Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-17
wApGlLo COUNTY sLrcr'os.

wApGLLo COUNTY GLEcTioM.
The Republicans Of Wapello coun
lty have been defeated and the rea'
sons are plain.
In the first place, our actual major.
Iity is very slight indeed. It canno'
be safely set down at over one hun.
ared for years past.
This year, for the first time, VIC
have had . determined, organized ef.
fort on the part Of radical temper
ance men and it has taken the shape
largely Of defeating tho republican
ticket, upon the principle that II II
were beaten it would be forced to 60
to radical temperance men for relief
| in the future. That is, the policy Of
this faction was to chastise the repub-
licans, and to do 80 they even in
many cases supported the democrats.
That is to say, they we're such stick
Hers for principle that they could not
vote for a republican license candi-
date, but could vote for democratic
license candidate.
| This opposition was leveled at r.
| L. Tilton as the chief and shining tar
get for their shots.
| This excited the ire Of the warm
friends of Tilton and as the temper
ance men thought we'll of our candi-
date for Sheriff, Lee J., Michael, he
WAS made the target for shots In re-
venge for tho opposition to Tilton.
This was done in spite of all that Til
ton or Michael could do, who were
on most friendly and cordial terms.
The fact Is. It was blow for blow. All
this temperance vote came from the
Republicans. We venture to say that
not dozen democrats in Wapello
county can be found who ever waver-
ed from their straight party ticket on
the temperance question. A few may
talk temperance, but they never vote
it. This detection alone was suffi-
cient to neutralizc the republican ma
jority in the county.
Next came the grcenback humbug.
Republican greenbackers in the main
stuck to their ticket, but the democ-
racy, true to the trick planned by them
and true to their democratic instincts
fell readily into the democratic col
umn and voted tho old mossback tick
ct.
In the country this was not quite
SO much SO, but in only one township,
that of Highland, did democratic
greenbackers make any show of
standing by their ticket. Besides
this, ,as we have during the canvass
frequently said, the democracy did
all in its power to make greenback-
ers believe their party was soft
money party of tho first water, and
to this end they refused to support
Irish whom they knew they could
not elect. All this greatly weaken
ed us.
Next came the apathy of an off
year in politics, the hard times and
the dissatisfaction that pcrvades the
republican party with the Southern
policy Of the President. 1t was i'm
possible to get out a full vote Of re-
publicans under such circumstances.
The old zeal that fired the party is
paled in measure and it tells in
lessening our vote. We have not the
full vote of the county for this year
and hence cannot compare it with
former years, but the figures on this,
Center township for rs, '76 and II
show as follows: Total vote in the
township for rs was 1,467, of which
the republicans had TIA and the dem
ocrats G93. In 1876 the total vote
was $3.50, of which the republicans
had 1000 and the opposition $50.
This year the total vote is 1546, and
taking the vote on Supreme Judge as
basis perhaps will give the fairest
average, the republicans cast TIA, and
the opposition 772. From all this it
is seen that the total vote Of this year
exceeds that of two years ago by only
70 and falls short of that of last year
by 1884. 1t is evident, therefore, that
nothing like full vote was cast.
Again the republican vote of this
year has not increased at all over the
vote Of Us by the showing. 1t was
TIA in rs and it is still that. In COM
parison vi ith last year it has fallen off
226 votes. 1t is as plain as plain can
be, therefore, that the laggards, the
stay -at-homes, the non-voters have
been republicans. We have no
doubt but that a comparison of fig
ures in the balance of the county will
make this state of facts more glaring.
Republicans, we cannot win in
such close county as ours without
We all, or as nearly as may be, all
vote. Again, we can't win by diyis-
ion in our ranks. We can't win IL we
scan too closely others faults forget
full Of our own imperfections and the
absolute dearthness of perfection in
q single living soul. We can't win if
. few shall stand stark alone and
aloof from any candidate who be-
lieves that there is moro than one
way to forward the temperance
cause and that the remedy must adapt
itselfto circumstances. We cannot
win If any man shall be tabboed by
some republicans because Of religious
sentiments. We can't win unless we
act in politics as we do in our bust
ness affairs, our religious affairs, and
even our domestic affairs, viz: adapt
our acts to circumstances for the &C.
complishment Of the highest at-
tainable success. This is right, and
no sacrifice Of principle. We cannot
win If we shall draw our cloaks
around us and quietly sit down,
leaving the polls to be taken posses
sion of by class of men who almost
always are democrats and whom NO
man would trust with = farthing.
i Ifa man by his profession and by
his past history prove that he il untrue
to republican principles; if his char
acter stamps him as dishonest, a. i'm.
moral, We do not think success dc.
mands his support; but in making up
such judgment "it is not meet thai
the pot should blacken the kettle
If, ON the other hand, . man 10 gem
1 tleman, is moral man, 10 sound re-
t publican in all its cardinal princi
I pies, and is man of ability, allow III
{ | to say that it is our Judgment. thai