Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-10-23
VOLUME 25.
SOME TEACHrNasO OFTHE ERECTION

usual 1900 majority, Mahaska, will
her 600 majority, and Keokuk witt
her 200 majority, the Ant,-Monop
have made sad havoc.
This Anti Monop party in all thcs,
counties, outside of the pure Domoc
racY, which supported it against us
was a Grange party. In Mahask,
county it was Grange ticket nomi
mated by Oranges. The long ant
short of it was, it was turning o
| the Order Of the Patrons of 'Husban
dry, in violation of its organic law
into a secret political party.
BY such action as was had in som,
OF these counties, many or all of thu
Oranges forfeited their charters. By
such action (and which has been quite
common throughout the State,) the
order has, we fear, brought about its
own sudden demise, unless Oranges
which have taken political action as an
order, shall at once be declared as
having forfeited their charters.
1t matters not how much good the
Order may be calculated to accom-
plish, when its true objects are car.
ricd out faithfully, yet if through 1t and
by it, secret political party is to be
organized, such as has demonstrated
itself in many localities, then we fear,
as we have said, its early demise is
certain.
As we said months ago, speaking OF
this matter, secret political parties are
rank poison to the genius Of our in-
stitntions. This patept fact we be-
licvc everybody recognizes. 1t fol-
lows then most clearly, that wherev-
er, through any secret order, this ap-
pears, it dcvelopes a disease in that
order, which, unless the knife of the
surgeon is applied at once to eradicate,
will surely effect the death of that
order. 1t is plain that If such secret
political action comes from one por-
ton of the people, and is directed
against the interests OF another por-
ton. that other will, If forced to do
so, array itselfin secret party organi-
cation, and caste, class, and occupa.
ton will mark the lines of party, and
the general good OF all be lost sight
of. The inevitable consequences of
such action can be only evil, and that
continually. As we have said, how
ever the good sense of the American
people will make ephemeral tho exist
encc of all such action. In this coun-
ty we have labored for year past es-
pecially, with all the power we pos
sessed, by the use of the most kind
ly arguments, advice, and counsel to
the Patrons of Husbandry, to prevent
them from taking the course which
their brothers took in Mahaska and
various other counties in the State.
We have done so, having in view tho
stability of the Order, and what in
our opinion was for its highest inter-
est and welfare. It was this course of
the COURIER which brought down up
on us the denunciatiory condemnation
of that portion of Grangers who
thought to politiealize the Order.
These men sought by every means in
their power to predjudice us with
Grangers, and circulated all manner
of false reports against us.
We have been glad to record the
fact heretofore, now verified by the
election, that in the main, the Repub-
lican Grangers of Wapello county
have agreed with MS and acted accord
inglY. A sufficient number, however,
cajoled by seekers after Office, by men
who had a spleen to crafty, by those
who carried an exterior of principles,
go far as they had any, in direct oppn-
sition to their convictions, we say a
sufficient number of such men in and
out of tho Order, have been found to
push us closely in the election.
1t is this wise action of the great
part of the Changers of this county
which saved us from utter route, and
themselves from being placed in the
awkward position Of doing hasty,
unwise act, that they might repent of
it at their leisure, We sincerely thank
them for the faithfulness with which
they have stood by principle.
The danger is now passed. Time
for calm unbiased reflection has come,
and our clear conviction that we are
right assures us, that the stumbling
blocks will all be removed in the light
of Investigation and results.
The old Know-Nothing party in
1854 swept Democracy, tho then dom
inant party, from power in local elec
tions, and Immediately died. Democ-
racy in the next year had so much OF
elasticity and recuperative energy, as
to return again to power, with added
force, by reason Of the error and
wrong of Know-Nothingism, and to.
day no man can be found who willing.
ly permits 1t to be known that he was
a Know-Nothing, such is tho dislike
for secret political parties. Democra.
cy continued to flourish, and not until
the great battle against the encroach.
ment of slavery came to be fought
and the God-given sentiment Of Lib.
erty implanted in the heart Of all hu'
manity, inspired into life the Repub
lican party, did Democracy meet iii
conqucror. History proves that Know
Nothingism rivctcd still stronger tn,
chains of the Democratic party upor
the country, rather than loosenei
them.
1t is simply downright folly to sup
pose that new party can be built up
on a secret party basis. tits but ours,