The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-09-23
THE WEEKLY COURIER
Z. 4. NJ II. HEDhHGk, HAMfETS,s. EDITORS.
A Fair Question.

A. H. HAMILTON. EDiro's' Z
A Fair Question.
Porto Wclch, in his issue Of the
l4th inst, Of the Progressive Demo
cratic Conserudtor calls upon our
friend George and other Democratic
candidates to define thoir position
upon the 10Th amendment. His ar.
ticle is rather lengthy, and we give
below only tho salient points in tho
following extract:
A Card.
OFFICE PRodREssIvEC CoNsERNAToR. G
Oskaloosa, Iowa, Aug. 31st 1868. !
To tho honorable, Geo. Gillaspy,
of Wapello Co., Democratic candi-
date for Governor, A. P. Richardson,
of Clayton county, candidate for
Lieutenant Governor, VIM. f. Bran
hon, of Muscatine county, candidate
for Judge of Supreme Court.
Gentlemen Mon change, but
principles never.
You were nominated as candidates
for tho Offices set opposite your
names respectively, BY the State
Democratic Convention, which met
at Des Moincs on the 14th day Of
July, 1869. At that convention a
resolution was offered in opposition
to the ratification of the proposed
18th amendment to the Federal Con-
stitution, and it was laid on the table
and not permitted to be discussed
This has produced much disaffection
in the Democratic party, and as no
true Democrat can consistently re-
main silent on that all important is
sue, or endorse the cowardly dodge
of the State convention in ignoring
the Issue by tabling the resolution
defining our position on it, your sue
cess as Democratic candidates will
very much depend upon your COM
initial upon the propriety Of ignoring
the most important ISSUE before the
Democracy ! Of Iowa. :
If the Democratic party is to be
maintained, let it ever live only for
principle, and never die for policy
Il Democracy must perish, lot it die
a consistent death, that upon its ruins
may be erected q practical progress.
i've organization which cares moth.
ing for name, but attaches every
thing to principle.
Awaiting your decision, | remain
Yours in oppression,
PORTE WEIGH,
EDITOR PRoaREssIvE CoNsERvAToR.
By the above it is seen that there
is not tho utmost harmony in tho
happy family.
Porte, as good democrat is anx-
ious to know whether this vital pnint
Of democracy viz: "Nigger cquali-
ty" is surrendered by Iowa Democra-
cyin the person Of their hefty stan
dard bearer, and really it would
seem as though Porte has a right to
know about it.
If we are warranted in indulging in
a yankee characteristic "a guess"
we should say from the action Of the
Democratic County Convention of
this county, which George attcAdcJ:
he (George) is opposed to the 10Th
amendment, and so spits upon the
action of the convention which put
him in nominntion. 1t seems, how
ever, that in order to avoid any
equivocation, Porte insists that
George shall, under his own hand in
black and white, say that he does re-
pudiato the action Of the convention
that nominated him.
II may be that the democracy of
Iowa arc preparing themselves to
take the broad ground assumed by
their unterrified brethren in Wiscon-
sin, for there they resolve that they
arc in favor of "broadening the basis
of suffrage, and extending the bless
ings of free institutions to all classes
of people," We hope that while
they are IN progressive way they
will GO on with the Wisconsin de-
mocracy and declare as they do,
"that they believe the honor and
welfare of the Nation alike require
the rapid and complete extinction of
the National debt, by the full pay
ment of tho principal and interest
thereof"