Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-06-30
THE "NATION.


leading metropolitan papers is there dis
PLAYED the same literary merit; tn
breadth of view; the impartiality in al
matters the desire to be just, that ha
been so characteristic of the Nation. 1t
tone has been of thehighest and it neVe
has stopped to ribaldry, although
il has ever been a master of sarcasm anC
scathing but polite language. 1t has
done much to elevate the general tone o
the press throughout the country. There
! has been no other American newspaper
that could be cited SO generally as an au
thority on all topics, no matter whether
they were literary, political, economical
or merely topics of the time, ,as the Nation
In politics it has been Independent, with
leaning to Republicanism but in the
political field its work has been most
wholesome. Wherever rascality and
fraud showed their heads, there il
struck a blow; no matter in what party
they appeared, they always received the
same treatment. With the Nation party
has never been looked upon as anything
more sacred than a means; never as an
end, to gain which all things were justi-
fable.
It started in its career of usefulness
when the sounds of battle had scarcely
died away, and when men had not
learned of the ways of peace in dealing
with the mighty questions that remained
after the Union was saved, and it desired
that to the solution of those questions
there should be brought the calm and
considerate ways Of peace. That which
it proposed to do will be best told in the
language of its prospectus:
FiqSt-The discussion of the topics of the
day, and, above all, of legal, economical,
and constitutional questions, with greater
accuracy and moderation than are now to be
found in the daily press.
Second-The maintenance and diffusion
of true democratic principles in society and
government, and the advocacy and illustra-
ton of whatever in legislation or in man
distribution of the fruits of progress and
civilization.
Third-The earnest and persistent consider
alton of the condition of the laboring class at
the South, as a matter of vital interest to the
nation at large, with view to the removal
of all artificial distinctions between them
and the rest of the population, and the Sc
curing to them, as far as education and JUS
tice can do it, of an equal chance in the race
of life.
Fourth-The enforcement and illustra-
ton of the doctrine that the whole COM
munity has the strongest interest, both
moral, political, and material, in their eleva-
ton, and that there can be no real stability
for the republic SO long as they are left in
ignorance and degradation.
Fitth-The fixing of public attention
upon the political Importance of popular
education, and the dangers which system
like ours runs from the neglect of it in any
portion of our territory.
The Nation will not be the organ
of any party, sect, or body. 1t will, on the
contrary, make an earnest effort to bring to
the discussion of political and social ques-
tions a really critical spirit, and to wage
war upon the vices of violence, exaggeration,
and Misrepresentation by which SO much of
the political writing of the day is marred
For ten years past we have been con-
slant readers of its pages, and during
that time it has been true to the pros
pectus of twenty years ago. On all i'm
portant public questions it has been on
the right side, SO to speak. 1t was op-
posed to the impeachment of Andrew
johnson, and thought if he were convict
ed it would work more harm than good to
the Government. 1t did not favor the
plan of having the Supreme Court
Go the work of reconstruction by de-
termining what was and what was
not "a republican form of government"
So early as 1867 it entertained the same
opinions of B. F. Butler that have be-
come almost universal, holding him to be
neither an honest nor useful politician.
After General Grants first term, the
Nation began its criticism upon his
course and was fearless in its denuncia-
ton of that course. 1t was among the
first to expose the rascality OF Moses in
South Carolina, and the carpet-bag gov
Of the South. When
the Alabama claims were being
urged, and there was much talk of
damages, and which was
5he great stumbling block to a more ready
settlement OF that grave question, it OPP
posed the consequential damage theory.
t could never reconcile itself to the
method by which Mr.. Hayes was de-
,lared President, and did not believe that |
he could honorably accept the Office in
'iew of the action of the Returning
Boards of Louisiana and Florida.
In the campaign of last year it was a
ealous supporter of President Cleveland,
nd the uncompromising opponent of
dr.. Blaine and his methods. In this
aspect it did more effective work than
ny other of the Mugwump papers, and
did it not from discomfort, but from
rinciple. 1t still is supporter of the
The history of the Nation is one of
'hich it may well be proud, and its ex-
mple and methods are worthy of emu
alton by all. AS it says, in speaking of
s twentieth anniversary:
" In twenty years more there will probably
e but few, if any, left of those who took
art IN its formation or helped it on its way:
ut 1t is not too much to say that they
Ill carry with them from this world the
redit of having, through its columns, done
to hasten the coming of the bet
II time, the reign of sweeter manners and
1rer laws"