Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-12-17
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TER.
OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING, DEC. Il. 1856.
Party Service.

The Port Townsend Arqus very
wisely concludes that it does not pay
to publish Il red-hot partisan paper all
the time, and that it will hereafter de-
vote its energies more to the advance
mcnt of local enterprise and to excel
as news-disseminato than to the adj
vocacy of principles that are cut,
patched and retitted to suit whatever
form the prevailing sentiment may, at
the time of an expression Of the popu
lar will, seem to favor. The STANDARD
long ago came to the same conclusion.
Ii advocated Democracy as taught by
It's great apostles for many years, only
to find that at each recurring election
tie party nominees invariably reserved
the right to make their own individual
platform and of sufficient width to
catch all stragglers from the opposing
ranks, and when elected to pursue
just such policy as suited their own
ideas of justice and propriety. This
was called independence, and enabled
the dextrous political juggler to advo-
cate simon-pure Democracy in party
caucuses and conventions, and any
thing he pleased outside the organiza-
ton, provided only that it be accom-
panied by a wink which seemed to say
Anything for success, you know; but
when we get in we'll show them pre-
cisely the kind of timber required for
making shingles" 1t invariably hap
Iencd, however. in some instances We
have i'll the minds eye, thai the decep-
ton was kept up after the vote was
counted and the offices were turned
over to these astute statesmen, and if
party principle was not always sacri-
feed outright, it was made to bend
and twist into so many shapes that its
original outline could scarcely he rec
Ognized. The STANDARD has pa
tiently toiled at the crank of the DEM
ocratic grindstone while many of these
aspirants have ground their dull axes,
and when, after infinite toll, a fine
wire edge was secured, all obligation
was apparently forgotten, when they
found opportunity to finish the job by
few passes from Republican oil-stone.
1t is an old saying that Cali work
and no play, makes Jack dull boy"
and while We by no means plead guilty
to the charge of dullness which the
line Of thought suggesta we must ad-
nit that much of the vigor and enthu-
siasm that might have been aroused
in times past was wanting, for the very
good reason that it was not within
the power of human adaptation to
pursue a course that must necessarily
ignore a policy that had left many a
poisoned arrow ranking in the wounds
inflicted by avowed friends.
The strangest part of the whole pro-
ceeding is that many of those who
claim the widest latitude for their own
acts, when posing as candidates or in
bossing the job for others, are just the
men who seem disposed to hold party
journals to the closest accountability
for sins of omission or commission.
independence of conscience is wholly
denied to them. They must endorse
anything and everything that is
deemed expedient, whether it is found
ed on principle or not. They must
respond aye, aye, or nay, nay, as the
bosses may direct. And what is their
reward? Absolutely nothing. Nearly
all public patronage for the printer
now goes to the lowest bidder, and I'M
less craftsmen have the honor and
good judgment to unite in upholding
their calling, the award is generally
made to the most INSCRIPTIONS cut
throat" Private patronage of party
journals is by no means confined to it's
own organization, and course that
would drive from its list everybody
who differed with it in opinion, might
please few cranks, but would result
in the inevitable bankruptcy of the
publisher.
The STANDARDS political creed is
too deeply craven to be obliterated by
any considerations of personal injus-
tice. 1t will always be found in ac-
cord with those grand principles which
secure the greatest freedom to the in
dividual compatible with good govern
ment. Democracy is, or should be,
the creed of the people-the reliance of
the toiler, the safeguard of freedom
and the surest guaranty of the perpe-
tuity of republican government. This
is why the STANDARD is enlisted as
lifelong campaigner, but it is too old
a soldier to find delight in a fusilade
when no enemy is in sight, or to mus
ter arms for mere parade. 1t proposes
therefore, like the Argus, to do camp
duty until the bugle calls to action.
KANSAS now leads the van in shock