Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-03-06
Notes From the Capital.
From our Own Correspondent.

I must confess that | felt solicitous
about that convention called by Mr..
Ives. l was even in hopes that it
might bring out plain, direct issue
on political principles, SO that there
would be something at least to con-
tend against. But it came and has
gone. The mountain labored and,
in my Judgment, it has only brought
forth a mouse, and small one at
that.
BY making free use Of all the leg
islative opposition there was rep
resentation manufactured tor sixty
four counties, with Ala delegates
reported, but actually about 200
present. No reliable estimates have
been made over that number.
AS to che quality Of the reprcsen-
tation, it was manly Of political
characters of long standing, and
was largely Democratic. The old
party leaders Of the Democratic
faith controlled the body and its ac-
ton. True, there was Grinnell and
some others, once Republicans, but
no new recruits, nor young farmers,
or old farmers, not heretofore iden-
titled in political circles, had niue:
to say. Weart and Spangler of
your county were well honored, the
latter rs one Of the committee on
credentials, and the former as one
of the State Central Committee, and
afterwards made Chairman. This
action will give to Independence
the office and central power Of the
State Central Committee, and no
doubt the Conservative a position
as organ of the party, so that news
from Independence will be more
sought for than from the Capital
itself.
The resolutions will no doubt be
spread at large in your paper, SO
that need not insert here. They
are very commonplace assertions;
well enough in some places, but
hardly coming up to the dignity of
a State paper. The only Issue of
note is the enunciation against a
protective tariff, and l have good
authority for saying that at least
one good delegate said before he
left the Capital that he could not 60
with them. But it is one Of the in
constituencies of those people. Even
the disciples of Greeley, while he
was Greeley, who were indoctrina-
ted in the American systematic
system that has made us what we
are, would now undo all the good
they ever did, open our ports to the
pauper labor Of the world, and the
power Of the British tmonopolists,
in comparison with whom there are
no others on the face of the earth
SO unprincipled or dangerous-for
what? 10 hoist themselves into
office. This, too, when our Great
West is just awaking to the want of
manufactures in our own midst, in
addition to those in the Eastern
States, whose purchases of our pro-
auctions are now very much greater
than we can ever expect from any
foreign market. We even complain
that it costs great deal to get our
grain and meat and butter and
cheese to consumers in our land,
then how much less would it cost to
move the entire production Of our
country to some still more distant
and overstocked market, with
price indefinitely diminished and
entirely unreliable even at the re-
duced prices.
Away with such twaddlc. 1t was
exploded quarter of century
since, and all the political hacks in
the world can never revive it in
free America.
The speeches of the delegates
were pointed largely to this one
idea Of free trade. "Protection is
says the chief, and the
smaller lights echo the sound.
But there is one other thing in the
proceedings to notice, and that is
the farmer element. Oh, yes! this
is the Changers party! Brother
Wilkinson, the State Lecturer of the
State Grange, was there. He could
speak for the OF .er he is connected
with. "Wily Politicians" says he,
''hsve divided our body. We are
our eyes open, and must act
A certain old-line Dem
ocrat said that lie could have organ
lied the House IL one day. He said
that IS Changers voting on one side
and 80 on the other was wrong.
They should hay, voted together!
DO you see? Wouldn't that be
nice? 1t is well known that Wiki.
inson has been dissatisfied since
last tall. lie advocated the clcva-
ton of the Changers into an indie
pendent political party. But the
Grange refused to act in a political
being debarred by it's con-
stitution from so doing, and by the
good sense of all its real friends.
Now, however, the effort is to be
revived. The new party propose
to ride the Grange hobby hereafter
more implicitly, and they have now
the public endorsal of Wilkinson,
the hero of the Blackhawk fizzlc Of
last fall.
So much for Changers and free
trade. Wait and see what we shall
see. These are all the features ex-
cept some slang upon President
Grant and the Republicans of the
nation and this State.
But one thing is certain. They
mean business. They held back
their claws and went in for organi.
cation preparatory for next fail
elections. Besides the State Cen.
trail Committee, the opportunity
was taken to name Congressional