Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 October 1874 — How They Do It. [ARTICLE]

How They Do It.

The candidate for the Legislature on the “Independent” ticket for the counties of Newton and Benton, has assured his admiring friends that he will, if elected, vote for a ‘‘Western man for United States Senator.” He will, also, if elected, introduce a bill to make slippery elm peel all the year round. Things appear quite different when viewed from diflerent stand-points. Had Babcock consented to be the “Independent” candidate for Auditor and assisted James to the Clerk’s office, the vials of the Union's wrath would have been poured not upon his head but upon his opponent’s. But he did not go into that little arrangement and of course must be abused for it. Even supposing the Auditor’s office to be worth as much as the Union says, why is not a poor crippled soldier, disabled for life in'the service of liis country, as much entitled to the fees of it as a rich land monopolist, owning one thousand and forty-two acres of land worth twentysix thousand and fifty dollars—which monopolist remained at home during the war, making money and acting and voting with the party that opposed the suppression of the rebellion.

There is a little “ring” of three or four persons in Rensselaer, who assume to control the “independent” party. This ring has undertaken the job of putting Barney Patton off the track for sheriff and substituting Peter Rhoades. Patton was fairly nominated at the “people’s” primaryelection, and this attempt of a few individuals to over-ride the .will of the majority of the party, is an outrage that admits of no palliation. But then it accords with tho “ independent” humbug generally. About the meanest thing a paper can do is to look over the records of an officer who is a candidate for re-election and publish garbled and false statements of his doings to prejudice the people against him. This paper is glad to say it has done nothing of the kind during the campaign. Had it been disposed to indulge in such dirty work, it might, without half the departure from the truth that has characterized the course of our neighbor, have published statements of the official conduct of Mr. Barkley as Township Trustee that would have given him a good deal more annoyance than than the publications against Mr. Babcock have given that gentleman. But the cause we represent does not demand this kind of work and «e have too much respect for ourselves to indulge in it. The marked contrast in which the campaign has been conducted in this county by the different parties cannot fail to attract public attention. The leaders of the so called “ people’s” party have indul ged in all sorts of calumny and abuse. The candidates of the Republican party have been slandered and vilified to an extent never before witnessed in the most reckless political warfare. Upon the other hand, neither the Republican candidates nor their supporters have indulged in any personal abuse of the “independent” candidates. They have been uniformly spoken of m a manner that will call forth their respect either in the event of their success or defeat. The day has passed for vituperation and billingsgate to win in a political campaign. When this mode of warfare is resorted to the people will conclude that it is for the purpose of bolstering up a weak cause.