Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-12-20
A DEMOCRAT ON DEMOCRACY
lrrIrNwA nac Il 1879

bred and reared in the democratic
faith, and Taught to believe that the
principles of that party embraced all
that was good, just and right, and for
the best interests of the whole people
and the government of the same; !
have lately been induced to stop and
consider, and survey the political
field of to-day, and ask myself, is this
the grand old democraticparty whose
principles ] was taught to believe
were the true principles of sclf-gov-
ernmcnt? am forced to the conclu-
sion that it is not, that all that
there now is of that grand old party
is a party of opposition, party TO
break down, party without any dis
tinctivc principles that the people can
grasp, and carry out to their own
good, and the advancement of the
principles of self government.
A party whose real head and all
that is vital, is to-day struggling be-
meath the throcs of "Lost Cause.
Its Northern allies, mere branches,
which, not like the branches of the
forest, supported by the body, but
reverses nature and endeavors to sup
port the body itself.
As evidence of this see with what
eagerness the average democratic ed
itor of the North scizes upon every
opportunity to excuse the crimes and
murders of the South. Why is ii
thus? They seem to think it necessa-
ry to sustain the so-called democratic
party to thus excuse crime. Here is
a negro race that has been enslaved
for 200 years; race that have "suf-
fered all things, endured all things"
A people who in no instance betray-
ed the Union soldier, and in no in
stance betrayed the families of those
he was left to protect while his mas
ter was fighting his liberators. Then,
he might endure stripes, many, but
from murder he was secure, because
he was property.
| Now, he is murdered by the hun
dreds, it is said by the thousands
While there may be some exaggera-
ton as to numbers, there is no ques.
murders. This the editor of the OF
tum,ca Times knows just as well as
he knows that there is such a city as
London, not having been there, YET
see with what eagerness he tries to
lexcuse these fiends in human shape.
These, he says, "are negro chicken
thieves, they stole ham of meat, etc,
and were punished" And then see
the utter disregard for all decency
and honor of this editor of the Ottuna-
aca Times in attempting to mislead
and deceive the people, by publish
ing letters written in Ottumwa, but
dated and claiming to be from New
Orleans, in regard to McGrew's trip
there. A man of known integrity
who went there, not as a partisan, but
merely to see and get facts, and who
! merely stated these facts in the inter.
est of common humanity.
And yet, this man, Ives, would
rush to the rescue of what he con
ceives to be the interests of his party
: by committing fraud upon his read
, ers in publishing bogus letters to, il
possible, detract from the plain state
ment of facts in McGrew's letters
l asked myself, is this democracy
God forbid IT'S false, it's not de
4 mocracy. That grand old spirit o
democracy would say, this govern
ment is for the people and by thu
4 people, and 'by the eternal if yo,
t don't stop these abuses and murder
r of the poor negro will hang every
one Of you higher than Haman."
I And it would stop. Democrat,
would again flourish; it would no
} go "cringing" along at the heels o
treason, only existing by such dema
: gogues deceiving the people, AM
7. calling it democracy. But she woul'
stand ont as living principle, wit
. all the fungus and barnacies of treas
I on which have weighed her down s
, long, Topped of. Honest men woul'
again rally to her standard. The nc
gro, instead of being "bulldozcd,
3 would be won over by kindness, am
0 democracy would again become
power for good in the land. it woul
not then be necessary, as now, for
, man, before acknowledging that b
is a democrat, to just ease his con
science, by crying out Belknap, Bah
f cock, Corruption, Reform, ] want
change, etc, etc. TRUE DEMOCRAT