Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-02-24

repeat 10 different election districts. Weld
ing usurped executive aud legislative pow.
or, they plundered the treasury by the most
colossal robbery Of modern times. by
such astounding means political party for
years dominated State Of 100000 peo-
pie, and held 1t by the throat. They made
taxcs, assessments, tributes and exactions
the bribes and penalties Of political suhm's'
sion.
What did We do. Not ruthless violencs.
We did not scourge, kill and burn. We
did not butcher men, women and children
by tho light Of their blazing homes. Final
ly, we did not seize the capital city Of the
State, barrjcsda its streets. shoot down its
police and erect reign Of terror on the ru-
ins Of law. We persevered in peaceful REM
edies.
We asked Congress for constitutional
enactment 10 break the bold Of organized
violence aud fraud on the ballot. box, that
citizens might vote and that their votes
might be counted, How was it received
elsewhere? We were loaded with impre-
cations and maledictions. We were blasted
with constitutional auatbemas. The whole
body OF the Democracy in this chamber
heaped ahuse upon us. Those who sat
mute in these seats day and night, while
they were pelted with storm Of monstrous
and unjust accusation, have not forgotten
the history or the cost OF this legislation
We heard the same old argument TO which
we had listened during the war. Violation
of the Constitution, military despotism, ar
bitrary power, State rights, Capitalization,
and all the worn formula in which Lincoln
and Grant, and the Republican party have
been rallied at whatever treason, anarchy, or
deviltry has been put down. But nobody
apologised, right out plain, for fraud and
ballot-box stuffiug, We all remember that
nobody then, any more than now, in SO
manyl words, justified thugs. repeater', or
forgerr. Everything men could do to pre-
vent the passage Of the act was done. but
we worried through, and for the first time
In years New York had an election ap-
preaching fairness. A leading Democratic
paper called upon the populace to arm and
"pitch the officers Of the election into the
river Other like papers spoke in like
strain, but rioters have wholesome fear OF
the beak and claw of national power, aud
80 they did not resort to force, aud citizens
we're allowed to vote, and the votes were
counted with an approach to fairness. such
were our modes of redress.
What has been the remedy Of those
deeming themselves similarly aggrieved in
Louisiana /. The right to vote has been as
free there as in New York; repea4 again
that every citizen of the South has had to
vote, and all white men could vote freely.
But, as sparks fly upward, discomfort has
run into violence, and Louisiana has been
kept rocking and sea-sick in the throes Of
unending revolution. Events have been
directed by men as rash and insane in
counsel Is the maniacs roaring at the doors
Of the French Assembly, who, in the name
of humanity, flooded France with blood and
in the name of religion, would have de-
tbroncd tho Monarch Of theskies. Murder,
persecution, and bsrbaross hate preyed
upon the poor and the defenseless. All sea-
sons have been seasons Of terror all the 10.
calitics have been the abodes of fear. Thir.
ty-fye hundred murders and woundings in
eight years, says Sheridan, "for political
sentimental
Search the annals Of bigotsy nnd intoler-
sncc, read the fearful story Of "man's inhu-
IN snity to man. and where in modern
times can You find an instance Of such God
daring AMI man-hating maligni,y a. this
statement uncovers? Louisians, including
her chief city, has been for years q dark
and bloody ground, from which victims by
the Thousand have been carried to the
grave.