Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-07-23
OLYMPIA. WASHINGTON TEa.
OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING, July q, 1856.
A DUTY WE OWE TO PARTY.

If the Democrat is what it purpOrts to be,
q Democratic paper, and has any regard at
all for the interests of the party, it should
know that the proper place to fight Mr..
Voorhees,, if it has any quarrel with him,
is in the Territorial Convention, not
through the columns Of a newspaper,
which is only furnishing ammunition for
the enemy.--CommOnsy..
There is where the Commoner errs
in judgment. The policy to be pur-
sued by the party is legitimate sub
ject of discussion up to the very mo-
ment the nomination is made in the.
Territorial Convention, when all strife
should cease. The convention is, after
all, but very imperfect means of ar
irving at the will of the people, but it
is the best that has been devised for
securing that unity of action essential
to success. The power of the people
is only felt directly in the primaries,
and as the conventions are called so
early this year, before the citizen has
fairly determined upon a choice OF
policy on new issues, or the candidates
he desires to support for the various
offices, and at time too when the
farmer, the mechanic, and the bust
ness men generally, are unusually alb.
sorbed in their daily avocatiOns, il
seems exceedingly proper that the free
press should give expression to pop
ular sentiment and use all means ne
cessary for securing fair deap when
the power is passing from the hands
of the people into those of their dele
gates.
Experience has amply shown that
Conventions do not always represent
the will of the people, and that it i.
folly for those who oppose ring meth
dds to await until the conventions as
semble to fight out "quarrels" in the
presence of umpires who have pre-
judged the questions at issue. Tht
The CommOner gives strength to the
suspicion that the early call was par,
OF q programme to pack the Conven
ton for Mr.. Voorhees,, or it would
surely not object to free and impair
tial canvass Of that gentleman's claims
for denomination. If fair discussion
OF his Official acts affords ammuni
ton for the enemy" so much thu
worse it is for those acts. The record o.
a public servant should be such a,
would strengthen his claims upon the
people and that will bear the test O.
the most rigid scrutiny.
1t is unfortunate for Mr.. Voorhee,
that his main support by the press
comes from papers, which, like the
Commoner, has q personal, rather thar
public interest, in his success. The
Yakima Signal, is owned and edited
by Mr.. Adams, mugwamp, who de-
serted the Republican party to support
Mr.. Voorhees,. His reward was the
Office of Register at Spokane Falls
he is, Of course, "lOyal." The Com
"'oner, Mr.. Voorhees, king-pin, is reput.
edt be owned by Mr.. Warner, the Reg.
lister at Walla Walla. The Journal
OF the same city, is said to be indebted
in some way to the Postmaster, an.
other OF Mr.. Voorhees, appointees.
The Miner, at Colville, is edited by a
Nasty under the new dispensation,
and Last but not least, the rising states,
man OF Sanders bottom, whose lucu-
brations iilumine the columns of the
Chehalis county Nugget, sings hozan-
nahs to the chief through the gratings
OF a fourth-rate postoffice! All this,