Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1885 — THE IOWA CAMPAIGN. [ARTICLE]

THE IOWA CAMPAIGN.

An Earnest Plea for Republican Unity Since the Confederacy’s Success. Unmasking the Hollowness of the Fusion Temperance Scheme—lnstructive Comparisons. An Able Speech Delivered by State Senator P. MjJlntton, at Lyons, lowa,

The Democratic party for the last twenty-five years has been merely a party of resistance—it has resisted every one of the historical events of the last quarter of a century which have given to the nation its new and higher character, ho lene. as it was a party of opposition only its characteristics were not considered worthy of very grave consideration. But now it Uas become the governing party. The Government for four years must remain in its 1 hands, and while it remains the governing party it must impress its nature upon every element ot the nation. * 1 While it was the irresponsible party we were pleased to overlook its weaknesses and its faults, feeling that it could do but little harm and hoping that it might die or else put on a new aid better life. The world long supposed the Democratic party was dead, ’the Democratic party.once thought itself to be dead. But, to the surprise of the world and to itself, it still lives, the tame party that it was before the war, and beholds itself now the controlling party of the country. And it becomes our duty to’ discuss its characteristics in plain, honest words and without reserve. I believe, it to be utterly unworthy of the trust it holds, and that it deserves to be impeached by the people of this country, and for causes which iairlvappeal to every patriotic mipd and heart. For it is an unpatriotic party and a dishonest party. It is not in sympathy with the national prideof this country, and it has obtained control of the eountry by false pretenses and fraud. 1

The very soul of the Democratic party is poiScned against our national glory. It is the old spirit of the Southern States that survived after the body of the Con e.leraey was put iu its grave. This aud nothing else kept the Democratic party alive, In it alone ex-Confederates have found an excuse for the Confederacy. And for that reason the solid South has clung to the Democratic party with the same persistency with which it has clung to the lost cause. Secession was the logical result of Calhoun’s Interpretation of Thomas Jefferson. Calhounism was the soul of the Democratic party in 185 t ;, and the last Democratic National Convention at Chicago reaffirmed the cardinal principles of Democratic faith as declared in the Democratic platform of 1856. It did so in express words, and it did so to enable the South to say to its sons: “We stand now in the Democratic party just where we stood in 1856.” ExConfederates everywhere say they were compelled to surrender, but insist that they were right; and base their assumption upon the cardinal principles of the Democratic party before the war, reaffirmed by the Democratic party of 188 1. The Confederate Democracy is the controlling part of the Democratic party, and no great favor can be expected from that party except by they who indulge the Confederate Democrats in their assumption that secession was right, and we see the Northern Democracy nominating to office in the nation and in our State, and for the highest positions, only such men as took no active part against the South during the rebellion. The North, by forgiveness and charity unparalleled in the history of the world, has sought to unite the Confederate people with the Union upon some patriotic basis. And while the North has no desire to keep alive the unpleasant memories of the rebellion it cannot in justice or honor surrender the cause for which its sons died. If patriotism rather than disregard is to be cultivated by the American people, then the Democratic party must be defeated. At the close of the war for the Union the patriotic party of this country made it a fundamental principle of its Government that no one should be permitted to hold office under the Government unless,true i n act and faith to the cause of the Union. They therefore provided by the fourteenth amendment that no person who had violated an oath of office by engaging in insurrection or rebellion against the Government should hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, unless permitted to do so by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress. Congress provided that disabled ex-Con-federates might remove their own disability by making oath that they would bear “true faith and allegianoe ” to the Government. The Government simply demanded that self-perjured ex-Confederates should renounce their treason before God before again assuming the rights of citizenship; that they should swear true faith and allegiance to the Government which had preserved the U nion of the States at the sacrifice of untold blood and treasure. “ True faith and allegiance” mean that the North was right and the South wrong. “Faith” means more than allegiance, and every ex-Confederate who took the test-oath swore that he possessed the faith. Now, we all remember and must know that Lamar and Garland and nearly the whole line of Confederate officials took that oath with a he upon their lips, falsely pretending a faith they did not possess and promising an allegiance which they did not intend. They did this for the sole purpose of steajlng a power which had been lost by disloyalty, and which could not be regained except by political Serjurv. The oath was hardly cold upon their ps until in the very places they stole by false pretenses they declared they had done no wrong; that the South had done nothing it should be condemned for, or that it needed to apologize for. In this spirit the unrepentant chieftain of the Confederacy was eulogized as a patriot on the floors of Congress. The unrepentant South stole political power by, false' pretenses, and then extended that power by methods still more reprehensible. It seized the polls of the Confederate States, and by conspiracy and frand, and by intimidation and massacre made, the emancipated freedman a political slave, and robbed him of the vote the nation gave him, and to this day they keep that stolen vote to their own use ana benefit. Beginning with political perjury and persevering through political robbery and murder, they established themselves in eyery one of the Confe lerate States. Then they reached out their hands to the North for help again. Look at their Northern allies. They embrace the thngs, the thieves, and political ci iminals of our cities, the Copperhead Democrats and the political tricksters and demagogues of all parties. They have stolen citizenship, they have stolen the Confederate States, they have stolen New York by a false pretense of civil-service reform, and now they propose to steal lowa, the banner Republican State of then ation, by the boldest frand yet attempted. They propose to steal lowa by a pretense of temperance reform. This pretense ts made for the purpose of securing temperance votes for the benefit of the saloon. They propose a law that is vfholly in the interest of the saloon, and the saloons are giving it their money and support, and yet they have the unprecedented

effrontery to call it a temperance law. They thus try to steal the livery of temperance to serve the saloon in. They propose a temperance law so plainly in the interest of the saloon, tfiat It would be rejected by the Democratic party of every other State in the Union. It is an lnsmlt to every interest in our State except the liquor Interest. A comparison of this law with the liquor laws of even the worst Democratic States of this country onght to bring the blush of sbame qvpn to the cheekof Gen. Weaver. The Democratic party has given wholesome temperance l«ws to nearly all its States, Including Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, and Kentucky. And now it proposes to pnnish Republican lowa by inflicting upon it a liquor law that any of the Southern States would reject with indignation. Can any good reason be assigned why lowa should not have as good a temperance law as Kentucky? lowa although much younger, has a population equal to Kentucky. And 1h everything else aside from mere population, lowa has greatly outstripped Kentucky. Kentucky has 258,00 u inhabitants over 10 years of age who can neither read nor write. lowa has only 28,000. Thus you will see that lowa is ten times as intelligent as Kentucky. Is that a reason why lowa should be cursed with a law that Kentucky would spurn? Again, lowa has twice the amount of improved farming lands that Kentucky has. It expends three times the amount of money in public education, \ et lowa is practically out of debt, while Kentuky has a public debt of over $500,000. And the rate of taxation in lowa is less than one-third of the rate of taxation in Kentucky. And our State buildings are far superior and all our public institutions in much better condition than those ot Kentucky. The people of Kentucky are given almost entirely to the production of tobacco and whisky, while the people of lowa are employed in the raising of breadstuffs and meats and in the manufacture of most staple and useful articles. In every respect— politically, socially and financially—lowa stands far in advance of Kentucky. And yet Weaver, Gillette, and Whiting would foist upon the people of lowa a law that the people of Kentucky would resent as a disgraceful insult. In the whisky and tobacco State of Kentucky saloons are prohibited in two-thirds of the entire State, including thirty-six entire counties. Nowhere in the State of Kentucky can a saloon license be obtained against the objection of the people of that locality. lowa Fusion, however, wants the intelligent people of this advanced State to vote for a law permitting saloons everywhere in the State. If men are to be judged by the company they keep, then those men should have whisky stamped, in black letters on their foreheads, for they themselves have stamped whisky all over the platform which they sup- — * ;

What has lowa done that it is not entitled to as good a temperance law as South Carolina? Has not lowa been as loyal? Has it not been as patriotic and true to the rights and liberties of its people? Is the State that twice seceded, and that is not a bit too good to secede again, to be blessed with better laws than proud, loyal, and faithful Iowa? About one-half of the inhabitants of South Carolina over ten years of age can neither read nor write. All told, it has less than $500,000 invested in school property. lowa has over $9,500,000. South Carolina expends only $333,000 annually in public education. lowa expends $4,333,000. The rate of taxation in lowa, however, is only about one-half what it is in South Carolina. In patriotism, intelligence, wealth, and everything that makes up a happy and prosperous people lowa stands supremely above South Carolina. Notwithstanding this Weaver, Gillette, and Whiting propose a liquor* law for lowa that the ignorant and disloyal State of South Carolina would reject as a fraud and a disgrace. No saloonkeeper or other person can fqr love or money get a license for selling intoxicating liquors anywhere in the State of South Carolina outside of regularly incorporated police towns, nor m any of the incorporated towns against the wishes of the people. And yet these fusion demagogues propose a law for lowa that will permit any man whomsoever to buy a license and open.a saloon in front of any man’s door in the State, whether in country, town, or city. ■ Now look at Missouri. lowa has lived side by side with it since we were born into the sisterhood of States. Now I ask, in all kindness and reason, has not lowa been as faithful, and is it not as worthy as Missouri, and is it not entitled to as good and wholesome laws? Missouri has 138,000 over 10 years of age who can neither read nor write; an even UO.OoO more than lowa. Missouri has a State tax ot u.ot o.omi. lowa pays all its expenses as they accrue. Its public buildings and institutions far excel those ot Missouri, and yet the rate of taxation in Missouri is twice ■r s great as the rate of taxation in lowa. lowa has always been noted for the law-abiding character of its people, while outlawry has been openly protected in parts of Missouri. Missouri’s principal heroes since the war have been its train wreckers and robbers. If you were to select two States, one the proudest and the oflier the most miserable of all the States, ypu would probably select lowa and Missouri. lowa is a synonym of intelligence, industry, economy, and happiness. Missouri always suggests ignorance, depravity, want, and misery. So thoroughly has the miserable condition of Mißsou,i i been published that its people are often spoken of as "Pukes,” and yet the “Pukes” of Missouri would spew out of their mouths this V\ eaver, Gillette, and Whiting saloon law as an outrage upon the decency even of that miserable State. No saloon-keeper can secure a license anywhere in the State of Missouri without the written permission of two-thirds of the taxpaying citizens of the municipal precinct, or incorporated town, or square, if it be a city, where the party desires to sell. Even with this consent of the people, a license cannot be bad for less than $550 nor until the party has given a bond in the sum of $2,000, undertaking that he will not sell on Sunday, that he will not sell to any minor nor to any person in the habit of becoming intoxicated, and that he will pay all fines and damages legaiy assessed against him. Under this law the people of Missouri have absolutely prohibited saloons in eighteen entire counties and in sixty incorporated towns in other counties. The people of Missouri are given the absolute right to prohibit license in every locality upon the objection of one-third of the taxpaying citizens. Weaver, Gillette, and Whiting propose a saloon law for lowa whereby the right of the saloonkeeper to sell intoxicating liquors is made absolutely irresistible. The saloonkeeper, under the law which they propose, can, for $250 to SI,OOO, establish his saloon anywhere in the State, and this law will protect and sustain him in the traffic, in absolute disregard of the wishes of the people. The authors of this law admit that it commits them to the interest of the saloon, and they offer no apology for it except that they have to join hands with the sa- i loon in order to defeat the Republican party of this State. When did Weaver, Gillette, and Whiting first find that reform could be had only at. the door of a saloon? Was there ever a pretense of’ reform so abominably false as this fusion pretense of temperance? They propose to absolutely bind the people of lowa to the feet of the saloon power of the State for so many dollars and cents. Whenever lowa votes the fusion ticket it votes upon itself this saloon law. For fusion is pledged to its enactment. Whenever lowa gets so far beside itself and so far forgets its good name and proud history as to vote upon itself such a disgrace, then let it be said that lowa is ready for the lunatic asylum, and let Weaver be crowned its king. Bnt this will never be. The people of lowa have not come to any such pass. Weaver has won his last political battle. He has unmasked himself at last, and he now stands out in bis true character, and he apd his infamous law will be buried, so deep in November that his disgraceful experiment will never again be repeated in the history of our State.