The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-19

which IN the Biographies of our fathers
s'ood Tor the very abomination Of desc.
lation. Yet to day it shames the tbeo.
ries OF the past, just as progressive
future may shame in the ewes OF our
children, the ideas and beliefs many q,
uS regard as beyond cavil or doubt.
/" enumerate a few salient character.
istIcs OF this growing city: Two systems
Of electric Lighting, In addition t6 ga.-
Cheyenne icing the frs. city in the
world IN which electricity preceded gas:
Improved streets and ample water works ;
an extensive sewerage system; a hun.
dred ana nifty Thousand dollars worth Of
c1mmodious school buildings, with mod
ern Improvements and ornamental
grounds, 10 serve the uses Of an educa-
tional system Of the most advanced
Character; numerous churches with val
liable and well built places of worship
three daily ana four weekly newspapers;
property valuation giving larger per
capita than any other in the United
states; five strong and solvent banks,
with an aggregate capital Of twelve hun
dred thousand dollars, all fully requir-
ell by the financial needs of husinees
apd trade; large number Of pal3tial
residences; forty thousand dollar opera
house; three magnificent hotels; brew
rrlesi cigar factories; and fifty thou
sand dollar club house.
Capital bas been wisely used 10 lay
foundations for future growth, and
on basis capable of expansion; in
Tact the city seems Hglow with
vigorous yOu-h, unfettered with OBJ
structiye traditions of the past
and progressive to the point of re-
garding the inevitable needs of what
must become, in the near future, great
and growing State. 60 much for the
Territorial Capital with its active popu
lation Of 10000 souls-and it is at once
the example and the type of halt dozen
hourishing towns.
THE PRESS: us RELATION TO PARTY.
But | have already consumed more
time than | had intended-le away by
The tempting facility of the theme-and
must recollect that am not here to lee
ture on Wyoming and its resources,
however matchless the one or marvel
Gus the other, but to discuss some topic
OF general interest to the members Oi
this Association.
Such, | apprehend, is the duty of the
hour, and | have chosen for my subject,
The Press: It's Relation TO Party; and
wish to consider il from as high a stand
point As can possibly attain. To do this,
| assume in the very beginning, that no
matter how partisan in teaching and
tone the press may be, it should in all
essentials be thoroughly independent,
and self controlled, otherwise its opinion
becomes as worthless AS hired advocacy,
and its testimony little better than that
of a suborhed witness.
In the mysteries Of ancient Egypt,
truth was represented as p veiled image,
aud curses were denounced upon lin
who with profane hand should dare to lift
the veil, but in this unfettered age and
This free land, the metaphor ceases to
apply. Whatever is, must be seen and
known, nor Is there any priesthood TO
interpret or explain, but every beh0lder
must think for himself. Tue right of
opinion must remain inviolate even t.
question, for who can think Alright or
neel to think at all who does not recog
nizs it as a duty to follow his intellect
TO whatever conclusion it may lead.
Political parties are the inevitable
consequence of free institutions, and, to
Il certain extent, form guaranteeoI their
safety. The stagnatiOu of despotism Is
uniform; n t so, the active life of re
pu5lic, Lringing out diversity of thought
and OF purpose, but. of necessity, failing
to reg ard the common good, This agl-
tatiOn prevents stagnatiJn; Just As from
the troubling of its waters came the in
huence of the blessed pool.
III ,-g.k -. 800 Iuv str4sa
sides to every question, it follows that
there must be at least two parties Ia
every state, ranging themselves gen
orally, according to recognized COM
mUaplace, upon the respective sides of
order aud stability on the one hand, and
progress and reform upon the other.
r ch must allow to its opponent the
honesty claimed for itself, so long as
there is any attempt to curry out the
principles professed, and SO long as fine
sounding phrases are nOt-hait iron.
ically-used to cover rapacity and greed.
The great historian, Macaulay, him
self Il bitter partisan, has said OF the
two political parties which have agitated
and often couvulsed England during
period of more than two hundred years:
No man not utterly destitute of judg
ment and caudor will deny that there
are many deep stains on the fame of the
party to which he belongs, or that the
party to which he is opposed may justly
boast of many il!ustrious names, OF
many heroic actions, and of many great
services rendered to the State" If the
careful student Of American history, no
matter how strongly biased by his own
belief, does not make practically the
same admissions, il must be from want
either of judgment TO discri inmate, or of
candor to recognize the truth
As some opinion, generally q firm
conviction, must result from the consid
Grafton of every impor .ant question by
an intelligent mind, ii follows that the
Press, which represents the intelli gence
of every country where it is allowed free
utterance, must necessarily and pecu
liarly be partisan in its views of public
questions. Any other conclusion would
oe an imputatiou, for-aside from moral
considerations-itw would almost be better
to profess a false opinion, than to con
fess the imbieility of none-mere intel
lectual blankness and fatuity. or a mere
indifference to higher ends than petty
gain.
be party leaders, distinct from leaders
of whole peoples, such as the world sees
rise on great occasions, when factions
and internal differences fuse under the
solar heat of patriotism, or are pressed
to temporary and reluctant cohesion by
external force. Fortunately, there l.
little to be apprehended from partisan
leadership, and the issues involved in
modern politics have seldom degenerated
into mere personal following, and the
press is peculiarly free from any incl
nation in this direction -erring gener
ally on the safer side O. readiness TO
censure rather than TO praise.
"Principies, not men," is watchword
| honared from Jeffersonisn days, and to
he honored still. Thank God, If you are
devout, for ardent champions are wi>e
counseIiors-them mere of them the better
| but there may be danger in promoting
their rivalry by continual contrasts oi
their claims tn regard, aud other "claim'
| has none. Whenever a leader, or one
seeking to pose as such, assumes TO own
| a party; TO have the right to direct lis
counsels or to receive its unqnestionine
support-to prescribe this course, or te
prescribe that man--to such leader OF
would be leader at once should bt
applied a sedentary force sufficient Il
spread him out at rest forever. 1t Il
alwavs well to remember that, as amons
leaders. there is none indispensable I,
success-least of all he who deems him
-elf 80. Though one may plant ans
another may water, it must be the spiri
af liberty alone that giveth the increase