have his power st
ring life, rather than 90 Sc
ough such campaign every four fir
RS. At each general election the ca
fhods are becoming worse than the
ceding one, until now bribery is as o..
nmon as drunkenness, corruption ~ ~
common as larceny, and in time it az az
become so disreputable that no g. e.
oio 'iiiaih WIZ SlOrleS IN MS on
me will dare accept nomination ~,
public office, and in that case the ~.
ntry will go to the dogs The only LIZ LIZ
7 to stop this is for the people, who J Je
the power if let alone, to decide to ia
the first man who fires blunder- pu
$ of SANDER into campaign, be he l IeS
lister OF the gospel or only an ordi- ina
y common son-of-a-gun. If men l
W that when they went outside of yar
tics and raked up a disreputable ira
J about candidate, strong hand rec
I'D grasp them by the throat and ing
ke the lie or SANDER down their mil
zs, wipe up the ground with their tina
asses, and send the remains to a the
zeal college to be dissected in the ces!
rest OF science, they would be care cali
II their remarks, campaigns would per
onducted honorably, and whoever Bui
elected would have the hearty sells
'ort OF all the people in his admin tent
ton. When man is elected A
ldent under the present regime Ga,
ander, it takes about three years coul
is opponents to become convinced ed
he is worthy of respect, and the wifi
is only half government. lauC
aqnh a,-ttr L