Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-06-30
THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC STATE
PLATFORM,

THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC STATE
PLATFORM.
This platform is purely Democratic,
with little pretence Of adopting 80
much of Republicanism as that party
has been forced to gulp down after the
rebellion. only however to be thrown
up Whenever circumstances will per
nit. They have begged prodigously
to have us let bygones be bygones, but
true to the ancient custom time out of
mind they hold up Jefferson and Mad.
ison as their godfathers to whom,
however, they bear not the least re-
| semblance. This done, they then pipe
in for two or three resolutions on
States rights, and the kind of States
| rights they mean is best illustrated by
their history, viz: the right of seces-
sion and rebellion, the right which
makes our national fabric q rope Of
sand, having its foundation, its pater-
nifty in the enslavement of millions Of
blacks in former times, and now their
degradation in civil rights. Next a
rcvamping of the old promise of hon
esty, and the punishment of official
wrong doing, aud yet the last tune
they were in power in the nation they
robbed the treasury, the navy, and
every department of the government
as traitors. ..... ...
Here then comes in through the
eighth resolution stinted declaration
for equal civil rights to all men, and
yet they have as their motto white
mans government" and lose no OPP
portunity to degrade the colored man,
and in near one-half the Union to in
timidatc him by prescription and
even murder. Then they proclaim for
preserving the public lands for set
tiers, and this rs plank was bodily
stolen from the Republican party
The first great grant of lands to rail-
roads was made through the influence
of Stephen A. Douglass, to the Illinois
Central Company, and the first sue
cessful homestead measure was tho
work of the Republican party. Then
they bray about the third term busi-
ness, a myth, a deception, and trick
of that patty from its inception to the
present time. They then get in q
muddled plank on the finances which
may mean anything or nothing; the
muddle is so unavoidable that they in
one sentence declare for plenty of cur
rency, while the process of specie re-
sumption is being wrought out, and in
the very next words announce their
opposition to national banks. They
then 60 for tariff for revenue which
has been for years Republican doc
trine.
Then follows two resolutions on the
whisky question. Not content with
one resolution upon this subject they
compromised on two, to fit those who
took theirs straight, and those who
were partial to fancy drinks. Lastly,
they arraign the Republican party for
NAL administration in their usual way,
the hidden secret behind it all being
this-that the Republican party saved
the country by whipping them, and
having possession of the government
the Democracy do not get smell ct
the offices. As we have said 1t IL
purely Democratic fix up. Not .
word appears about cheap trshsporta-
ton, the great question which consti-
tuted the life and soul of the Anti Mo-
nopoly party. Not one solitary word
appears upon this all absorbing ques.
ton with the whole country. The
sleek, cunning Democratic leaders of
the Convention with the ex.Republi-
can sorehesds who thought of nothing
save possible offices ahead, had never
a word to say about the regulation Of
railroads, or means to cheap transport
tation in any form.
Again, their is nothing for the Lib.
erals about abiding by the results of
the war, or the constitutional amend
ments. which formed such an import
ant part of the Liberal platform of
1872. They talk of tariff, of finances;
of the public lands, but never word
about those amendments so vital to the
liberties of race, the inyiolability of
the national debt, and the reputation
Of the Confederate debt.
" Again, the platform is as silent as
the grave in regard to the late soldiers
of the Union-not a syllable touching
them or the obligations Of the govern3
ment to them. Verify this document |
bears the indellible finger marks Of the |
old style Democracy. Some feint is
made to enlist the farmers by saying |
that the old fossil Shepherd LETTER is |
onc of their number, but the facts are |
hat he is onetof those gentleman far
ners and former lawyers who divides
lis time between his farm and the
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