The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-31

Pure Democracy.
MARSHALL, July 90 Editor HER
AID. In my letter to THE HERALD
published in its ISSUE oil the Goth, anC
in the commentary which | propose tt
make, with your kind permission
upon your editorial in the same paper
/ do not wish to 70 regarded either by
you oryour general public as desiring
to assume tho character of public
censor, or as one disposed to find fault
without reason. Such n writer ought
to be Stunned. HIS communications
are simply obtrusiye, as they lead to
no profitable results. But as you will
| readily concede, and thoughtful pub.
lie Will recognize as true, all mon, and
especially those that have taken the
rains TO properly inform themselves,
| necessarily feel, or ought 10 feel, an in
| terest in public affairs, The press is
the great fountain of public iutelli-
| gence. 1t is reflex not only of the
opinions OF those that control it, but
Of hundreds and in many instances
thousands Of others whose conyic-
tons are moulded ~ it's teachings.
Hence, how important it is that lts
conceptions of duty should be cor
rectly framed and it's enunCiaaOns
pure. l confess that / have hitherto
misunderstood THE HERALD, and that
l have never seen the quotations which
you have given as TO it's political
| course, although | have been, ]
thought, an attentive reader of tho
paper. They arc gratifying, and rem
dered still more pleasing from your re-
cOgnitiOn OF the relations OF newspa-
pers to "posi5lye party principles, 'and
OF u necessity OF "deduite DemOc.
| r2cy." What mislOd me, and perhaps
others, In regard to THE HERALD, IS
its own presentation OF its political
standing. To Illustrate, you state that
CHE HERALD does not wear collar,
nor is it willing 10 admit that any So
called Democratic meeting in County,
State or National affairs shall so
hamper 1t that it cannot express en- in
dependent opinion OF it's own" You
say, in addition, that TUE HERALD sis
not an organ, but r fearless aud indie.
pendent Democratic paper" This last
expression CRATES on my ears, for rea
sons, which l shall briefly present:
have never yet known q true Demo-
crat 70 swear collar" unless the pos
session Of settled convictions and de-
Yotion to principle constituted the
Just basis Of such q charge. Nor have
l over known a Democratic journal
that was hampered i'll the expression
OF independent opinions by any cause
whatever. That THE HERALD should
look upon IL as term OF reproach TO
be regarded as Democratic urgGn Is
what moro surpri5es mo, as it eyiden-
COS n singular miscoucaptlou OF the
torn. 70 explain: A Democratic or
gan, rs ] understand II, Is journal
mat leoICsontS the party in u strict
adhesion 30 it's principles aud Affirm
purpose ~ maintain them in their
purity. 10 squares public mon ana
public measures by those PRINCIPLES,
and 10 toGl5 authorized to assail any
aud every departure from them. In
this sense every siRcere, honest Dem
ocratic paper IS an organ Of the party.
l have boon In poitics for nearly so
years, and havanever known q paper
that aspired to b5 am "Orgau" that did
not occupy this position, or that hosi-
tatad TO criticise, and, ii necessary,
anamadyort upon tho action Of mon or
party leaders, Can THE DALLAS HER.
AID naWe q solitary contradictory in
stance? Can 1t point to one reputable
Democratic journal that ovor wore "a
collar? Tho days when the country
had organs was marked by such illus
trious editorial names rs Richie,
Amos Kendall, Frank Blair and
Colossal Seaton (Whigs), whose integ.
rlty was uuquesuoned, and whose ia
formation and range OF thought shed u
Hood of Intelligence upon every sub
Ject they discussed. In this correct
and nnltHhtnVaH NfNa Utr,i1 IN.
HERALD or any other paper, feel y
Just pri0e Ia being regarded az an
"organ," title TO which II could Law
no claim unless il was worthy of Ii.
The crOss-roads politician that "runs
with the hare and holds with the
hounds" has no settled convictions;
that goes off on tangent 10 mix up
with Groenbackers and Republicans,
or oNpatiates on tho "blundOrs Of the
Democracy" taking the Republican
press aS HIS guido; that To exhibit his
dependence" goes out of his way
To praise tho Republican party and
Republican leaders, living ana dead,
lntorlards MS eNOrdium with tho de-
olaratlOn TINT no does not wear a
party collar" recognizes no "organ"
and feels ireo to pursue, without party
distractions his own course.
| viii close by saying that have
criticized theGalvestOn News in noun
kind or untriendly spirit. It's
enterprise ia TO be admired, hut can
the same be snid of its political utter
ances and It's general political man
agement? Docs THE HERALD mean to
say that the daily circulation of such
views as its Galveston contemporary
sets forth In its columns is OF no prac.
tical concern to any individual or
newspaper, and that the proper plan
IL to regulate the News and Its opin-
ions TO its readers? To q large extent
newspaper is public property; its ut.
ternnces Invite and invoke criticism,
and, IL Is not only tho right but the
duty of the contemporaneo GUS press to
freely employ these remedial agon.
cleS. DEMoCRAT.