Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-09-28
For the Charles City Intelligencer


Letter from w. P. Gaylord.
Mr.. EDrroR IL have been asked a
great many times how stand on the
liquor and negro questions, and being
a candidate for the Office of Represen
tative the people have right to know
l am not in favor of licensing one
man to kill another. have used just
enough of what is called whiskey
since | have been a resident of this
State to know that the man who uses
it habitually, or to excess, must pre-
maturely die-that death is on his
track, and will travel in precisely the
same ratio that he lets on the steam.
/ have seen no real liquor in ten
years, and if men will insist on drink
ing spurious imitation, the most eco.
nomical way would be to purchase the
strychnine at the druggists and make
it for themselves.
believe in the right of the people
to petition for, or demonstrate against,
any public measure and should be
elected, either shall receive respect
full consideration.
Believing as ] do from an acquaint.
ance Of ten years in this district, that
a large majority of the people are in
favor of the present prohibitory law, ]
see no necessity for, nor propriety in,
its repeal.
Negro Suffrage. think the grea,
cry about negro suffrage is premature
1t is well known that the negro cannot
vote in this State until the Constitu-
tion is revised and the Constitution
cannot be revised in less than two and
half years, nor until the proposed
amendment is first submitted to two
Legislatures, and afterwards ratified
by the people.
cannot pledge what will or will
not do two and one-half years in adj
vance, nor will the people ask it. Two
and half years will work wonder.
full change. If the emancipation
scheme of the administration works
well it will be but short time before
Iowa will bid farewell to the last yes
tige of the African race.
"Birds of feather ....rr..
Will flock together"
Now if Negro has property to rep
resent, and can read the ballot he pro
poses to vote--or has voluntarily stood
up, musket in hand, in defence of our
imperiled government, have no OBJ
lection to his voting-but personally
am not in favor of his holding Office
or sitting on the jurors bench. 1t is
not every man who votes that is eligi
bic to every Office. On this question
| think some respect should be paid t
the opinion of our brave soldiers, VIII,
for three years or more have had a bet
ter chance than have had to learn tn,
real condition of that unfortunate race
The Legislation propose in respec
to the negro may by some be calle'
"class legislation" But all legisla
ton is more or less "class legislation,
and what Legislation fails to class CUT
tom finishes.
But whatever may be my privat
opinion, should I be elected, and SHOULD
the question of negro suffrage COM
up before the Legislature, l shall vot'
in favor of submitting it to the PEG
pie. .
1 This is government of the people
and they have right to be heard Oh
all questions of public policy. If tn
time has come when we are afraid Il
leave this or amy other question to thu
people, then it is time that the nam'
as well as the form of our government
should be changed.
Good Republicans may differ on thes'
questions, but that difference is no
great enough to prevent our sustain
ing the regular ticket from Stone t.
Crowell in order to defeat the MACH
nations of those who through the ia
nous Committee of Three" have
combined with the sore-heads" o
Cerro Gordo county to overwhelm us.
Respectfully yours,
w. P. GAYLORD.