Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-29
independents.

A prominent member of the bar yes
terday hailed an Observer man in one
of the Offices. Got something tu tell
YOU" said the legal light. You see,
since the candidates are blosSoming
forth pretty rapidly nowadays, | want
to tell you little joke I've heard as to
an Independent
1T runs this way: A country school
teacher on his way to school one bright
day caught an exceptionally beautiful
wOodchuck. Upon his arrival at the
school the small boys crowded around
the teacher admiring the beautiful an
imal Each of the boys wanted the
woodchuck as a present from the
teacher.
Nov you boys can get i'm line
here said the teacher, and to the one
who can give me the best definition OF
a Democrat, Republican or an lnde-
pendent, I will give the woodchuck.
The boys lined up in order. The
first boy stated that a Republican
stood for the rule Of few, central
lied government, special privileges
and protection.
THE next boy said that a Democrat
stood for equal chances to all, special
privileges to none, rule OF the people,
and states rights.
The next young fellow was a bit
bashful. Speak up, Johnny, said the
teacher; tell US what an Independent
stands for
II don't know, sir replied Johnny
bashfully. 1 spec he stands for the
woodchuck' And they say Johnny got
the woodchuck."
OF course. Johnny was probably
right about it, The Independent office
seeker, Just like the others was after
the woodchuck but in the case of the
independent voter the application Is
not quite so pointed. He might very
easily have been after an honest and
competent man.
And really this thing is worth think
ing about some.
In the eyes of the Democrat, the Re
publican is something horrible, and in
the eyes Of the Republicans, the DEM
crat is something horrible. But why?
1t is a common thing to hear men class
themselves as Democrats or Repub-
licans as the case may be: but ii is a
rare thing to have anybody explain any
essential difference between the two.
If we should undertake to apply john
ny's explanation, we might find tnat
both are after the woodchuck, and that
is about all there is to it.
The principal difference between
Republicans and Democrats in most
states, lies in the breach created by
the SANDERS hurled by one against the
other. Demagogues fill unthinking peo-
pie with slanders, and poison their
minds to such an extent that it takes
years and years to get straight again.
Sometimes one is forced to wonder
whether the political parties really
have any more substantial backing
than mere prejudice; but of course, no.
body wants to think anything like this.
During the famous South Carolina
campaign of 1876, Wade Hampton
said, that an "Independcnt is worse
than a Radical" That was true then.
The very civilization of the state was
at stake. 1t was the better class of
white men against the hordes Of ignor-
ant negroes under the lead of renegade
whites, and the man who was content
to mold aloof i'm such a time as that
was really no man at all. He was
worse than Radical.
But in the famous Blaine-Clevcland
campaign, Cleveland won, because sew
eral thousand MISUNDERSTANDING
wumps" they were called-voted for
Cleveland and really gave him the
election. Wade Hampton did not class
these Independents as being worse
than Radicals.
Then again, If there was no inde-
pendent thinking, how could we hope
to maintain decent government? The
experience of all time in this country
has shown that politicians and politi-
cal parties invariably become more
corrupt the longer they remain in
power There are exceptions, of course;
but that is the rule. Changes are
brought about by the fact that now
and then there are men, whether DEM
ocrats or Republicans, who are patri-
otic enough to brave the vituperation
and abuse of their former associates
and stand up for what they know to
be right.
the candidate, no matter whether he
be Republican, Democrat or lndepend-
ent, has always to face the charge of
being after the woodchuck. OF course,
this is not necessarily true. 1t is not
unusual for good men to stand for Of
flee solely from sense of duty; but
because woodchuck is the more COM
mon object-because such Il large per
cent are after nothing but woodchuck,
they have to submit to the same accu-
Sation also. But, however, it may be
with the candidate, except for. the
honest voters, be they Democrats, Re-
publicanS or Independents, the c"un-
try would be in Il bad way.