The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-01

Half-past five and Council Bluffs. Our
train not being on regular time, there
are no hacks or street cars to meet us.
After long waiting, we hail bright boy
with one-horse "buck board" who has
been down to the train with the mail,
and mount his little machine and ride
with him to Turley's Glen, where dear
Aunt Louvisa meets US at her gate and
welcomes the wanderer as is her hospit-
able wont.
Breakfast, and then letters. Core
spondence has been accumulating for US
here for weeks. What with the glad re-
union Of old friends and relatives, and
the receipt of longed-for letters from the
loved ones at home, we are half sick
with excitement. The day is spent in
vain endeavor to keep cool, while we
ask and answer all sorts of questions
about everybody we know and love and
remember on both sides of the continent.
Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, of American
costume fame, who edited the Lily for
several years, paper begun in '49, and
the first publication of the kind ever un-
dertaken by ladies, resides here in an
elegant home, surrounded in her declin-
ing years with everything to be desired
to make one happy or wise.
With her assistance we secured the
Courthouse for a lecture, although it
was like cutting eye teeth to get it, some
of the voters of Council Bluffs who were
clothed in authority being afraid to al
low the taxed and unrepresented citizens
the right of free speech, lest by so doing
somebody's toes might be trodden upon
before the fall elections.
! The Democrats fought for their rights
like valiant soldiers as they were, and
held a "caucus" in the hall till it
seemed for a while as though they
would break up our meeting. Council
Bluffs has an "auditor'' who rides, both
sides of the political fence, though
claiming to be a Republican. So he
was afraid to grant US the Courthouse,
lest he might displease Democrats.
Judge Douglas, being gentleman who
does his own thinking, and holds office,
not because he's a "gob of inoffensive
goodies" but because his party honors
him, gave US the use of the Courthouse
over the auditors veto. The Tilden
club claimed the hall for the evening,
though we knew nothing about it, the
auditor forgetting to tell us, though he
would evidently have been glad of op-
portunity to announce dog fight as an
excuse to keep US from speaking. So
we went innocently to the Courthouse,
accompanied by lady friends, to find
the great club in session, and a collec-
tion of indignant Democrats on hand,
determined to maintain their Tilden
rights at all hazards. Every effort pos
sible had been made by the organ of the
unterrified to keep the people away, but
to little purpose. After long waiting
the club adjourned, and we went for.
ward and explained our own innocence
of any desire to conflict with theil
mighty "reform project" and ther
: went ahead with the lecture.
The next day we called at the office oI
the evening paper to ask explanation
and were informed that the putative
Republican auditor had said that he
had told us we couldn't have the hal
because of the meeting of the Demo,
cratic club making just three different
stories told by that same rider of two
sides of the political fence, concerning
our lecture, and every one of then
untrue!
The NOnparea, a Republican journa
of character and influence, treated u;
with marked courtesy, and our mission
with decided respect. Why it is thai
Democratic newspapers will fight US
when we are before the public upon NJ
partisan issue, we leave the public t.
imagine. Some Democratic journal!
treat our mission courteously, but We
have long noticed that if any newspapel
+ attempt is made to hinder the progress
of freedom, it is invariably made by
Democratic publications.
Owing to the excessive heat, we con-
cluded to postpone further lectures here
till our return from Philadelphia.
, a. J. D.
Council Bluffs, August Sth.