Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1900-02-02
FRIDAY. FEB. 2, 1900.
CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE.

CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE.
Several of the newspapers
throughout the land are spending
special effort in announcing candi-
dates for Office. This may in some
measure seem newslike and anus
ing, yet it is very questionable
whether such o course serves the
best interests of the public. Ac-
cording to the old time-honored
doctrine that the Office should seek
the candidate, it would seem best
thatSthe people through their dele.
gates to the convention should
bring the candidates up to the con-
vention where the nominations are
made. Contrary, however to this
principle, many Of the newspapers,
following the example Of their con-
temporaries, announce the names
of half q dozen or more friends 70
each Office, and by the time each
newspaper goes down the line from
national to state and then to the
several county positions, nearly if
not quite half of the male popula-
ton over the age of twenty-one and
entitled to vote have in..some way
been named for some official posi-
ton. Many Of those so named
would never have thought of their
Eames being considered for the Off
cial position had it not been for the
friendly suggestion of the the So
called newspaper. After his name
is so announced and his neighbors
one after another mentions it to
him, he takes pride in the matter
and comes to really consider him
self o candidate for the Office and in
this way q whole army of office
seekers are brought up to the con-
ventions, leach having his fol-
lowing OF friends, and much strife
and party discord and confusion
are engendered. If these matters
wsso left for the people through the
conventions to bring up their choice
Of candidates for the several Offices,
the names Of only . few candidates
would appear before the conven-
tions for Office. But through the
kindly announcements of the new
papers as stated, q whole army of
people are started on the road to
appear before the conventions for
official favor. Such announcements
are often misunderstood by the
people and the candidates named.
Often it occurs that democratic peo-
pie through their paper announce
the name of some persons for candi-
dacy for Office on the republican
ticket and no doubt republicans
and their papers announce candi-
dates for the other side. This is
often done as a piece of political
sharp practice to bring candidates
before the conventions of tae oppo-
site party 30 as to create discord,
and to defeat candidates for nomi-
nations which are more popular
and preferred by their party peo-
pie. In any sense that it may be
considered, the Wholesale annouce-
msnt of candidates for Office by the
newspapers 10 detrimental to the
public good, and should not be
done unless by the request Of the
candidate so named and then the
announcement should state that it
was made ct his request. It shall
therefore be the policy and custom
of this paper only to annou nee can
didates for nominations for Office
before the conventions when so re-
quested by the party, believing that
this course will best serve the pub
lie good. After the conventions
are held and the candidates have
been nominated for the several
Offices this paper will cordially sup
port any worthy candidate who
has been true to the time-honored
principles and doctrines of the re-
publican party. believing it to be
the better purposes of the news
paper to discuss principles instead
of casting opprobrium upon political
opponents or candidates in the
opposing party. It is as essential
that newspapers should attend
strictly to their own affairs and
not become agencies to create un-
necessary strife as il is that indi-
viduals should promote good feel
ing among neighbors by close atten'
ton to duty and non-interferenee
with the affairs of others.