Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-01
Mr.. LeM ers Speech

The Democratic candidate for Governor
favored our citizens with an exposition of
his views on various matters of public in
tcrest, on Wednesday evening last By
aid of the band and the natural curiosity
to see the gentleman who has consented
to immediate himself this fall for the organ
ization of the Democratic party, the Court
House was moderately well filled W it'll an
audience composed of both parties, in
equal proportions Mr. Lcifler was intro
duced oy f. f. Hasner as the next Cover
nor of Iowa, and proceeded to speak his
piece. Wehardly know how to character
ize Mr.. Letters speech. We do not want
to do him injustice, but we cannot accord
to his effort either ability or fairness. Not
quite half of it was devoted to the tenn
perance issue. TO this Mr. Letter brought
no new ideas or arguments, and left a
painful impression upon his hearers that
his advocacy of license was entirely ire
spective of the suppression of intemper-
ancc.
The question of the finances next came
in order, and on this field Mr. Letter
spread himself agnificently, and most
successfully demonstrated the small cal
ibre of his powers. Some of the ideas
advanced are certainly patentable if nov
city is the only basis of the claim. They
cannot be said to be practical or useful,
but they were put forward with us much
of self assurance and confidence us is
shown by any of the great master minds
of finance. To call some of Mr. Letters
IDEAS on this subject crude, is doing them
too much honor.
But it was when he reached the subject
of Republican corrupt IN that MIR. Letller
arose to the true inwardness of the dem
agogue. Here he reveled in positive UNI
truths, wrong deductions, half truths, and
distorted differences, to make his points
We here saw the secret of his unwilling
ness to enter II joint canvass of the State
with Gov. Klrkwood, or anybody else. =
He does not relish the idea of having his
broad statements met and dissectcd before
his audiences. Like every other Demo
cratic orator, he has unbounded faith in
the ignorance of the people who go &c
I, L., G., L.,
the vehemence and recklessness of Iii,
statements.
In two things Mr.. Letters speech pre-
scented Il strong contrast to that of Gov
Kirkw0od; these were in its lack of candoI
and fairness, and its discourtcsy toward
his competitor While Gov. Kirkwood
alluded to Mr.. Letter only in terms of
gentlemanly courtesy and consideration
the latter several times in his harangue ha(
the bad taste to speak of his competitor
sneeringly. and once, at least, accused hin
of dishonesty in the presentation of hi
views. No one who heard Gov. Kirk
wood here, need be told how unjust was
the aspersion, and it assuredly added moth
ing to Mr. Letters credit for fairness -
His egotism was quite apparent; an(
whatever else was learned, his audienc,
were informed all about the career of tin
man who raised thirty-four crops of corr
in Iowa, by-the-by, the most creditabl
part of his record.
AS an orator, Mr. Letter is fluent, nevc
lacking for words, through his pronun
citation and syntax are not exactly model
OF correct English. In appearance he i
| tall and spare, with slight stoop.