Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-08-11

lions of the day, especially honored
and cheered by the Convention, and
honored and lionized by the same
gangs of Rebels who were spouting
treason and abusing soldiers there in
1861, as we were going to the front,
and who were talking the same trea-
son when / was there two years ago.
[Applause. Why is it that the nom.
ination of Tilden has so revived and
reinspired the old Rebel element?-
Why so much more so than the can
didacy of Greeley four years ago,
when there was some hopes of par
ty, and the death for good of the old
Democracy? You can answer as
we'll as l can. 1t looks like they
knew their man. Applause. The
alarming demonstrations daily de-
veloping in the South would look
like it. I see that the Leader inter-
viewed my old friend, Peter Meyers,
now living in Missouri, to-day, and
that Peter. says that the stories OF
raising the Rebel flag in Missouri
are untrue. I hope they are. But
the reports seem to be well authen-
ticated, and l fear some Of them are
too true.
For the people to do these things
would be bad, we must remember,
as was the Rebel speech of Ben HILL
in Congress, so heartily cheered by
his Democratic colleagues, and so
wildly applauded in the South
That speech let me refer to again
moment. The Democrats and Dem
ocratic press now say they do not
indorse this speech. But they cheer
ed it when it was made in the House,
and the South cheered it; and their
denunciation of it now is not SO much
denunciation of the spirit of it as his
imprudence in making 1t.
GooD-BY, DEMOCRACY.
And now, in conclusion, as to the
reason why 1 have not left the Dem
ocratic party sooner. They say |
want office, and that l have wanted
office. If I had, gentlemen, would
have left the Democratic party years
ago; for it is matter of record that
have said for years that there was
never any hope of the Democrats
carrying Iowa. If I had been an of:
flee seeker, should have left the old
party long ago. / am not a candi-
date for office, and never will be. |
have no aspirations for prominence
in politics; and l do not see why,
when, as private citizen, have
tried to change my party quietly, all
this abuse should be heaped upon
me. 1 can stand it, though, and it
in nowise changes my conviction as
to my duty, only to intensity and
confirm it. Applause
l feel in earnest now, as I did dur
ing the war. Cheers. I have no
retreat to make. Renewed cheers.
The reason have lett the Democrat
ic party is, that l have no faith in it
1cheers and no faith in the old Reb-
el element whom l have long feared
would come to the front, and whom
/ now know and see haze come, and
whose coming has made my way
clear and my course of duty plain
Great applause. Seeing these men
again at the head of the party, and
seeing the defiance of the men who
last held office in the National Gov
ernment under the Democratic par
ty, makes things plain enough
Among the last Democratic officers
of any note were Floyd and Jake
Thompson, the Democratic Secretary
of War and Secretary of the Interi-
or. They stole from the Government
they were sworn to serve, to help the
Rebellion raised to destroy it; and
besides their crimes and corruptions
all that is charged against the Re
publican officials-admit it to be
true, evenAinks into insignifcance.
Why, old Jake Thompson, encour-
aged by the defiance of Ben Hill in
has speech, went down to Washing
ton few months ago, and, like a
braggart, demanded investigation,
pompously saying that he would
waive the legal point of time. He
went down there blowing and got
sued for the money that he stole
for the Rebels. Great cheering
If old Floyd were alive, he, too,
probably would go down there, un-
der the protection of the Rebel shad-
ow of Ben Hill, and demand lnvesti-
CATION. Laughter. But, like the
child covered with the curse of the
crime against Abraham Lincoln, he
also had the good sense to die. He
was at Fort Donelson with the other
"Constitution-huggers," but he skip
ped out early, so as to be safe. If
he had stood his ground like brave
man, he would probably have had
the good fortune to die earlier
Laughter But he lit out. He
could steal for the Confederacy, but
he was not willing to die for it,
Laughter.
1t is his fault, gentlemen, and not
mine, that his memory is not to be
spoken of with more respect. This
Thompson and this Floyd were the
last of the Democratic rulers, and
they represented the domination of
the South in the Democracy then
And Thompson and his friends, and
the friends of Floyd, are again pass
ing to the front to assume party con-
troll. AS they have come as leaders,
1 have asked and taken the privilege
of leaving the Democratic ranks.
[Checrs. This, fellow-citizens, is
why l am here tonight Renewed
cheers.
Finally, gentlemen, I would say,
keep a solid front, and we'll beat
them. [Cheers. hope, and think
we will. lam with you, and with
you in earnest. Great cheering. +
Close up for the fight They mean
business, and we must. Applause
1t is something of the old fight, only
it is to be fought at the ballot-box
instead of on the battlefield. Re-
newed applause, frequently repeated.
thank you, gentlemen, for having
heard me so patiently. have not
tried to make speech; l am not a
speaker. have tried simply to tell
Won. nv neiohbors. Why have