Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-11-17
Honorable umd Fair Trcnsucn,


THE Knoxville journal saws if
kirkwood did moi intend to serve as
Governor, he should not have accept
ed the Observation-Disclosures.
"kirkwood did refuse to be a can
didate for Governor up TO The very
day the convention was held. and
then the nomination was forced upon
him with the full knowledge that he
was candidate for Senator.
How far il becomes the friends of
other candidates. i'm the face of these
facts. TO make use of such language
as that uttered by the Knoxville
JoMUaI is question for the Rcpnb-
licans themselves to settle. To anI
outsider, the attempt to rule Kirk
wood out Of the Senatorial ring by
such means. smacks of sharp practice
in which there is very little OF honor
or honesty. r-CoastitUtioa.
The Gate then makes some very
Just and highly proper remarks which
we publish. because we like them and
because. while distinctly saving that
we make no avowal of our preference
in the Senatorial matter. we like TO
see all candidates fairly treated in nc-
cordancc with what in our judgment
is fair. The Gate saws:
while our neighbor uses chat
rather excessive emphasis Of opinion
in condcmning things hc don't like.
which charactcrizcs him. we think the
ground of his position in the above
paragraph well taken. We are not
supporting GOV. kirkwood for Sena-
tor. but neither we nor any Iowa Re-
publican afford to do injustice to him.
or be silent when injustice is done
him. Gov. Kirkwood has done too
eminent aud veteran service in Iowa
Rcpublicanism 10 deserve any treat
Iacnt less than fair. We cannot but
feel that the attempt by some good
Republican newspapers TO make him
ineligible 10 the Senatorship. because
he has just been elected Governor. is
unkind and wrong. lie had thrust
himself into the Govcrnorslip for the
sake of using its leverage TO get into
the Senate. he. would deserve. these
opposing opinions. But il is well
known HAT he had some aspiration
and desire 10 90 10 the Senate: that
hc had no aspiration 10 be Governor.
The Republican party ofthc State. by
representative in the Convention.
thought his name would strengthen
the State ticket. give unity and en-
lhusiasm to the party. and make a Re-
publican Legislature certain. SO that
n Republican Senator would be a GER
tainty. With tliisview the State Con-
vcntion thrust the nomination upon
/. him against his wishes and protesta-
! ton. Loyal to the party he took a
nomination uncongcnial TO him. for
an Office he didn't want and made the
best fight he could. The result was
an increased victory in the State and
IN Overwhelming victory as to the
Legislature. Now. to say. that by
+ that act Of compliance with the wish
of Iowa Republicans, he DISTINGUISHED
himself of the right to be a Senatorial
candidate. or that he placed himself
in the list of The unworthy manipu-
+ laiing politicians who plot to get Of
/ flee 10 use in getting another. is to say
an ,lnconscionable and hard and un-
just thing. We insisted from tic
start with emphasis dat in making
up the State ticket there should be no
combination between the Governor
ship and the Scnatorship. In the
+ nomination of Kirkwood the Conycn-
/ ton kept clear of any such combina-
ton. The hest thing possible was
done solely from the standpoint of the
State ticket and the State election.
The two things were kept apart dur
ing The canvass. Now that is past
and the matter in hand is for Re-
publican Legislature to do the best
thing possible in getting Us. Sen
ator. Coy. kirkwood has as full and
unqueslionablc fright 10 be a candi-
date before that Legislature as any
man that has been named or any man
{ that can be named