Year: 1871

Occasionally we open newspaper that
talks about scisms and angry feelings in the
Democratic party and between the papers Of
our organization. These assertions are gen.
orally found in the opposition press or in
self-styled independent papers, but occasion
ally a subsidy Democratic paper also charges
that the majority of our papers arc creating
dssentions in the ranks of the party. None
of these charges are true, no matter from
what source they come or who gives them
currency. 1t would be new doctrine, one
never before known TO the Democratic party
and one never acknowledged in any free
country, that the newspaper press should
not discuss all questions that may be agtat-
ed before the public. Twenty-six or twenty
eight Democratic papers in this State favor
making the subsidy question an issue in our
Convention and before the people in the COM


ing State election, while five Or six insist that
the party must dodge or skulk the question,
and one or two lean to the SD, of stlnfo d.
Crocker and the monopolists. OF the latter
two classes the open subsidy papers are most
to be respected and esteemed. A Demo-
cratic paper that can dodge or plead neutral


ity on any great question that agitates the
public mind, and one efecting our own State
and people is an anomaly SO strange as to be
startling. But, say some of these papers,
that is question for the Convention to set


tie. True, but the people are the masters
Of all Conventions, and must see that the
d ,legates represent them in Convention, and
to this end must all questions be discussed
before the masses of the party before dele
gates are chosen. This is the Democratic
idea, and those who attempt to ignore it are
justly chargeable with trying to steal a march
on the people, and should, in every instance,
be left at home These being Democratic
facts, why charge the great body of our pa
pers with creating dssentions in the party
when they are only discussing principle.
The tw9nty-six or twenty-eight Democratic
papers that have taken the anti-monopoly
side Of the subsidy question and insist on
placing that Democratic plank in our next
platform, have not uttered word deroga-
tory to the character of any man named for
Governor, while some of the five or six on
the other side have been unsparng of their
abuse and misrepresentation of one Of the
most prominent gentlemen named for that
position. Three of these papers have gone
SO far in their abuse of Governor Haight
that we cannot see how they can be of value
to the party should he be the nominee, or
what degree of confidence the public could
place in them should they attempt to ad
vocate his election. We acknowledge the
right of every Democratic paper in the State
to name its candidate for any position, and
puff and laud him to their hearts content,
and claim only the same privilege for our
self but we depricate the style of election
eering, prior to Conventions, which degener
ates into personal abuse of all opposing can
didates. The party has little use for man
or paper that can find no other mode of
building up favorite candidates but by Wilt
flying and abusing all others; and when we
reach that point, we shall drop the political
pen, feeling that our party will profit by our
silence. First, principles, and then honest
neil. who at heart approve of them and have
the will and ability to carry them out. With
the trifling exceptions indicated, we have
never known greater harmony to exist in
the party in the State or our prospects of
success better. The people are right and
ripe for action, but let us not when they ask
for bread give them stone. The Demo
cratic press of the State is almost unit on
the subsidy question and is solidly united on
every other question hat is in issue between
the two parties, either in State or National
policy, and the people are on our side.