Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1886 — Another "Bit of Ancient History.” [ARTICLE]

Another "Bit of Ancient History.”

The editor of the Message, although he has carefully avoided making any public declaration of intention to support the Republican party; and although he is generally know to 'be a mere Ishmselite and freebooter in politics, ready to turn in any direction whefe money,. malice or caprice may lead him; and although in all the issues of his paper, so far published, there can not be found one line or one word tending to encourage or strengthen the Republican party, but, on the contrary, much to discourage and disorganize it; —in the face of all these things he has the effrontery, born of an till consuming selfconceit, to endeavor to dictate to the party whom it shall not nominate.for a district office. His first move in this direction was the assertion that open warfare had been declared on 8. P. Thompson in Carpenter, Jordan and Marion townships. Being driven from this position he next appealed to, misrepresented and actually falsified the record of 1874, in his attempt to convince his readers of Mr. Thompson’s unpopularity. The campaign of that year was cyclonic, all over the country, and Mr. Thompson was the only Republican on the district ticket who’ was elected; while Hons. W.H. Calkins, J. A. Hatch and Charles M. Watson were defeated. In Jasper and Newton counties the party majority melted away before the disintegrating force of the new grange movement. ’ Mr. Thompson was not the nominee of the party but ran as a partisan of known views, opposed to the introduction of secret society methods into polities. An active partizan, without endorsement ought not to be expected to do better than the regular nominees. Tn Benton county the removal of the county seat was the great issue and Mr. Travis was on the popular side of that question and received a plurality support. In Newton county the prosecutions of the members of the mob who slew Wordell were pending, and James T. a very popular man, carried that county. In Jasper county the opposition to the Republican -party was united; and defeated such good men on the county ticket as E. L. Clark, C. P. Mayhew, H. I. Adams, Norman Warmer, W. K. Parkison and Wm. B. Price, who had been, regularly nominated. Mr. Travis had many warm friends among the Republicans of this county, and there being no regular candidate he received many votes, as was to be expected. Mr. Ira W. Yeoman, the democratic candidate was also a very popular man. In Pfilaski county where no

county seat removal questions or unpopular murder cases were pending, Thompson carried the day by a large majority. In order to make Mr. Thompson, the only successful candidate of ins class, "appear unpopular, the Message gives the total vote of Newton county in 1874 as 2410, or almost 1000 more than its total voting population at that time, and says that 2,002 of these were against Mr. Thompson. Newton county has not 2,000 voters to-day. Yet the Message represents that twelve years ago it had more than 2,400 voters. The actual vote of Newton county that year was, for Saunderson 766; for Thompson 498 (not 408 as stated in the Message), Yeoman 91; Travis 75. In the total vote df the three counties now in the Senatorial district, Mr. Thompson actually had a plurality, and if we were to adopt the Message's entirely unjust and misleading method of figuring, and count all the votes not cast for a candidate as cast against him, the result would show that more votes were cast against each of the other candidates than against Mr. Thompson. The same authority represents that Mr. Thompson was never voted for at any election before nor since 1874; but he was selected Prosecuting Attorney in 1872, and was elected to certain township offices ■prior to. that time. Under Mr. Thompson’s leadership all the mill-dams in the county have been removed, and the health and prosperity of the people thereby much improved; he has done as much as any other person to secure our railroads, construct our ditches; and build up our schools and libraries. When Prosecuting Attorney he did all the work of the office for the salary prescribed by law, and did not put the county and state to any expense he has, always been a true Republican, and has always contended for fair nominations, and after the nominations for an open contest on the merits of party principles. If nominated this year for State Senator, he will deserve and we have no doubt will receive, the fijll party vote, and come as near converting the Democracy as any man whom we can place on the ticket