Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-09-17
A MATTER OF BUSINESS.

The HERALD is supported by
the Republican party, and there
fore desires to show no favorit-
ism or preference in it's columns
for political aspirants. Every
man has certain rights and
claims. The convention is to de-
eide them. We are even oppos-
ed to caucus nominations. Let
every candidate go before the
Convention and abide by the
will of the majority. In the
matter of publishing notices and
announcements we have this to
say: The columns are open to
all. But it is not fair for friends
to boom any particular candidate
gratuitously. All such notices
cost 81. Standing announce
ments So, open to all. In help
ing to build up the Republican
party in Berkeley County The
HERALD has been more liberal
to the party than just to itself.
The mass of subscribers take the
paper, pay for it, and asks no
personal or political favors. A
few who are always at the head
of the ticket in these three coun-
ties got the cream of everything,
left the support of their paper
hang on for three or four years,
and when pressed for the paltry
price of subscription, got mad
and stopped the paper. A few
others have paid THE HERALD
$3.50 a year and received in po-
litical salary and support all they
have in the world the cash pat
ronage, moral support and po-
litical recognition they have
given to the Democrats amounts
to thousands of dollars. That
class of Republicanism that will
serve the Democratic interests
eleven months in the year and
give the Republican party one
months service for keeping them
lifetime in office, THE HERALD
will no longer support, no lon
ger vote for and no longer advo-
cate before the people.
If we published only news
paper we could depend upon
the public support irrespec-
tive of party. But publishing a
party paper we must necessarily
oppose our opponents. In doing
50 we often tramp upon Republi-
can toes that are sorer than those
of our political adversaries.
There is a moral and political
courage lacking among certain
Republicans in the South that
hurts their party more than their
Republicanism does it good.
They think they can congratu-
late their Democratic friends,
stand in with them generally, in
business, society and politics,
and yet be good Republicans.
The enemies they fight, de-
nounce, abuse and oppose, are
generally their equals and rivals
in their own party. When they
are on the ticket for election,
then they expect their political
friends to forget everything and
vote and work for them, and
from the Democratic side they
get nothing for all their kind
offices, mutual cOurtesies and
concessions.
The wear and tear of newspa-
per life in the party service is
greater than all the compensa-
ton, financial, moral support
or gratitude bestowed. The
newspaper is expected to advo-
cate everything, defend every
body, harmonic rival interests,
please every conflicting opinion,
and in return be criticized and
harassed and cheated out of the
business patronage due the par
ty paper. Such men in Jeffer-
son, Morgan, and in Berkeley,
have done the Republican party
more harm than good, and the
Democratic party more good than
harm. With such men, and
without the poorer mass of Re
publican voters, no Republican
paper could exist this side of
Wheeling. But for Mr.. Doll, a
Democrat in the County Clerk S
Office, we would have had to pay
our taxes in cash for the last ten
years, in which we have always
had Republican Sheriffs and
Clerk, the Democratic and in
dependent papers drawing from
$50 to 5000 a year. When The
HERALD was started the Repub-
icans never had an office, except
one Greenback-Republican com
bination. A few elections ago
the Democrats got nothing in the
county but single constable
ship, and then men were fight
ing and sulking who are now at
the head of things.
In the future we shall advo-
cate Republican principles as in
the past, and sustain the friends
who sustain THE HERALD. But
those who made editorial life an
unpleasant political drudgery we
shall expose and oppose, in the
paper and at the nOlls IF +bav