Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1886 — The Senatorial Contest. [ARTICLE]

The Senatorial Contest.

The fourth attempt to defeat our nominee for Senator bears the same marks and brands as appeared in the campaigns ot 1874, '"7B and 'B2. The sunns style ot abuse is sought to be heaped upon our committees, conventions and nominee. The opposing candidate is run each time as an Independent and is required to smother qrofcni, all his political bias, and show some political consanguinity or affinity to each voter on a still hunt of the district. > In each quadrennial contest the opposing nominee has lived near Remington and by his coachera is pictured with a personal character as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, as prudent as the Savior, and as having a solid Vox populi at Iris back. A select clan of claquers open and conduct each campaign against our nominee by speaking the praises of their man and the vices, real and fanciful of ours. A brief study of these outbreaks may not be amiss. d geograph i c ally, -theologically, psychologically, philolologically and politically we can observe the future by the past as the same sa* lient points appear in each procession. Immediately following our convention a piebald camarilla of democrats and disappointed individuals of minority,parties in,The. convention and dis? triet, persuade their picked man to announce that “on account of frequent and urgent solicitation on the part of prominent citizens from all parts of the district and from all political parties” he becomes a candidate. Our convention was held July Bth, and on the 21st of the same month, the opposition candidate announced himself. The Afferent and offerent nerves of this quadrennial senatorial Squid aye now quivering from center to confines of the district to unite all elements of opposition and prevent any other person from being nominated at any political con ention, Whatever. The secret cabinet of this cabal will dictate words of endorsement of their candidate for each convention, to build up and foster the idea that such candidate really does reflect an united vox [>opuli without distinction of party. This work of the’Junto is designed to; keep up the courage of their man and excite a missionary spirit of unrest, with a few others. Thus a very good man may be flattered by a Bourbon cabal to spend time and money to gratify his abnormally excited ambition. The whole affair is usually governed and controlled by the Democratic party for its own purposes. The populace see the false and gaudy colbfs ot a people's movement while the Democrat ic leaders chuckle at their power to create strife in the ranks of the Republican party, and gull its members. Three still Senatorial hunts conducted in the same way have yielded success to the Democrats. The old party scarcely ever mistakes its man when It en-

dorses him. Even Dr. Patton frill probably act with the Democrats if they endorse and elect him. f . , This year our party built, organised and conducted a large, fair and representative convention. Its members and, those voted for are satisfied. There was a common desire to secure *a good nominee. Each member of the party had an easy chance to secure a free vote and fair count in selecting such . nominee. No sooner, however, was the result known, than a motley few began throwing dirt. The Goodland Herald was engaged as the Junto’s oi;gan, Because its liditoi was of the Democratic official household and a good blower. This Herald on July 24th published several columns of assertions hinting that each Republican committeeman was a conspirator, each member of the convention was corrupt, and each spectator a thief. These Assertions were indefinite and therefore broad enough to picture our brethern on July Bth,’B6. as composing an ‘‘iniquitous, brutal and dangerous’’ assembly, and our nominee as a very bad man. Two dozen more like blasts from the same paper are promised. Fair expectations of full proof of all assertions or retraction were prom - ised by the same paper to lure its readers into believing its falsehoods. In '74. ’7B and ’B2 like assertions were accepted as self-proving and on July 31st, the Herald claims a new rule of proof which is inferred Irom the success attending former campaigns. It is in these words: z . “It now remains for the people to disapprove the assertions in November next.’’

That rule of proof ought not to be endorsed by any fair mind. ,The manner and time of trial is very unfair. All its vile statements arc thus to the proven by “standing in at the election.” Judged by this rule all the scurvy squibs, slurs, slanders and libels spoken and published in ’74, ‘7B and ’B2 have passed into judgment as true. The Herald confesses that no other proof will be offered. Must all its vile assertions stand as true until- disproved by the popular vote? Must the good name ot every committeeman. delegate and candidate stand as smirched and scandalized* from now until after the election? If so the • “poweFbf invention alone can curb the conduct of the mudslingers. I’o us who are used to the usual rilles this scheme looks gauzy. Look at the Postmaster’s plan of calumny and proof and if you are Longest say whether yon approve it. This Junto dictates to conventions and voters by a system of p:u<j :inade which it claims must stand as true until after the election. This novel rule stamps the whole scheme as an insult to any honest man’s sense of Justice. The outward manifestations of this clique are—extreme tenderness for the dear people—a horror of any other party fealty—hostility to all other organized effort— and an intense love for bolters and scratchers in some other party. Its accusations are a reflex of its own—obliquities. On August 11th. ’B6, the Junto will take the Damocratiu con- • V vention by the nose and lead it according ..to its dictation. For a promise of the final out-put of the combination the old party will deny its own name aud, follows these complots in personal defamation. A pretty jingle of words will*be adopted as a device to attract all possible opposition to our nominee. “Should any Republican brother Wied., astray by this hypocritical cant his virtue will be proclaimed by these dictators publicly and his simplicity mocked at privately. The words ‘Tin g” and “machine” will be used in a vagabond sense by this-scheme of fraud and backbiting. No man's nature is changby. abuse.. He remains the same ~ man still. Our candidate has led an upright life but he Is required by these marplots to bear their villitic.ition in meekness awaiting a secret ballot. Honest men of all parties should hesitate before joining this slanderous and libelous raid against the personal character of binion P. Thompson.

A TRUE REPUrue Republican.