Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-25

Ex-senator Harlan.
! Few public men In Iowa, we be-
| lieve, have been more abused and
miSrepresen,ed than the gentleman
! above named lie WAS very unjustIy
treated by number 1T Rapubiicaa
lnen aud Republican E,urnals
during the Harlan Allison cofi-
test for the Senatorial seat now occu-
pied by Mr.. Allison. Now that Mr..
Harlan is prominently mentioned aS
candidate for reelection to the Z. y.
Senate, a little of the old bitterness
against him il being developed
in some quarters. The Davenport
| Gazette of late date, protesting
against any attempt upon the part
of any Iowa journal to deny to Kirk
wood, McCrary, Harlan, or any other
man named in connection with the
Senatorship the right to candidacy,
says of Mr. HarIan:
! In the interests of an honorable
competition la this Senatorial race,
we ask for " fair play" fOr Mr.. Har-
| Ian also. This the friends of Mr.
/ Harlan can justly claim a. their right
and his. To his friends this il due in
order that their preference may lave
/ full recognition aud consideration.
i To Mr.. Harlan himself this is due Try
| virtue of services rendered to the
State. and to the Republican cause,
i'm the past. The nature and extent,
and value, of those services may, and
| would really seem to be wholly for
gotten by the mass Of the Iowa pub
lie, but may not he iguored by jour.
nalists whose duty ii is to deal justly
with all public servants. and to con.
slider well the claims of the past, NC
less than the demands of the present
Than James Harlan, Iowa has had
40 more industrious. indefatigablt
and faithful public servant from the
day il became a member of tn. Union
to this hour. The long record Of hft
official career Is unstained 10y an un
worthy vote, or by an official act that
In any manner injuriously affected
the welfare or honor of Iowa. More
!, than this, he was ever true to the
) principles Of the party which he wa'
chosen 10 represent in the councils o
, the nation. He was NO trimmer
From the day when, in 1850, his
great speech upon the power Of Con
grrss over slavery i'm the Territorie,
gave the key-Bote to the canipaigr
i'm behalf Of " free territories for FREE
men.u up to the hour of his inasferly
l - .l.E ~ Dr..
in the San Domingo controversy, th'
voice Of Mr.. Harlan never failed q
he heard in Congress, To the encour
agement of honest Republicans, ant
10 the dismay OF the opposition.
Yet more. when great measures o
public policy, involving the funda
mental principles Of Justice and hu
man rights, hung in the balance
. because towards faltcred and trim
ners parleyed aud hesiiated, Mr.
Harlan rpsoluteiy stepped to th'
: front. This ne did, for instance, n
1865, In the memorable contest owe,
the establishment " impartial suffer
age In Iowa When public men
VITO shall here be nameless. sl,owe'
, the white feather and refused Ia Ii-l
NNtIstfi'' W. w WV "Htt'tt W
!, the Republican Staie Convention o
, that year, Mr. Harlan placed him
self squarely hv the side Of HiraI
: Price, Harry O'eonnor. Enoeh East.
. man. G. G.. Cole, w. NJ. Stone an,
others, By hastening home from
Washington, and at his own home
making an earnest appeal for al
. amendment 10 the State constitution
: striking out the word "white" from
!, the articles on suffrage.
These are facts They cannot be
: gainsayed And if by any suhse
I anent single mistake. ~ that of thu
] Durant matter, Mr.. Harlan has baf
2, his high reputation somewhat be
cloudad, that one error of jndgn"Bi
: in no respect necessarily refiecliri
upnn his Integrity. affords no excus'
: for attempted injustice 10 him now
II NAV not he hn-t for the State tha
: Mr.. Har an should now ~. ELECTED
Senator. We do not say that II !
7 hest. or that IL would he wise that h
Z should he 80 chosen. but we do in=is
I that his claims to that position nr
, not barred from consideration. Le
! Mr.. Harlan's candidacy. If he be
candidate. stand or fall by ifs ow'
merits. But let its own claims h
fairly treated and candidly canvasse'
he all