The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-08-09
PARTY PREJUDICE AND lNToLER-
ANCE.


PARTY PREJUDICE AND lNTOLER-
ANCE.
An amazing and truly unfortunate
spectacle in cur local affairs is tie un-
reasonable prejudice and bias displayed
| by some persons whose political faith
and training has led them to entertain
divergent views with the doctrines and
advocates of this paper and the man
agement connected with il. We have
reference to a class of Republicans
whose party feeling runs so strong that
they consider it a violation Of party
principle to patrOnize IL printing estaO-
lishment having a Democratic news
paper attached. We congratulate our.
selves and the general public that not
all Republicans are partisans to that
extent, but as an illustration of some
who are, we cite the case of Il Of our
large manufacturing establishments,
controlled entirely by Republicans,
whose leading representative called at
our Office sometime ago on a matter
other than his regular business ayoca-
ton. However, The matter of printing
was introduced, and we were really sur
prised at the unreasonableuess, to say
nothing of the positive unfairness OF
the gentleman's position, The reason
he advanced for not giving us any of
his printing was that "being of the
same political faith as the people al
the other Office, %(meaning the Reposi-
tory, he would naturally take his print
ing there" We have never yet heard
of the gentleman, or the concern he
represents, being averse to selling their
product to a man because he was a
Democrat.
Another case in point, a leading
Republican professional gentleman, re-
Gently called at our office to have some
printing done, but upon a condition
like this: HE was a Republican and
naturally would take his work to the
other concern, (meaning the Reposi-
tory, but he proposed if we would fur
nish him his Office printing free Of
charge, he would send all the advertis-
ing co-incidental with his profession
and business and which he could con-
troll, to us" 1t is sufficient to state that
we declined the proposition, but not
without decided rebuke. Three other
cases of similar conditions have come
within our experience. Contrasted
with those, we beg to submit the liber-
atty of three of u Democrat
ic citizens, two manufacturers and
n merchant, all of whom have large
printing contracts to bestow and who
believe in a fair divide at least upon a
competitive basis, among the printing
establishments of the city, and not only
that, but they practice their belief. One
of them being cited the foregoing cases
of Republican prejudice, remarked,
"the intolerance of a fool or bigot is no
justification for unreasonableness on
my part" and we right heartily applaud
ed the sentiment. We ask in all candor,
whether the position taken by the Re-
publican gentleman to whom We have
alluded is right? What would they
think of a Democratic newspaper that
advised Democrats to patronize only
Democrats in a business way, and yet
that is just the course they are pursuing
toward this newspaper establishment.
We have not yet asked nor shall we ask
| patronage Oil the basis Of political ad,
herenee. True we are conducting a
Democratic newspaper, and in the main
our readers are Democrats, but we
fatter ourselves among subscribers
are many Republicans who want the
news and who are liberal and anxious
enough to read both sides of the ques-
ton that divides the great political
parties, but of those who reason that
we are not entitled to their patronage
in the printing line, because
we do publish a Democratic newspaper
we beg to inquire "do you depend en-
tirely upon republicans to buy and sci
your wares and products, and where
fore should a Democratic printing
establishment be denied your patronage
any more than that any Democra'
should decline to %patronize you because
you happen to be a Republican" Thinl
this over, our erring Republican friend
and we think you will justify the posi-
ton we have taken.