The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-09

power Il is no longer a mark Of credit
in our state for a man to declare that
he never scratched his party ticket.
In this country where every school boy
may become the president. unless he
happens to have been born a Demo
crat. we are entitled to the truth about
everything. and especially about our
politics
It is my peculiar belief that newspa-
per can live and prosper without pub
lie patronage That newspaper can
not afford to be the vehicle Of Official
publications at the expense Of its hon
esty and self respect That a news
paper can not afford to suppress truths |
about men Of its own party for the /.
sake Of public support paid by these
same men when elected to office That
Ia Democratic thief is no better than
Republican thief: and that a Demo /
cratic or Republican newspaper is I'M |
der no moral obligation whatever to |
support candidates Of its party when |
It knows them to be dishonest or unfit /
] wish to say here that do not
agree with those party papers publish /
ed usually in country districts. or with
those statesmen seeking office. who
declare that an city newspapers are
venal and purchaseable; that the pub
lie press Of the great cities of today
Is corrupt in the extreme The metro
politan press Is directed on the same
basis as the country press. It's owners
are interested In the business of the
cities in which it is published and rs
views are honestly taken as those for
the best interest Of the country. Like
the tariff, the newspaper policy is a
local question An honest newspaper
in California might radically differ
with an honest paper in New York. or
Guthrie with both. believe the met
rop0litan press is more nearly lncor-
ruptable now than at any time in his
tory and it is a cincidence, too that
there are few of the papers of great
influence which are strictly party pa
pers. They are independent papers,
barking back for principles to the com
mon sense and common good and re-
fusing to accept platforms made by
leaders with selfish motives. am a
Democrat because believe in the
principles as advanced by Jefferson
as against those advocated by Hamr-
ton. You are a Republican because
you believe the Federalist doctrine is
correct. We both desire the same
thing, the best interest of the country
and in our present day politics and
who shall say that am the less a
Democrat because refuse to support
some politician who has secured
nomination to Office, or that you are
worse Republican because you do
not agree that the blocks Of FIVE
method Of buying votes is justified by
the victory so attained.
To make palmer the meaning ] am
attempting to impress wish to illus
trate the position of the strict party pa
per and the yellow Dog" party voter.
In certain township there ds a po-
litical boss He has no politics. He
is Democratic because from Demo
cratic officials he secures rich con
tracts without competition In his dis
trict the Democrats and Republicans
are divided almost equally. He Sc.
cures the nomination Of his candidates
and then in his office on bits Of card
he classifes every voter Here in
these pigeon holes are one hundred
men who will vote the Democratic
ticket without looking further than the
caption. On other car t- are men who
will vote the Republican ticket the
same way OF the voting strength
there are twenty men left who will sell
their votes. The political boss rounds
up these twenty. employs his speakers
who preach the doctrine that it is
crime 10 scratch a party ticket. The
Republican newspaper holds the one
hundred Republicans In line and is put
away in a pigeon hole by the politician
and labeled The Democratic paper
holds its honest voters in line and is
sealed up in another pigeon hole as
unworthy Of attention The candidate
of the Democrat IS a boodler and the
candidate Of the Republicans is an
honest man. The twenty voters bought
by the politician carry the district
A man who has no enemies is not
much Of a man. A newspaper which
is not hated and abused is not loved
and followed. When a newspaper has
followed the direct line Of right and
truth it has raised so many passions
that some curse and others bless it,
that newspaper has found the true
diplomacy And not only does this idea
apply TO politics, but TO those greater
problems which come TO men and
newspapers We must deal with af-
fairs Of every nature and through il
all show bright and clear and unbrok-
en- the line Of character The things
which draw us together as citizens are
I by far mere numerous and more im-
r,orfa-nf than the division # nolfffca