Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-17

Gates, opposing Candidate for Con
gress, met III joint discussion at OF
tumWa Oh the 9th, inst. The latter
In opening the debate, made about
the same speech which we published
two weeks since from the Center
Vile citizen, and hence it need not
be here repeated.
JUDGE SAMPSON SAID:
Fellow Citizens This is decided
ly a new position for me. Although
my friend, Sir. Gates, has seen prop
or 10 characterize this contest as be-
tween the politicians and the people,
i think 80 Ter a. / am concerned, al
least, 1t is hardly a just remark to say
that it il u contest between the
people and the politicians. What
was he referring to? That / am on
the side of the politicians and he on
the side Of the people? He would
have you believe that, gentlemen. j
am astoni5bed. My competitor says
that he was in this city to attend q
convention, he was here as dele
gate, and consented that his name
should be used rs candidate, and !
don't know how nominated, but
suppose by the aid Of his own vote,
perhaps. Where was your humble
servant Il the time he was nominal
ed? Trying to serve the people, and
had nothing to 90 with it, or the
convention that nominated him. !
was discharging my duties rs best /
could upon the bench. | do not
think, feiiow-citizens, that you will
believe that ! WAS figuring for the
nomination, and Is 1t fair? Is 1t
Justice in this contest To class me
with politicians and my friend with
the pe0ple2 II has been urged in
some Journals that 4 have been re-
rioved from the people for tho past
eight years, and know nothing
ol Tie wants OF the people. have
been on the bench, sitting face to
face with the people, In close con
recliou with them, discharging my
duties in the administration Of JUS
tice between them, and | have been
hearing tho trials and grievances Of
the people for those eight years.
Are we To infer that those who have
been attending township, county and
State conventions are tho men alone
wEo know what the wants Of the
people are? / believe j have been
at but two conventions in that time
but men who have been attending
them understand the peoples wants.
/ think you readily perceive wheth-
pr that IL sound argument In its APP
Diication to myself. Ii seems that
my friend claims that the people of
this country were guilty Of a great
mistake when they elected General
Grant President. If mistake it
was because of their great gratitude |
for the important services he had
rendered In the war for the Union.
If mistake, 1t originated In the
heests Of the American people. 1T
WAS wrong, says my friend, to elect
General Grant President, who knows
nothing about saving money. AS |
understand his argument, the coun
try Is indebted about three billions
OF dollars, because of General Grants
election to the Presidency. If that
Is not his argument, / do not under.
stand it. He talks about the enorm-
ity of the debt, and he illustrates by
saying the debt Of this nation would
make ten lines OF one dollar green
backs around the globe; 1t would
take 1 don't know how many men
one hundred aud 6fty-nine years TO
count IL! Who was it saddled this
debt upon this country, debt that
would make ten lines of greenbacks
round the globe? Who was it sad
died this debt upon the country, that
would take one hundred and fifty
nine years to count? Was 1t the Re-
gublican party or was it the opposi-
tion 70 .he Republican party? II
may be III the people Of this country
hAd all said that the extension OF
human slavery was right, nothing
wrong about it, there would never
have been this debt.
AsI understand it, before the war
nay friend was with that party
which was unwilling to enter upon
the war for the Union; but when
the war came on the gentleman ac-
quiesced and assisted In his UGy. j
believe he did become a war Demo.
crat or Republican during the war,
dII HUt NCl tttili. 1NoW lIC WdIJS W.
make the Republican party RESPONSE
BILE for the debt. / remember very
we'll when the first greenhacks were
issued to the army. We were at
Bonneville, Mo. We were astonish-
ed. We did not know how it would
work--you know how it was. We
had been accustomed to gold and
silver, but wo soon became used to
it. The country was bound to do
Something. We Were compelled to
make that debit was to save the
nation. Which would you prefer,
to have no debt, or to have no Union
of these States to-day? But, says
my friend, they are squandering the
money from day to day, and not
paying the debt. i understand this
IL his position: "There is no dispo-
sition to liquidate and pay this
debt."
Now, fellow-citizens, in tho last
FIVE years and four months there has
been paid of the principal Of the pub
lie debt three hundred and eighty
two millions Of dollars, stopping an