The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-09-30
Letter in Joint Discussion.
He Finally Consents to Meet a Repu5li.
can-That Republican was Congress-
man Wils0n-Only n Few Frag-
ments Left of Leff.-A Candi-
date for Governor Made
Ridiculous.

MALcoM, Iowa, Sept. 24.-Malcom last
night enjoyed a treat not yet offered any
town in the State.
Hon. Shepherd LETTER, Democratic can
didate for Governor, and Hon. James
Wilson, member of Congress from the
Fifth District, were sent here by their
respective Committees to address the
people: LETTER at 2 p. m., Wilson at y p.
IN. Letter failed to draw a crowd, and
Wilson courteously offered to divide his
time with Letter and give the people the
benefit of a joint discussion. The offer
was accepted and the preliminaries ar
ranged by the respective local committees.
Wilson's opening was a comprehensive
showing of the condition of the industries
of the Northwest and the attitude of the
parties on the situation; the abandonment
by the Democratic party of the industrial
interests by refusing 10 assist in leglsia-
ton on Interstate commerce in Congress,
and by entirely ignoring the subject in
their State platforms.
Letter answered that what Iowa could
not regulate and control had better get
out of the State; which, of course, would
include everything Federal, such as Fed
cral Courts, Post Offices, Internal Reeve
nue. officers and all on inter
state railroads. Mr.. Letter then went
on to give his party ideas on the whisky
question. He wanted a license law be-
cause prohibition is a failure in some of
our large cities, placed the amount of the
liquor traffic at $35, 900, 900 annually,
wanted liquor sold by respectable men,
and inspected to insure its purity.
He rambled through the U. s. Treasury
aud among the National Banks for about
an hour, and finally found a solution to
our difficulties by paying off the bonds Of
the National Banks in g~reenbacks, and
preparing the way for resumption by
boarding the amount Of interest now paid
on the bonds. He wanted to reduce Con
grcssmen's salaries to the old figures of
So per day and mileage.
Wilson replied to Letters whisky prop
osition by estimating the amount Of ter
ritory occupied by large towns where the
prohibitoIy law is not enforced, and ON
pairing it with the infinitely larger terri
tory where it is. lie pictured the effects
of placing the traffic in the hands of re-
spectacle vendors where no one need be
ashamed to use ii as Il beverage. and il
Illustrated the practice under the license
law that would place the intoxicating cup
in reach of every young person in Iowa.
He classed the traffic with the crimes pro-
hibitcd by Iowa law that can only be
eradicated finally by the growth of pub
&c morals. In reply TO Letters financial
bercsies Wilson cited our financial histo-
ry statistically; showed the need of the
Government for the money received for
tie bonds during the war; stated the cost
of the war, the debt due at home and
abroad; explained the impossIbility of
paying off any part of it in greenbacks
without Reputation; showed hat in con
sequence of reduced taxation we are not
o prepared to pay of the bonds honest
ly; and left Letters theory of resumption
without any bottom except the quagmire
of Reputation.
On the salary question Wilson showed
from the books of the United States
Treasury that LETTERS mileage in gold
was equal to his own salary paid him in
g~recnbacks. The total demolition of
Letters fragile fabric OF resumption and
he home thrusts at his license tleory
lid great credit to the member from the
Fifth District and elected frequent and
hearty rounds of applausc.-State Regis
er.