The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1867-07-19
Mobiles Letter.

we publish as an act of justice to
him, having commented upon its
subject matter rather freely, some
two weeks since. We invite our
readers generally to examine it at
tentively, and we believe they will
agree with us, that our structures
upon it, were neither unjust or un-
fair.
1t. having been suggested to us
hat we should endorse the letter be-
cause the Dubuque Herald has done
so. we propose to look at the incon-
sistency Of that endorsement. brief.
ly. After introducing brief ar
gument to convince Mr.. Noble that
he is nearer democrat than hS is
willing to admit in his letter, the
Herald says:
THE position Of the democratic
party of Iowa, as We understand it,
is this: Each state has exclusive
control of the suffrage question with
in its own limits, and that as citi-
zens of Iowa We are opposed to the
adoption of negro suffrage in Iowa.
This Mr.. Noble will find to be the
exact meaning Of the democratic
plank and nothing more. Believ-
ing the state alone the sole judge of
this matter We are opposed to con-
gress forcing negro suffrage upon
the northern states or the southern
states either. Is not that Mr.. No.
ble's position? If any of the south
crn states acting in their sovereign
capacity wish to adopt negro sui
frage, we have no objection what
ever no more than We had to New
York doing the same thing years
ago. Is not that Mr.. Mobiles po-
sition !? And again he says, When
negro suffrage was an open ques-
ton he was opposed toit.' If it is
not an open question here in Iowa
now, we do not know when it ever
would be, for THIS VERY FALL the
question is submitted to a vote of
the people, and our reasons for OPP
posing it now when it is an open
question are probably just the same
as those Mr.. Noble entertains for
opposing it when he says it was an
open question.
A perusal of Mr.. Mobiles letter
shows that he considers negro suf-
frage already endorsed by the south,
recognizing acts done in obedience
to that degree Of force and to avoid
threatened violence, which in law
vitiates all contracts thus made.
That it will require a revolution to
rid themselves Of the injustice vio-
lently done them deserves no more
weight than it would to urge, that
to avoid the payment of a note ex-
torted BY similar threats would in
volye litigation.
The Herald also undertakes to
show that negro suffrage in Iowa is
an open question and such as is
contemplated and within the pur-
view Of his letter, Mr.. Noble is
bound to oppose its adoption in the
state. Out Of charity to the Her
aid We think it endorsed the letter
before reading it, because the first
plank in the platform Of principles
promulgated by Mr.. Noble as en-
bodying the perfection of political
wisdom (availibility) elnphatical-
ly pledges him to negro suffrage iii
Iowa. Here is his platform in his
own words:
LIST. Amend the constitution of Iowa Civ
ing suffrage to all men without distinction
of race or color, and giving the same right
to all foreigners upon declaration Of in
tention to become citizens Of the United
States and one years residence in the
State.
This question Of suffrage is the vi
tai, living issue of the day. There
is no postponement, and can be
none, for upon its adoption or re-
lection depends the future ascend
ency Of the party now controlling the
country to it's ruin. If adopted,
then through that medium does that
party hope to become omnipotcnt
for forcing all the other theories Of
the party upon the country. 1t is
the Archimedian lever by which all
the other evils are to be accom-
plished. The effect will be to mon
grclize one half of the old republic
as Mexico and the republics of
South America are to-day, and for
this do we class those favoring ne
gro suffrage as Mongrels instead Of
republicans. The question Of nc
gro suffrage is not an open one in
the democratic party, aud no man
can be democrat who fayors it.
Let this be understood and read of