, 1877-07-14
lowe Republle.n Convention.


The Iowa republican State convention has
manifested unmistakable hostility 20 the pol
lev Of the administration While the plat
form adopted does not in set terms denounee
the president the fact that resolution IN
J dorsinr his southern course was tabled by 8
/ three-fourths vote conelusively demonstrates
that the sentiment OF the assembly WAS M
! friendly. As the expression OF the party n
4 State which has cast sixty thousand repuD-
Iican maior:tv. this inciden5 IS important and
significant. The entire Iowa republican
J platform ird;eed Is of so peculiar 4 cast mat
! after reading it we are tempted to doubt
whether the Now York Herald may not
/ have come very close to the truth Tor once,
/ In intimating that the republican party was
moribund. For there is in this platform ab-
I soiutely no indication that lis trainers are in
sympathy with reform of any kind No ap-
proval is given to civil service reform, which
! is not even mentioned. No attention Is paid
! 10 the presidents jealous efforts to purify
the public service, and to maintain the pub
| IL credit ut horne and abroad. The living
issues which are in every mans mind are
sallenly ignored, and in their stead are
meaningless platitCdes about the equal rights
of all races, empty brag about the past course
| of the republican party, and an imbecile dec
laration in favor of unlimited silver and
gree2backs. If this is the fullest and broad
est expression Of principle and policy that
the republicans Of Iowa can produce, the tu-
ture Of the party may well be regarded with
doubt and anxiety. If these expressions
are TO be regarded as indicating the policy
OF the republicans as a national organization,
then assuredly its sentence IS pronounced.
For these facts stand out prominently above
and beyond all partisan exhibits : That the
great mass of the American people earnestly
and emphatically demand those reforms TO
which president Hayes is pledged; that they
heartily approve his course IN regard 10 the
south; that they sustain and indOrse the
policy he has developed; and that they will
refuse to support any party or taclon that
sets itself IN opposition to the administration.
And since this Is so, the action OF the Iowa
republicans, and of all who think with them,
must prove futile IN damaging the president.
They may refuse him their assistance In car
rying out reforms, but tie oIly result will
be that the reforms will be accomplished
without them. The republican party cannot
live any longer upon traditions, moreover.
adapt Itself TO the present needs of the coun-
try There are today certain issues which
are essentially popular, and the organization
which succeeds Will he the one which pos
sesses sagacity enough to take these views
up and make them lis own
The Iowa republicans have virtually declared
that they are not IN favor OF pac,hcatIOn at
the south or reform elsewhere They ap-
pear to stand On the obsolete bloody shirt
platform. They demand thai the exploded
and dishonOred policy of military coercion
shail be r,iustasel Notwithstanding the
overwhelming demonstration of the fulility
of that policy they cling to it still, and re-
fuse to admit Tat the course Of the rresi-
dent is IN accord with the principles Of the
republican parry. This IS not an eEcogr-
aging exhibit. Il Is to be deeply regretted
tha5 a spirit of patriotism aid enlightened
appreciation should have been so cOGspicu-
ouSiy absent from the coansels of the Iowa
convention. Whatever evil consequences
result, however, viii effect the republicans
who have pursued this rUihoas course.
II the feeling which controlled
the Iowa convention Is prevalent III the west
and south, the future can nave very little IN
store for the republican party, and when
sach demonstration occurs In Iowa it Is a
perfectly safe conclusion that 1t represents
a powerful sentiment elsewhere. However
powerful, this sentiment nevertheless Is des-
tined to find itself III a minority SO far rs the
whole country Is concerned. The belief ID
the wisdom and prOpriety Of the admins
tratIon policy is very much stronger than
the disbelief III it. Nor is there anything TO
be gained by diSahectiOn. The utmost the
dissatisfied can expect is to throw the ensu-
ing elections into the hands of the democrats,
and it need not be pointed ont that such a
result Is not calculated TO strengthen the re-
publican organization, either for warfare
against the president or any other purpose.
Ii We have TO sympathy Wi h tae political
positions OF the Iowa republicans, their imam
cal declarations are even more repu9nant.
They assert thaS = the pubic credit should
be sacredly maintained, and the debt paid,
and we therefore favor . speedy resumption
Of the silver dollar, as an Unlimited legal
tender. Nov this Is precisely equivalent
to saying ''we believe IN maintaining The
public credit aud paying all obligations
hoGorably, and therefore We demand thst
the public creditor shall be cheated" For
they demand tna5 measures shall be adopted
the effect of which would be 10 establish
single standard of deprecated silver, and
to make all debts Payablesh currency Of
less value than the greenback. That Is
sWindhng, but perhaps 1t IS fitting prOpo-
siticn to be inserted IN platform which ig
nores ali reform questions, and the trainers
and ad0pters of which undertook TO rebuke
the president for obeying his oath and the
constitution If that IS repubicanism in
Iowa, II certainly has no affinity with re-
pubhcaEiSm in California. Sacramento Rec
ord Union.