Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-19

, says that 1t isa very grave questiol
we are now about TO solve in thi
centennial year, viz: whether thos
men shall retain control of the GOV
ernment, who were its friends durin,
the great struggle for national xist
ence, or whether its enemies shall oh
tain that control. The inaugural is
credit to the "Old War Governor.
and an honor to the State.
THE "REGIsTER,s,, LOVE FUR Us
Among the newspapers, the Ottum
wa Courier is now the most activ,
champion, SenatoriaIly, of Governs
Kirkwood-a late, but very strOn.
and important recruit to the Govern
or's camp. -Registe, et' Wednesday,
l9th inst.
The editors of the Ottumwa Con-,
| ier, now in Des Moines. say that thcil
paper was not for Kirkwood. AL
that we judged by was the editoria
expressions Of the paper, and by tn,
frequency Of the defcnses Of Governor
kirkwood, as against the Burlington
HdWkeye. appearing in its columns
These articles championed the Gov
ernor, not tdcclaring for him, however
for Senator. But it was only cham
pionship that we alluded to---not adj.
vocacy or special plcading.-Registel
of Thursday, 18Th inst.
1t will be observed that the bricl
paragraph in the Register of the 18TH
inst, came before the public on the
morning of the day set for the caucus
II, of course, caused at once no incon.
siderable annoyance to us at Des
Moines, from repeated inquiries as to
the truth of the statement made. II
was cowardly in that ii came at so
late an hour as to preclude any news
paper reply. We arc aware that the
Register could not afford to give much
space in noticing our humble selves,
but still, since it did feel constrained
to give us, in the next issue. about
double the space in defensive explain
alton of its former paragraph with.
out solicitation, it seems plain that il
would have been consistent with its
dignity not TO have cut us off with a
bob-tailed paragraph at first. By The
explanatory article of the Registey. we
are informed that defense Of Gov.
Kirkwood from charges made against
him, was sufficient for it to dub us "a
tate but rcry important recruit to the
Governors camp" and very carefully
refrain from saying word more.
The Burlington UdicAcyc had de-
voted an editorial of some length to
us, criticising us for an article which
il charged 10 the COURIER. but which
appeared i'm the Clinton Herald. We
replied 10 the editorial of the Hatcl-
eye, not knowing until later that the
Herald was the author of the state
ments for which we were being be-
laborcd, but. knowing that we were
not IN fact, responsible for the views
that the Uawkeyc laid TO our charge.
Our reply involved, in part. what
might have been construed into de-
fense of Kirkwood We also had a
paragraph in rcfutation of the HascA.-
eyes figures on the last election. en-
deayoring to show the unpopularity
of kirkwood. because he fell Il few
hundred votes behind other candi-
dates, and we then stated what we
repeat: that the Hdrkcye was unfair
in keeping out of sight the universally
known fact that third candidate
drew votes wholly from Kirkwood.
while there was no third candidate
pittcd against any of the other Repub-
publican nominees. This was in the
most perfect Keeping with the spirit
of fairness which the COURIER has
essayed to follow during the entire
campaign, and was not whit more
than we had done months before for
kirkwood and all other candidates.
But the Register crawtishes out of
its rank, and out of what we must be-
iicvc its purposed cowardly misrep-
resentation Of us, by saying that it did
not mean advocacy OF Kirkwood when
ii styled us ''a recruit to the Kirk
wood camp" 1t is wonderful what
crooked times these are. 1t is enough
we will not extend comment oh this
feature OF this case. for that duck is
too dead. But we championed Kirk
wood. Let us see little about this.
A mans own iaG0rdness is ALWAYS
nppermost in his thoughts. The Reg
lister dedicated itself to neutrality in
the fight, that Is, its professions were
such. AS late as the 9th inst.-quitc
late, all must admit--we find the fol
lowing editorial in the Register of that
date:
The State Leader, the Democratic
daily of this city, not content with the
dreary pastime of talking up the man
of its own party for Senator, pre-
sumes to take hand i'm the Republic
can contest also. 1t has its things in
favor OF Kirkwood. and its objections
to him. And IL seems TO be very sor-
ry that ii has more OF the latter than
the former. II is very generous in
pointing out TO Republicans the
events or actions in the Governors
career detrimental to his popularity
with Republicans, and commencing
him to the Democrats. But the Re-
pnblicans Of Iowa know honest old
Sam kirkwoOd better than the Demo-
Gratis know him. They know every
leaf and page and item Of his public
record, and do not need the Leader
either 10 take them to raise, or to in
form them rs to the public career OF
one of their oldest. longest trusted,
and most popular leaders.
We cannot extend this article, but
we challenge any man to find, from
first TO last, any such fnlsome editori-
al as that Of Coy. Kirkwood, any
thing to compare with II in the So
called Championship, by the COURIER
of Gov. Kirkwood and for which the
Register set us down as a late recruit TO
the Kirkwood camp--nowhere in the
last days OF the fight did the Register
haye any such article in regard TO any
other candidate. Did his Gham1ion-
ship place The Register ia the Kirk-
arood canp9 Ifnot, tellNs why not,
according TO the Register on the
COURIER. We pity those whom in the
ilscrnitablc ways Of the Creators
handy fashionings will cowardly stab
with all the vantage ground to escape
reply, and in the dark.
In the Republican Senatorial eau
cus, preceding any balloting, Senator
Woolson, Of Mt Pleasant, IN a very
happy manner Withdrew the name OF
Senator Harlan. We give, below, Mr..
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