Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-03-10

confidence now.
In drawing your attention to this subject,
! act upon the suggestion of those only up
on whose friendship you can rely, and not
with any purpose to needlessly pry into
your designs for the future. II you do not
vonchsafe q reply to this note l shall be
glad, for then the inference will be that you
remit the question to the people Of Iowa for
determination by the voice of their repre-
sentatives in the Legislature.
Very truly yours,
WIN. VAEDEvER.
Hon. Gro. G. WRIGHT, q. s. Senate.
SENATOR wRIGHTs REPLY
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1875.
Ny Dear General: Your lettor Of the
22d received and its contents noted. Every
hour is taken up with work, but little time
for letter writing, and my answer must nee
essarily be hurried.
! have had many letters on the subject
referred to in yours, but have delayed any
decisive response, for many reasons not nec-
essary to here state, The controlling one,
however, grew out of proposed business ar
rangements, which, within the past few
days, have been satisfactorily completed,
and there is nothing further in the way OF
al announcement, which, as some OF my
friends know, I had weeks, and even months
ago, determined to make, contingent upon
these arrangements.
You are very kind in your expressions,
both Of personal friendship and assurances
OF public opinion touching my expected cam
didacy. have had many, very many, let
ters from persons in all parts OF our State,
all alike, full of assurance that my re.elec-
ton was conceded by most, If not all. In.
fluenced by these alone, should feel that
but one course was open to me, and that
was to leave the people to determine the
question, according to their own pleasure,
bowling TO their will serving them as best
could if again elected, retiring if they pre-
ferred any one Of the several good men, who
have been mentioned as possible candidates
for my place. ] may, Of course, quite mis-
judge the state OF public continent; we are
all more or less Liable to do this In our own
cases. l know am not an exception to
this rule. And yet will be pardoned for
the expression of the belief that II candi.
date, while would not expect any more
than other men, to escape opposition
earn, st it might be, but cannot believe bit.
teri cay while this might occur, still
have not a little confidence, in view Of LETT
tiers from almost every county and many of
the leading men Of the State, that should
be elected as my own successor. And thus
believing. have the less hesitation or regret
in announcing, as I now do to you, (and
which you are ut liberty to make public in
your own way), that shall not be can
didate for reelection. This conclusion l
have reached after. the most mature re1ec.
ton, looking at my duty TO myself, TO my.
family, and the subject ID all its bearings.
| say it Is deliberate, for, As is known to .
few at least, have had the matter under
consideration for many days and weeks,
and time has but confirmed me In the res
olution.
1 cannot, my good friend, make this an
nouncement, without, in view of what
owe to the people Of Iowa, and my friends,
adding one word. In thus retiring beg to
assure you and them that hope to be no
less devoted to Republlcauism, no less anx-
ious for the success Of our principles, than
h ss ,.Sda riSr kahals sSsuy nsnnss d
my power. feel too keenly the necessity
for the continued and final triumph Of this
great party Of principle and right, to be in
different at any time, az trust, to its fu-
t,re. fully believe that the nation owes
too much to its record in the past, and has
too much involved in its ultimate triumph
to justify surrender now or at any time.
to those who would destroy it. With, as
trust, the utmost catholicity of sentiment
koo ..Jo ,nO en- knl ho
control Of the government, nevertheless do
firmly believe that the defeat Of the Repub-
lican party, not the defeat OF individuals or
schemes or rings, but Of the party in the
State and nation, would turn back the
wheel of true progress, and entail upon US
policies and consequences, theevils of which
no man can now foresee or estimate. And
believing that it behooves every man to do
his duty, certainly would be untrue to my
obligations to a people and State, which
have remembered me SO kindly and honored
me 80 often, il failed at any tine to battle
in my humble way to arrest these threaten
ed dangers. In proposing and declaring
my purpose therefore, to withdraw from
public life, l do not by any means wish to
be understood as being Indifferent to the
success of this party nor 40 unwilling to la
Dor as citizen for it's ultimate triumph.
Iowa is Republican has been 30 for many
years, and is now, by, and upon full and
fair vote, from thirty to fifty thousand ma.
jority. 1t is the banner Republican State
in the Northwest, and, indeed, almost in the
nation. II we fail to keep II %. defeat will
be traceable largely, if not entirely, to our
own folly and mismansgement. The com.
ing political year is to toll not little on
our future, and especially on the great con-
test---the greatest politically Of the country
that Of 1876. live are true to our past
history, true to the people, trae to the
warnings all around us, we shall not fail.
Let all bear in mind that the people are now
more determined than ever 10 have their
own way, to control their own policies and
nominations, and that any well.fonnded
suspicion that nominations or candidates
are made to order-set up in obedience to
some pre.arfanged plan or agrcement-wlll
work as certain defeat as that the election is
held. Iowa has been unusually free from
any such manipulation or so-called ring
management, and have the utmost conn.
dencc will be. Our success has been large.
ly traceable to this fact and the confidence
Of the people well-foundsd that it was 30.
We have had, for the most part, good
State officers, and this has aided not little
in inspiring confidence and giving as cup
port. Large majorities. however, have led
us, too often in many localities, TO- indiffer-
ence to local nominations. II, in every
county, at the coming election, we will put
forward onr very best men, men Of sterling
worth, those to whom We can refer with
pride and satisfaction as worthy of the sup
port of the people, and not those whose names
bring modification and shame. and who
arc pushed through conventions by manip.
ulations, and the ballot box, because they
are on the ticket; say il we unite upon
this rule aud give to the people excellent,
exceptionally good candidates, Iowa will
give US larger majority than ever before in
the history Of the party. There is no de-
nying that everywhere the people are de-
manding that good men shall come to the
front, and bad men take back seats. Acc
ceptable local tickets in oil Offices, the high
est and lowest,-acceptable because the
people have faith in the integrity Of the
candidates and their ability to discharge
well their trusts, and net simply because
they are the candidates of the party, local