The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-09-20

! OF the raTnlnCat1OnS OF GOVefnmenG amalrS.
ANY attempt at reform whose aim falls short of
this standard must, in the nature Of things,
fail. Political orders viii not answer the
purpose Downright, practical business adj
ministration is the one thing needed. Let the
present administration give the country such q
civil-seryice reform as have here outlined, and
every Republican in Iowa will come to its
earnest support. Nowhere In the country can
there be found more devoted ciyil-service re-
formers than in Iowa; but they want the real
thing not the shadow but the genuine sub
stance not fne-sounding theories, but palpa-
BILE and effective practice They have had con-
troll of the ciyl-seryice of Iowa for some tWen-
ty-three years, and challenge any State to show
q better record, more faithful discharge Of
public duties, better results, and a cleaner bill
of political health than we have right here III
our own good State. They set up no claim to
| perfection, nor to exemption from mistakes !;
but do affirm that taking all things together,
no State has done better, while many have done
far worse They have done so well that but
little reform is needed here, and whatever
there NAV be the Republican party is more
competent to work out than any other. Consid-
ering the fact that not only the State Govern
ment, but nearly all of the counties also, have
been under the control of the Republicans, the
history of the party during the long years it
has been in power in Iowa shows Wondrous
political success. Let those who have done
better than we question our devotion to the
best and truest phase of civil service.
| have said that it was the purpose of the
Des Moines Convention to maintain the unity
and preserve the harmony of the Republican
| party of Iowa. 1t should be our endeavor to
carry on what was SO well begun there. The
end Of the partys mission has not yet come.
The South is now solidly in the hands of the
| State-rights Democracy The national House
of Representatives is likewise in their control.
| The United States Senate is so closely divided
that the determination of contested seats, the
mutations of the political affairs in a State,
and death may give to that party the posses
sion of that body also before the close of the
present Congress. Little things sometimes
show the temper of the whole people. 1t is so
with the Southern Democracy now. When the
playful remark Of Postmaster General Key,
wherein he denOminated his former Confed-
crate associates erring brethren, reached the
| Southern States, wall OF execratlon came back
| to him from all quarters informing him that no
such talk would be tolerated. Article after ar
| ticle denouncing him, and justifying the rebel
lion, fill the papers of the South. This fact is
not without its significance. 1t is noticeable
| to us that the old political fight is coming
| down upon us again. No observing man can
mistake the portent of the present utterances
of the Southern Democratic press. Not one
line of the old position has been
abandoned. They believe in the doctrine
of States rights; they suffered for it,
| they fought for it, Their advanced leaders
! have over and over again denounced the consti-
| tutional amendments as fraudulent and void,
! as having been forced on the Southern States,
and never having received their voluntary con-
sent. They are overthrowing all Of the recon-
struction constitutions of their States as rapid
| ly as they can get at them. They are repudi-
ating their debts because they were contracted
under the Governments of those constitutions.
They are disregarding the rights guaranteed
| by the amendments to all citizens alike, and
holding in the subsection of terror the colored
people of their States. They allow no peace
but that which comes from having their own
way They observe no faith except that which
rebounds to their own advantage. They make
political contracts but to violate them. They
are the old State rights Democracy intensified
by the losses of the rebellion. We have got to
fight over, politically, with them the whole
field again. If our efforts in the past were
Unsuitable (and no Republican here doubts
this), we must be prepared to renew them.
The next national political contest will be one
of stupendous Importance to this republic, and
we must allow nothing to weaken our lines IN
the meantime. In general and in detail the
Democracy is assuming it's old positions 1t is
doing most persistent and systematic work. 1t
will permit nothing to stand liz the way Of
close union in its ranks. Wisdom directs that
we shall be guarded and ready. Whatever we
may consistently and rightfully do to maintain
unity of purpose and effort IN our own ranks
should be done. Above all we should strive to
| avoid all unnecessary causes of strife and its
consequent weakness. If disaster shall finally
come, let no part of it be charged to the &C
count of the Republicans of Iowa.
Many affect to see in the present political sit
uation most hopeful signs of coming peace. [
pray God that their political vision is clearer
/ ooxyo NM Of
good feeling, when the rights of all are to be
respected when the weakest shall have the
protection which the strongest does not need !;
| when neither race nor color nor position in So
ciety, nor ignorance, nor poverty, shall turn the
balance against a citizens rights when South,
as well as North, that equal freedom which our
laws ordain shall be each mans unquestioned
possession when political prosecutions and
burnings, and lawless Outrages, and murders
shall cease when free discussion, free educa-
| ton, and free elections shall be the rule and
not the exception in the Southern States when
no condition shall attach to any citizens full
enjoyment of his rights except that of obedi-
ence to law, no one will be more profoundly
grateful than I, and no portion of our
people will more fervently rejoice
than the Republicans of Iowa.
We would have reached the end to the
attainment Of which our years of political en-
deavor have been consecrated. You know that
strife is not desirable, and that the peaceful
rest which would come from the triumph of
true principle, the rule of order and the reign
of love would be most welcome to you. The
signs of the times are not ripe for this yet. It
is with regret that say it. There is work for
us yet to do; work of the old, stern, sturdy
sort which put Iowa at the head of the Repub-
lican column, and kept her there, through an
unbroken line of victories for the right. Let
us bear much for the sake Of the cause, and
move on to another victory. Let us show to
the Republicans of the nation that our
title is still good to remain at the head of the
column by giving John H. Gear the largest ma
iority Of all the leading candidates on the Re-
publican tickets in the several States of the
it, and we will do it and then let the result be
needed in the counsels of the party.