Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-09-23

ments '.in number of Wing papers of
Iowa and elsewhere" concerning the
position which now occupy, and your
enquiries as to my "feelngs and views
towards General Winfield Scott and
Frank n Pierce as candidates for the
next Presidency, is now before me.
And. in answer 10 il, permit me TO
say to you, that it is with no ordinary in.
terest view the contest now going on
between the friends of General Winfield
Scott and General Pierce, the two prom
inent men now candidates for the Presi.
DENTAL Chair of the Union, the one nom
mated by Wing National Convention.
the other by Convention of the Dem
ocratic party. | have. sir. as you knbw,
always been Denocrat;I was born a
Democrat, and | expect TO live the bal
ance of my days as such, and then die a
Democrat.
supported Thomas Jefferson for the
Presidency. ] supported Mr. Madison
two terms, Mr. Monroe twice, and was
one of the electors in Ohio that voted for
Monroe at the time of his second cleo.
ton. In 1924 | was placed a. the head
of The Jackson electoral ticket in Ohio; in
1928 was chosen an elector in that State,
and gave my vote as such for Gen. An.
drew Jackson. | was President Of the
National Democratic Convention at Bal.
tiinore in 1892, which nominated Mar.
tain Van Buren, as a candidate for Vice
President on the same ticket; | support
ed MIR. Van Buren, for the Presidency in
80 aud 40 Ivoted for Gen. Cass in
'4S, and should freely vote for him again
were-he candidate. These are so
many proofs OF my title of Democrat.
This title has been well earned, and my
right TO il shall never be impaired. Blu,
cannot support Franklin Pierce, by
word or deed, for the important office of
President, consistent with the principles
which have ever as Democrat enter.
tanned, nor with the voluntary pledges
that made to the Democratic Conven-
ton of Ohio, which nominated me. in
1894, as candidate for reelection to the
office of Governor of that fourlshng
State, these pledges being as follows:
"My motto has ever been, Principles,
Measures, and Men that will carry prin.
ciples and measures into effect. And you
may rest assured that whatever may be
my station or situation in life, you will
always find me In the ranks of Dernoc-
racy, supporting the principles and
measures that were professed and acted
upon in the administration of Jefferson,
a Madison, and a Jackson. and such men
as will carry their principles and meas
ures into effect"
The position Mr.. Pierce has ever oc-
cupied, in Congress or any other public
station, in reference to questions vital To
Western prosperity, has been antagonist
zeal to those which were advocated and
dearly cherished by those eminent states
men whose election to the Presidency
most heartily and cordially advocated. -
They taught, and have always believed,
that the Constitution vests in Congress
the power to open and repair harbors
and remove distractions from navigable
rivers; and that it was expedient that
Congress should exercise such power
whenever such improvements are nee.
essary for the common defense-for the
protection and facility of commerce
with foreign nations or among the States,
said Improvements being na,iona. and
general iii their character: understand
| Mr.. Pierce 10 superadd 10 the above doc
lrine, proviso to the effect that the wa.
tiers on which these improvements are
proposed to be made, shall be salt, and
that they shall be moved by tides. He
has, in efiec, declared that the depth oil
waters to be improved, nor their capacity
for trade among The States, forms no cri-
Ierion for Just demand upon federal
protection. His political history, as col
lecled from his action in Congress, no
less than from his letter to the commit
tee of the Convention, accepting his nom-
lnation to the Presidency in the terms
set forth in the platform, furnish evidence
Of his hostility to all the prominen,
measures which tend to western pros
| perity-of which internal improvements
and domestic industry are he most i'm
p0rtant.
As Western man, therefore, and as
an original Jackson Democrat, as friend
to internal improvement, and to the pro-
teclion and encouragement of American
industry, cannot and will not supper;
such o man as Franklin Pierce for the
Presidency. And as there is now bat
two prominent candidates before the A.
merican people. namely: Gen. Scott and
Franklin Pierce, one of whom will nee
essarily be elected the next President,
shall most cheerlulIy and freely give my
vote and influence TO Gen. Scott. be-
lieye him by far the best Democrat OF he
two, and one whom every friend to the
West particularly, and TO internal in
provements, and to the protection and
J promotion OF American industry, ought
to prefer and to cordially support.
: Before conclude wish to call your
attention to shor, article which is taken
from the Iowa Capital Reporter of the
LIST inst. Il is as follows:
EX-GOv. LUCAS AND GEN. SCOTT.
We see the Wing papers are glorying
over wha. they suppose TO be one in
stance of a Democrat who will supper,
Gen. Scott. We think their glory will