Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-28
DEMOCRATuC saIYsTERING.

lu JanuaFy, lSOO, Samuel j.. hlrk-
wood was chosen u. s. Senator to fill
tho uncxpircd term OF senator Harlan,
who resigned in May, 1865, to take a
scat In the Cabinet. According To tho
uniform rule, and in obedience to law,
Mr.. kirkwood drew the pay which
stood to his credit from the time of
Harlan's resignation up to the time
tho term closed. No fault was found
with this from that day until recently
Democracy seeking for some capital
against the Governor have raked up
this old record hoping to prejudice the
minds of the people in these days af-
ter the experience of the back salary
bill. During tho term which the Gov
ernor was chosen to fill there was also
an increase in the salary of members
of Congress, though Gov. X. did not
support it. That increase was the fifth
in order in the history Of the country,
but unlike the last one, which the peo-
pie protested against before its passage,
the bill of 1866 and all others had never
been condemned, or made al issue of.
The Dubuque Times has gone back for
fourteen years through the members
Of the Lower House and finds forty
four members chosen to fill vacancies
just as Gov Kirkwood was, and each
aud all of them drew their pay as
kirkwood did under the same rnle
precisely-a rule which even to this
day nobody has proposed to change,
OF these forty -four members sixteen
of them were Democrats, and among
them S. s. Cox, of New York, who
drew according to Democratic journals
figuring, back pay to the amount OF
&,375.00 Tho fact Ia that in all the
history of the country from the date
of our national existence, there has
been no other rule as to the pay given
to member filling an unexpired term.
Democratic journals know this full
well, but the sensitiveness Of the pub.
lie since the salary grab bill' furnish.
es shysters with . chance to mako po.
litical capital, and like drowning men
they catch at straws. All hope they
may hang upon deceiving the voters
of Iowa in regard to this silly fiimsy
charge against Gov. Kirkwood is al
vain a. to attempt to gather figs ol
thistles. and indeed will result much
tho same way.
But for a moment let ns view thii
Don Quixote tilt of Democracy In an
other light. not because the case need
any such limo of treatment, but simpl,
to depict the baseness, the wantOnnes
and Inconsistency of Democracy. |
ia favorite topic with Democracy ant
Its allies to say let bygonea bo bygone
--rcsurrect not thoy say tho past--le
US clasp hands and forget and forgive
Well--we don't believe in tho doctrin,
Of forgetting the past. 1.-Two are I,
put our trust in any man or men, tn,
very first inquiry we make is as to hi
past life, and If we find that all right
we are abont ready to say he will dc
Now Governor Kirkwood as Senate
drew his pay precisely under the sam
rule and in the same manner that
had always been done since we ha,
l u. s. Senators, and in strict obedienc
to law, and though this happened min
years ago, Democracy goes rakin
around away back to tho close Of tn
rebellion, and howls about 1t unceas
ingly. Well, Kirkwood never symps
thized with rebels, did he? He neye
resolved the war to be a failure, nc
, hung like millstone around the o
forts Of the nation to overthrow trea,
.. on, did he? No he did not do thes
: things, but as Senator he dre'
too much pay, though he follow