Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-05-17
WHAT'S the Matter.

EpIToRs CoURIER.--l would ike TO
write few lines for your columns to
give my views on some subjects.
The question is whether we are ready
to return to specie payment or not.
I say not. My reasons are as follows:
In the first place, the people have
run wildly into speculation and
great many have borrowed eastern
capital that alone would make it ru-
nous to the West. Second, failure
Of a crop last year and fair pros
pect for failure this year and we
want time to get over these difficult
ties. Third, our State and United
States Legislative departments have
created all the offices they can and
then raised all their salaries as high
as they can and the lahoring man is
blcd to death and as our property
improves in place Of our tax decreas-
ing in per cent. it increases. Now,
what shall we do? Shall we change
parties? Will that accomplish what
we wish? Not at all. But change the
class of men TO flll the halls of Con-
gress and our State Legislatures.
We have been electing men, as a
general rule, that think they arc an
exception to the command that God
gave MS 'sby the sweat of tho face
thou shalt cat bread" Now we think
there are but few II any offices held
under the government of the United
States, or State offices held in Iowa,
or county offices in Wapello county,
but can be filed by Just as good men
as they now are on BY the same for
from one-third to one-half less money
than they now are filled and be filed
just as well. Now we must get Con-
gresmen and Legislators who have
always worked for a living so they
will know what dollar Is worth or
we never will get the salaries of off,
GERS reduced. The next candidate
that wants my vote / shall surely
want to know whether he is willing
to grind for less toll and try to make
the rest do SO too. 1t viii be urged
that q Legislature of that kind will
not be sharp enough to do tho husi-
ness. We hope they won't be sharp
enough to make any salary grabs MOI
make what we call reckless appropri
ations, such as building two State
prisons SO as to give more officers q
chance, and we hope they will make
no more appropriations for the Agri.
cultural CollegS for we think that ha;
an unequal bearing an community
and is worthless; nor any more ap.
preparations to men to get fish egg,
to put in oNr western waters to feed
the catfish; NOR any more appropri
atoms by Congress to give men large
salaries to catch grasshoppers and
chinch bugs and try what kind Of
medicine will kill them first. W.
think in place of making large ap
preparations for the Centennial w
had better dress ourselves In sack
cloth and ashes and repent of ouI
sins and pray the Lord to give III
wisdom to choose men to make oul
laws and administer aur government
such as we had sixty OF seventy years
ago SO our government might be con
tinued another hundred years, which
is impossible unless we get differcn
men to make our laws and administer
our government The people viii
not always stand oppression.
We think, likewise, that our Stat,
Constitution should be amended 81
that the Legislature would meet only
once In four years instead of every
other year BY these actions AMI
close economy in all legislation In tel
or twelve years We can return to ,
gold basis and hurt no one. w,
think the idea of paying big salarie
to secure good officers is played out
We think small salary is as apt t,
catch an honest man as o large one
and large salaries encourage extrava
gance. No doubt but some will cal
me sore-head but my heart is sore
than my head, and I will toll YOU
what think OF corruption.
When ] was Z or s years old wen
with my mother to visit little sicl
| girl; her name was Leah; she ha,
two sisters named Anna and Cameli
l was In the kitchen where the,
were getting dinner. Anna hallow
ed out, 20, mann, here's Cam eatin,
all the dewherry pie" | looked AM
she was eating II hersclf. The Of,
lady said 81 will be in to you Oamy.
Just then Camelia hallowed out &c
mann, here's Ann eating all the dew
berry pie looked at her, she wa
examining 1t In her mouth with bot
hands. So think both parties, o
at least some of each party, like dew
berry pie and considerable of TIL
4 filthy lucre. JESSE BUCKNER,