Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1890 — THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE SOLDIERS. [ARTICLE]

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE SOLDIERS.

The registration - features of the new election law, designed to disfranchise government officials, commercial travelers and Methodist preachers* has been declared and void by the Supreme Court. All friends of fair elections will rejoice in the decision,

There is great apprehension everywhere that many votes will be lost through failure of voters to understandihe details of voting under the new law. Its reqffirements are exceedingly strict aud departure thereform, by the woter in preparing his ballot, will cause it to be thrownjout. Republicans, study up on the voting process.

Hon. W. D. Owen is a loader in Congress; a man of mark and influence and of national reputation; an honor to his district and his state aud who wins with each recurring session a higher nud still higher place in the councils of tinnation and tlie honor of tb • peo- ; -*■ « pie. Aud what would Dr. Patton jlo in Congress? Simply sit in his seat, dumb as ;an oyster except when be opened his mouth to. vote ks his party leaders commanded, or hustled put into the lobbies when the brigadiers demanded the breaking of a quorum. Our report of the so-called People’s Party convention, at the court house last Wednesday afternoon, was horridly prepared, just ! as we- were going to press, j.ud; perhaps contained a few iuaceuiucles. The statement, for instance, that the democratic candidates, who were then nominated, did not j seem to have been strictly required to renounce their other party allegiance before they could be nominated by the People’s party, „is disputed by Mr. Frank Gant, one of the leaders in the People’s movement. He declares, very positively that both Messrs. Harrington and Yentling are pledged to the People’s party, io support its principles and vote its ticket.

The Farmers, Alliance was established in Jasper 'county under the most positive and constantly reiterated declarations that there was no politics in it. Under the conditions of that declaration the order took firm hold in this county and promised to be an instrumentality of great good to our farmiug but already the order’s prospects for usefulness are much impaired and its disruption threatened by the act of a few persons in calling a political convention in the name of the order, aud iu using its forms in conducting that convention. There is great indignation among those members of the order who went into it in good faith for the social, economic and educational advantages it offered, Overt he unauthorized and indefensible act of a few men who would willingly wreck the order if in so doing they oooldicarry their points jn the election of a few certain individuals to offices.

Wlm is the Soldiers Friend. ' The campaign is on and the election is near. One of the most important officers to be voted for is that of Congressman. Hon. W. D. Owen is the Republican candidate and Col. David H. Pattoni t > 7 is the Democratic candidate. The Democrats are sending circulars to the soldiers of the disstrict soliciting votes for Mr. Patton on account of his being a soldier. The circular signed by “A Comrade.” gives the military history of Mr Patton, complains of the appointment made by Congressman Owen and asks “Do you believe your interests as an ex-' soldier are even secure ip the bands of the present Conggressmau, with his present history, as with the soldiers candidate, who has realized himself the dangers, the privations and hardships of active army service?” The Circular signed “Ex-Soldier” starts out by stating that “Mr. Owen’s record in Congress is not objectionable from a Republican standpoint,” and says that “Mr. Owen’s education, intelligence, moral, habits, social qualities, etc., are as good as the average member of the body to which he belongs.” “ExSoldier” then objects to Mr. Owen because, as he thinks, there is better material in the Republican party, and brings up the old and exploded charge of corruption in regard to appointments to office and further complains that Mr. Owen has not appointed enough soldiers to office, although in the very line he says it is true that Mr. Owen appointed out of thirty-one contests for post-offices, twenty-six soldiers or their widows. The text of both circulars are mainly personal of the two: candidates. The tenor of of both circulars* show a feeling akin to disappointed office-seekers who probably think lighting night strike them if Mr. Patton was elect* ,ed.

After the question “Is both candidates true representatives of the parlies they seek to represent?” the personality of the candidate? go for a little. Neither candidate can rise above the party they rerepresent. The teachings, principles, sentiments and practice of the parties is what we must be governed by. Mr Patton has no public record, except that of a soldier. He has got on a strange ticket to make a fight on that record. He has accepted the nomination at the Lam s of tlie Democrats and any : ■ - would be a fool to claim that he was stronger than his-party. v\ hat has ihat party done for the oldiers? Nothing! Read the record of votes on pensions meas- ! i= -Reoovds are sometimes very inc- ’nvenient things tothose who wish to float a false report, and very convenient to those who wieh to .establish the truth. The following record of votes on various peneion bills is a sufficient answer to the claim that the Democatic party £s the soldier’s friends. Tlie Arrears of Pension BiU—Passed Jan. 19. 1579. Democrats for tlie bill 48 Democrats ayjaiust the bill.. 61 Republicans for the bill mi Republicans against the bill . .None The Widow's Pension Bill—Passed Feb. 2, issu, (increasing widow's pensions from $8 to sl2 )>er month.) Democrats for so Democrats against- ........ : un nlpwnlfciiiii'lMi.?■•.-.;..”.t~dvnTr: '"ImF Republicans against None Tbe Amputation Bill—Passed Aug. 4,1886. Democrats for i 7g Democrats against.... .. . ..L. . 51 -Republicans for .. ...J 91 Republicans against. ........ .... None The idbws' Arrears Bill (Giving arrears of pensions, from the deat h of Up*ir husbands to widows entitled to pensions tbe Semite by the following vote: Democrats for. j Democrats against ... ;ao Republicans for. ... ... " I Republicans against. .V. ,.. None The Disability Pension Bill in Fiftieth Con-gress-Vote to pass over President Cleveland’s Veto: Democrats for si Democrats against; 145 Republicans for.. pjg Republicans against None Fatted for lack of two-thirds majority. Tlie Disability Bill in the Fifty-first Congress. (Gives pensions to all disabled soldiers, and to dependent parents and children.! Democrats for 28 Democrats against..... ....... 56 i Republicans for... 117 Republicans against None Same bill in Senate: Democrutßfor 2 Democrats against jb Republicans for si Republicans against ' None The Prisonera-of-war BUl—Gives pensions ■ for term ot imprisonment to all who were prisoners of war for thirty days or more. Democrats for.. ....... .. .» 24 Democrats against \ 79 Republicans T0r.... \ 119 Republicans against.. None

A Tlie Democrat* voted three to one 'against the biU, iinda* it lacked five votes for the necesaary two-thirds, it was defeated. § i In the words of “A Comrade” “do you believe your interests as an ex-soldier are even secure” in the hand of such a party? Can Dr. Patton change that record. The above is the practice of the Democratic party the following are their sentiments? All* remember the numerous vetoes and brutal epithets used by ex-Preeident Cleveland and the fishing escapade on Decoration Day. Let us read some of the Democratic papers: DENOUNCED AS BOBBERS. When Abraham Lincoln became President of the United States the entire revenues of the goverment were less than $50,000,000. Now the people are taxed to raise nine times that amount; and yet this vast revenue is insufficient to quiet the appetites of the robbers, who pretend that their hunger is patriotism.—Pike County Democrat, August 1890. Is there any thing in that article to inspire love in the breast of an old soldier for the Democratic party? GRAND ARMY OF PENSION LOOTT EBS. 1

The Seymour Ind Daily Democrat of August 16th, 1890, contains the following editorial: In his speech to the Grand Army of pretorians at Boston, President Harrison wished that the veterans might be inspired with a “new love for flag and Constitution 1 ” Wherever the copperliead medal of the Grand Army is worn, it is a symbol that the American brithright of manly independence of the wearer has been traded for a mess of pensions pottage. No one not a pretorian will believe that it stands for anything else. And no one not a pretorian will believe that there is any patriotism in Americans who league together, under military forms, to force themselves as dependents " upon the honest - workers and industrious earners of the country. Petorianism has brought the Grand Army of pension looters into snea contempt that its badges and its medals, and insignia are types that tell the btorv of its disgrace. With $100,000,000 a year, drawn from the wages of coal miners, of railway and faotory operatives of mechanics, of farmworkers, of all who work for an independent livelihood, it can .• fiord to take its jaunts across the continent, to buy uniforms and gold braid, to cover the breasts of its members with medals, to spend weeks in parade and festivity; but when it does parade every spectator knows that the men in line imposed themselves as parasites on the labor of the country, and that they have banded together for the purpose of refusing to work for support and forcing others to support them. To this pass lower than the scale of the common tramp v !: > wends his way throughout the country begging hig living, without a pretense to respectability or patriotism, has pretorian ism brought the so-called “Grand Army"” If it is, in such a pass, capable or “ newer love for flag and Constitution,” the “Christain statesman” head of “this pious administration” has wished it well. The Democrat is Congressman Jason B. Brown’s home organ and the “official” paper of the city and county where it is published. The significance of the foregoing article is that it is the unbridled expression of a Democratic organ in a strongly Democratic community. It does not have to be read between the lines to reach its meaning, for every line of its breathes a spirit of bitter hate toward Union soldiers and pensioners. Notice the expressions: “Grand army of pretorians,” “copperheads medals of the Grand Army,” “a mess of pension pottage;” ‘‘grand army of pensionlooters,” “parasites on the labor of the country,” “lower then the scale of the common tramp,” etc. Every veteran in the State ought to read this editorialfrom a Democratic organ, and then ask himself how an old soldier can ever vote a Democratic ticket. ROARING ASSES OF THE GRAND ARMY The Grand Army of the Republic while in session in Boston passed resolutions requesting Congress to pass a law prohibiting, under penalty of severe punishment the treasuring or display of Confederate flags. This is one thing that

no law of CoDgres* can prevent, and the faot is recognized by everybody except the roaring asses of the Grand Army of pension grabbers. Such a.law passed by Congress would cause every Southern man, woman and child to love and respect, far more than they do now, the ensign of the lost cause. The action of the Grand Army fanatic shows that the fool killer is not attending to his business.— New Orleans States (Dem. ) August, 1890. A HARMFUL AND DANGEROUS BODY. Judged by the light of the official report of its own chief, the G. A. R. is thus shown to be anything but the noble, high-spirited organization that it should be; and, looked at in its relations to the country, it is a most harmful and dangerous body. The 450,000 members of that organization have 450,000 votes, and banded together as they are, they exercise a control over the State governments of the North and over Congress tnat renders it almost impossible to defend the Treasury against any raid that they choose to make on it. Even rwhen they are all dead the country will not be safe from them, for their widows are entitled to pensions, and they are now organizing their sons into separate camps doubtless with the purpose of perpetuating in their families the tribute which they have wrung from their fellow citizens. — Charleston News aud Courier, {Dem.) Aug, 14, 1890. The above articles taken from Democratic papers named were extensively copied and commended by other Democratic papers. It is a significant fact that their publication was never comdemned by the balance of the dough-faced Democracy of the North who claim to be the “soldier’s friend.” THE INDIANA REPUBLICAN PLATFORM Le¥ us read the Republican platform adopted at Indianapolis: “We heartily approve the action of Republicans in CoDgress in making generous provisions for him who has borne the battle and his widow and his orphans,- A wise liberality, far surpassing any similar action by other nations, gives to the defenders of the Union aud those dependent upon them, at least one hundred and fifty millions of dollars anpually. Of this amount over fifteen millions will be distributed in Indiana each year, bringing needed relief to thonsands of patriotic homes, and stimulating business by largely increasing the volume of money circulating among our people. As against all Democratic promises and pretenses, we proudly recall the fact that all important pension legislation has been placed on the statute books by Republicans; and against constant democratic opposition they have steadily maintained a revenue system adequate to meet the demands. Nor has it been the habit of Republican Presidents to sneer at oi veto laws adding to the comfort of those who maintained the integrity of the Union and gave to the Nation one flag of honor and authority. In justice to the Union soldiers and sailors, we urge the passage of the service pension bill. —Kentland Gazette. MGKeII money—W.H. H Graham loans money in sums o SBOO and upwards, on long time, a 6 to 7 per cent, interest. Remeubek. —Mrs. Lecklider’s millinery store and dress-making establishment is one door east of the post-office, and directly opposite the public square. We have a long line of flower pots all sizes, glassware, queensware, table knives and forks, spoons, pocket cutlery and numerous other articles which we are selling out at cost. Call and examine these goods before buy-

ing.

J. H. WILLEY & SONS.