Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-25
GOV. RIHk woun Ar DIES ma,NKs

the campaign at Des Moines, Iowa, on the
evening OF the 10th, inst. He spoke to an
assemblage which was only measured BY
the capacity Of Moorc's Opera House. He
was greeted with great enthusiasm, which
continued throughout his magnificent
speech.
As be will be here on the 7th of Sept, TO
address our citizens, we will not publish
bis speech referring to national issues, and
will only give his reply to certain charges,
which have been industriously circulated
against hir, and his answers to certain in
quiries. In producing this part of his
speech, We shall cut down his remarks as
much as possible, without doing injustice
to the Governor, or too much crowding the
inside Of our Weekly:
The Governor in commencing said he
would first pay brief attention to some of
the charges made against him by the
Democratic press.
My old friend, Claggcts, Of Keokuk, said
l have speculated in tax titles. / never
owned or bought tax title in my )iie.
Another editor says am large owner OF
railroad stock. once had $500 of stock
10 an unbutlt railroad, which l sold for IS.
also bought dollar Of stock in q new
railroad once in order TO qualify myself for
President, and own that yet.
1t has also been charged that own stock
IN destillery. do not OVID, never have
owned, and never Intend to own any such
stock. 1t has been charged also that I once
said 1--WE must give the Dutch their Stops
in order to keep their votes" never said
and never thought Of saying this or any.
thing like It. resent, rs Nicholas j.
Rusch, the pure and able German citizen
who was Lieutenant Governor when I, %
Governor, signed The bill allowing the sale
OF beer aud wine, would have resented.
this insinuation that the German citizens
would have sold their votes for lager beer.
The Democrats charge this now, on the
superstition, If they believe it at all, that Il
we bought these people with free lager In
those days they can buy them with FREQ
whisky now. No! the German people
were voting with US on principle. They
hated slavery, as we..did, opposed sec. q zion,
IS we did, and a. they do now. They were
as honest a. We were, and as determined in
being right.
1t has also becn urged that, during the
war, once called the Germans Hessians,
and other vile epithets, which charge is as
false as the first. I claim to have little
common sense even if I have not common
honesty. was engaged in raising troops
for the war, and no citizens were enlisting
more spontaneously aud nobly, and none
making Drawer or better soldiers, than our
fellow citizens Of foreign birth. never
spoke OF this class Of our immortal soldiers
in other than terms Of admiration and
praise, and defy any proof on earth that
ever did.
The Governor referred next to the salary
grab charge-tLe charge that he took,
when elected to the Harlan vacancy, all the
pay he was entitled to uncer the law. I
did do 20, and would do it again-aud 90
would you, every one Of you. Then he
spoke OF the charge that he voted for the
increase OF salary In 1866. cid not vote
for II, and could not have done SO, as was
not in Congress ct the time. But proba-
bly, would have voted for it-for the in
crease was demanded, as everything else
had increased in pricer. The country en-
dorsed the increase, believing it just. 1t il
| not the office holder who takes all the law
| allows that the people have reason to be
| afraid Of; it is the officer who steals more
than he is entitled to that the people dread.
When came into Congress, after this law
was passed, l took the increased pay, as it
was waiting for me, and / would do it
again.
The Governor then referred with great
feeling to the wild charges that he specula-
ted in army clothing, and proceeded to
| completely demolish DEMONSTRATING the
same facts that have heretofore been pub.
lished in the THE REGISTER, and not one
OF which the Democratic press has since
denied. We omit this part of the speech.
for the reason that all our readers have al
ready been inforuea on. .hiA point.
In reply to inquiries as to his temperance
views he first prefaced his remarks with the
anuouncemcns ti~t he apoko for himself
and upon his own responsibility, as this
question was not part Of the party plat
foim.-[ED.
Idesire to say that am a. much opposed
to the incorporate use of intoxicating
drinks as any man who hears me that as
sincerely deplore the prevalence Of drunk.
enness as any man who hears me, and that
| as earnestly desire to suppress the intem-
perate use Of intoxicating drinks as any
man who hears me. How can this be best
done7 Certain persons say by continuing
ard making more stringent the present
laws. Others say by repeating our present
laws and enacting "judlcious license law"
What Is the precise present situation? We
have had for some fifteen years prohibi-
tory law more or less stringent, with what
result? In many counties the law IL fairly
enforced, and in many counties II is not en-
forced at all. In the counties in which the
law is enforced it is doubtless evaded to
some extent, but this is the case with all
laws. But Ia many counties the law is not
merely evaded-it is openly and defantly
broken and disregarded, and intoxicating
liquors are sold with as much publicity as
any other articles of merchandise. In the
counties where the law Is enforced, the
people are as fairly protected from intem.
perance and Its consequences, % from other
vices. In the counties whore the law is
not enforced, the people suffer not only the
evils arising from intemperance, but the
further evil that they are living In commu.
mites In which the habitual and unrebuked
violation of the law tends to bring all law,
and all the restraints of all law, into con-
tempt. These are the facts-not very
pleasant to contemplate, but ssill the facts.
Now, II you pass general license law, you
| do not increase the sale Of liquor in the
counties where Its sale 10 now unobstructed,
and you do relieve the people Of those coun-
ties from the evil Of witnessing the daily
unrebuked violation of Law. But at the
same time you introduce into the counties
where the present law Is fairly enforced,
and make lawful therein the open and pub.
lie sale Of intoxicating liquors, exposing
them to evil consequences from which they
now guard Themselves, and doing great vio-
lence to their profound convictions. This
ID the dilemma, and II 10 ous serious enough
TO require the most careful and dispassion.
ate examination of all men who have q
proper regard for the public welfare.
II I should be elected to The Office for
which am . candidate, I cannot take part
10 the attempt, should one BE- made, to mod
lily the present law or to repsAl II, nor In
the attempt TO frame license law in lieu Of
d. 4 H. Ill a.