The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-23
partnisn and Egotism.

Partyism and Rgotism.
We are for the nominees, tariff or no
arif. and we do not hesitate moment to q
,ay Al. and we are for that declaration
soncerniuv the tariff which viii secure the
nost electoral votes for the nominees /
whether Il Be phrased By Mr.. Morrison or
Mr.. Randall. Clarion.
We regret extremely to Bear such talk
a. the above from TEE CLRIoN, the recog
nised central organ OF ne Democracy q
the State. This subordination Of pr1ncA-
PIE 10 expediency has gone On until 2 "a
tional Democratic yicAor9 promises no sup.
ssafial benefit to the country, and would
amount to nothing more than change Of
oficehoIders. Il may suit the ofice-seekIng
element for the party to pursue any course,
however inconsistent with principle, tnat
i calculated 20 catch the largest number
Of voters, but the honest masses, whose /
political affiliations are influenced BY pa
triotic considerations and sound principles |
of political economy viii insist upon |
clear cut. we'll defined declaration upon all
questions that affect the material welfare |
Of the country. There is something more
disastrous than honorable defeat to Po-
litieal party, and that il victory won BY
prostituting its mission and pandering 70 |
every prejudice and yitiated sentiment BY
which votes can be gained npelo Jour-
nal
The difference between the journal and
ourself is simply this: We announce
beforehand that We will support the
nominees and the platform, and the
Journal waits till the nominations have
been made and the platform constructed
and then does exactly what we have
been doing for weeks before; and if the
Journal thinks that its readers did not
know Just as well what it would do IS
did those of The CLARION what TEE
CLARION would do, it is sadly mistaken.
When we said that we would support
the nominees, "tariff or no tariff" We said
useless thing, because we suppose that
every reader of The CLARION knew that
| we would support the nominees without
our saying SO; and though the journal
kept as quiet as little mouse about its
course, its readers knew exactly what it
would do-support the nominees.
When we said that we were ''for that
declaration concerning the tariff which
will secure the most electoral votes for
the nominees" we intended to place our
self on record as being opposed to sub
ordinating all other sand principles
and periling success, simply to crafty a
huge mass of blatant ignoramuses
scattered throughout the length and
breadth of the country who acted as if
they would die on the spot if something
was not done with the tariff We do
not wish to be misunderstood, and We,
therefore say that We were in favor of
the passage of the Morrison Bill, but
simply because it reduced taxation.
Viewed as an economic measure of great
public importance it was piece Of
political jugglery-a mere makeshift.
i We have been much interested OF
late in studying the character of the
partisan who votes for platforms and
men, because the platforms are the tran
script of his own thoughts and eonclu-
sions, and because the men are always
the very men of his choice. One of
these has been voting the Democratic
ticket since 1852, and from that time
until this has always had his favorite
candidates nominated, and the princi-
Piles dearest to his heart prom ulgated
and he has faith now that should he live
to be 100 years old the men of his choice
and the principles of his heart will con-
tinue to be presented to him with the
Democratic stamp on them, and yet his
serenity has been somewhat disturbed
because The CLARION. is frank enough
TO tell its readers in advance what il
viii do, instead Of keeping an owl-likf
silence until the event has occurred, and
then, with an aaectation of the exercise
of Judgment and reason, saying that
what has occurred is exactly what il
wanted.
We think that newspaper, so far as
politics is concerned, should be partisan
or independent if it intends to be honest
If partisan 1t should support party men
and measures; if independent, it may dc
as it pleases. In this connection it may
be we'll to remark that really indepen,
dent papers are scarce in Mississippi
although in some quarters there is much
affectation of independence, encouraged
doubtless by the erroneous belief that
somebody is being hoodwinked.
To get our esteemed contemporary to
the point of its criticism, we will ask il
to say whether our public duty "as the
recognized central organ of the Democ,
racy of the State" did not require us to
favor such declaration concerning the
tariff as would secure the election of the
nominees? Or does the Journal think
that the tariff should have controlled
every other issue of the campaign even
if it secured the defeat of the Democra-
cy? Seeing now that Mr.. Morrison and
Mr.. Randall have both agreed upon the
tariff plank, does it not show that we
were wise beyond our generation in say
| ing that it made no difference witch of
the two phrased it,
/ When the journal says that "a nation.
/ al Democratic victory promises no sub
stantial benefit to the country, and
would amount to nothing more than a
change of ofics-holders," it takes posi-
ton which is inconsistent with the claim
Of the journal that it is a Democratic
newspaper. Indeed, if it be Indifferent
to the success of the Democratic party,
Fit Is worrying about q matter which
ought not to interest It when it allows
itself to regret any departure which
THE CLARION may make from the true
principles of the Democracy, an expo
nent Of which, in Our opinion, the Jour
nni u not.
THE CLARION can zealously support
CT veIand and Hendricks because they are
the nominees. The Register viii earnestly
do 50, because they stand on platform
that declares for the reduction Of the war
tariff, that demands that Federal taxation
shall be exclusively for public purposes
and shall not exceed the needs 81 thel
government economically administered.
TX. A.