San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-05-14
Our Confession.

be considered as involving anything
criminal, Ills this, We confess L
& positive and growing dislike to the
common run" OF politics, This ma!
be regarded as remarkablein one whC
for quarter OF q century, rs a news
paper editor and Publisher, has ha-
a good deal to do with this same OF.
der of politics, But we assure the
reader it was only in consequence OF
our vocation that We ever dabbled III
that dirty pool. Our natural taste
always rebelled against it,
Let us not, however, be misunder'
stood. We do not believe any citi'
zen Of free country can escape his
responsibilities by retiring from act
Two participation in public affairs
We have heard OF men who held
themselves as being too pure even to
vote. We have no sympathy with
such. II is true there may be occa-
sions when candidates on either side
may be so unworthy that an honest
voter cannot choose between them;
but this is 50 rarely tho case that it
is but m exception which proves the
rule of the general duty of voting.
If il be objected that average politics
is so corrupt that good man can
not participate in it without danger
of contamination, we say in reply,
SO much the greater need that good
citizens should more actively partici.
pate so rs to change tho character OF
politics and save the country from
ruin. A high authority says: "When
the wicked bear rule tho people
MOURN" so it is absolutely ipcum-
bent on the thinking, moral and patri-
otto classes TO be ready at all times
to hasten to their country's rescue,
and save it from being engulfed in n
sea of wickcdness.
All this is unquestionably true.
Yet we confess we are glad to escape
the responsibility and be relieved OF
the subject whenever conditions will
permit. We are therefore always
glad to greet period like the pres
ent-an "off year" as to elections, af-
ter the adjournment of Congress and
the State lcgislatures-when we can
return for n time to the more con
genial field of discussion of matters
involving some principle bearing on
the general good (polltical topics in
cluded), and to the attractive walks
of general literature. Such a peace
full, soul-rcfrcshing period we now an
ticipato for some months, at least.
We regard it as q sort of editorial
millennium-would it might last long
enough to Justify the title! The gen
eral politics of the day involves so
little principle, is SO purely a system
of place seeking, squabblc for self
ish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, that we are fain
to ignore it as far as possible; and
now that Grover Cleveland, our sec
ond Jefferson, as we hope he may
prove, is inauGurating much need
cd reform, we accept as a good time
to thank God, take courage and rest
from the infections of political clap
trap and intrigue.
Such is our purpose, and we ask
our readers to be glad with us, for
we shall thus be enabled to give them
a much better paper while this happy
time shall last. The conduct of
weekly or monthly devoted to the
and discussion of pc
litical and moral truth, as bearing on
human happiness and progress, and
to recreations in the delightful field
of literature, science and the arts,
would be much more congenial to
our taste than Our present vocation
of publishing nm average political and
local newspaper; and we hail the OPP
portunity of making even temporari
ly nearer approach toward the re-
alization of our ideal on this subject.
On quitting smoking Gen. Grant
was asked: Did you find it difficult
to give up the weed ?" at was hard
during the first two days" he replied,
but after that / did not miss it. l
have no desire to smoke again.
The commonly supposed impossi
bility of quitting the use of tobacco,
we have no doubt, is mostly magma
ry. Determined and earnest people