The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-11-07
DO MT FORGET
THAT THE
Presidential Election
TAKES PLACE
TUESDAY, THE 9Th.
Political.


So far as the canvass of 1860 is concerned
this will be the last opportunity we have to
address the readers of the Times. We improve
t, not by any Santa Anna-like raving such as
usually marks the last issues Of partisan jour.
nails but by reference to the peculiar features
of the discussions which have filled, for several
months, the papers devoted to the attack and
defence of the only man in the field who has
commanded any prominence.
1t was early laid down as policy on the
part Of both Northern and Southern opponents
of the Democratic party to charge anything and
everything to Mr.. Douglas, and throw upon his
friends the necessity of proving negative
The record of Lincoln is too limited to furnish
material for much talk, while that of Breckin.
ridge is confined mostly to Fourth of July
orations and pretty declarations on quiet
occasions. This lack of Record on the part of
these two aspirants deprived the Democratic
party of the power to retaliate. They knew
one as harmless lawyer of Springfield, retired
sixteen years since by his own party on account
of his Abolition sentiments and his Anti-Me
can-War speeches. The other was an unnasum-
ing Wing in times by gone, Democratic Re.
preventative of the celebrated Clay district in
Kentucky by the merest accident was placed
on the Democratic Vice Presidential ticket in
1876 and was elected. His position as Presi.
sident of the Senate exempted him from any
participation in the exciting topics of the late
Congressional Sessions and it was not known,
until after adjournment, precisely what views
Mr. Breckenridge held on the issues that he had
heard discussed by the body over which he pre-
sided. Mr.. Douglas, on the contrary had been
in pubic life IS years,-an able dcbater and a
man of pluck he never hestated to give an
opinion and push it forward with all the firm
ness Of which he il master. lie had a record,
and the chosen mode of attacking him was to
cics. These they could not find to make a
paying thing out of the search and then the
happy thought struck them that his speeches
might be sliced up into sentences and by leay.
ing out a line here and paragraph there they
could make the reader believe that Stephen
"Arnold" Douglas was the greatest traitor alive.
This was the programme, and we are willing to
admit that, with few exceptions, this policy Of
Misrepresentation, halt-quoting and quoting
falsely has been followed out by the Republican
party from the highest orator (Scward) to the
smallest cleaner of a kerosene oil lamp for the
use of the Wide-Awakes. On the stnmp, in
the papers, in the social circle, the same course
has been pursued toward that distinguished
man. The correction of one story by docu.
mentary evidence only aggravated the ingenious
eupidity of the baffled partisan to hunt up t,co
more Of character more infamous than the
last, and thus the Democracy were kept busy
week after week, exploding the canards which
malignity and duplicity were manufacturing.
We have paid little attic ntion to this mode Of
warfare because observation has taught US that
where man is resolved to SANDER you the less
you say to him the better-the lies you may
Iefute to-day will grow into volume if neces
sty demands it and you are worse off in debate
by the publicity you give to his inventions. Al
curious record, we take occasion now, at The
close Of the canvass, to sum up few of thu
the b0ldest and most effective falsehoods which
the opposition have INDUCED in. We wan
them in our files as matter of history connect
cd with this canvass and we expect to live t,
hear the authors of 30 vile mode of politica
warfare condemned, as they deserve to be, a
the greatest Guardians that ever disgraced
rostrum, defiled newspaper or insulted tn
intelligence of free people. We can onl
touch each point with breyity.
It is said of Mr.. Douglas, to prove that he
perfectly indifferent in a sectional rivalr
whether st2te 10 secured to freedom or I
slavery, that he "did not care whether SLAYER
was voted up or voted down." The circun
stances under which he made this expresso
ere suppressed and the naked abstract "indiffs
suce" stands before US. The truth is, M
Douglas at the time he was opposing Il
Lecompton Constitution in the Senate WI
told "to wait. perhaps they will vote the Co
ssitution authorizing slavery down'-his rep
was that he wanted the people of Kansas
have q fair chance to vote-ttat it ,cas the pri
pic he scas :aer, and he will not care wheth
dey voted the slavery clause Of the Consiit