Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-28
!. NJ. HEDRICK & CO., PROPRIETORs.
srAwLeY MATTHEWS.

1 3 81 Z
STANLEY MATTAgWo.
As q native Buckeye. everything
that pertains to tho State of Ohio has
q peculiar interest to MS. Tho recent
choice Of the Republicans Of that
State Of Stanley Matthews, for United
States Senator, impresses us as mis-
take. A brief epitome of Matthew'S
political life is as follows: He first
appeared as the editor of an ultra
free soil journal. Like Salmon r.
Chase, he gained his first notoriety In
In the cause Of the slave. Afterwards
he affiliated with warmth and energy
in the ranks Of Democracy, being .
Democratic member Of the Legisla-
ture Of Ohio, when that party was
most debased in the tolls Of slavery.
He was also the United States Dis
trict Attorney Of James Buchanan in
Southern Ohio. The war breaking
out he and President Hayes went out
in the same regiment, the latter stay
ing nearly through the war, and then
leaving only to take his seat in Con-
gress, to which he had been chosen
while at the front. Matthews, how
ever, resigned and went home in 1859,
TO engage in the duties of private life.
After this until 1872, Matthews was
reputed . Republican. He entered
warmly into the Liberal movement,
which resulted in the Greeley cam
paign, but did not stick to that. He
supported Grant, but early after the
latter was inaugurated he became an
enemy of his administration, and so
remained 10 the end. In the Cincin-
natl Convention, which nominated
Hayes, Matthews did not figure. Az
ter the nomination, no accepted the
situation, and then as Conservative,
embracing elements on that account
Of possible success in Hamilton coun-
ty, he was nominated for Congress
on the Republican ticket. lie went to
New Orleans to witness the count of
the votes, and was most decided, upon
his return to Ohio, in saying that the
Republicans had fairly carried Louis
lana. He appeared before the High
Joint Commission as one Of the coun-
sci for the Republican side, and did
effective and able service. Next, on
the very week of Hayes inaugura-
tion, he assumed to himself the singu-
larly supposed duty of settling mat
ters in the States of South Carolina
and Louisiana, by asking Chamber
lain and Packard to resign their
Offices as Governor. He presumed to
say that the General Government
would give Packard some other good
Office in lieu of the one he resigned.
We don't hesitate to say that those
letters were indubitable evidence of
the lack of discreet, sound and per-
pendicularly honest judgment in
Senator Matthews. Such ill-timcd
and ill-considered, oficious letters,
INDUCED in by any subordinate off,
cial Of this Government, upon triv-
ial matter even, ought to and would
cost such officer his official head, for
his pertness and want of common
sense and deccncy. We have now
lived long enough to have learned by
experience much of men and things,
and we never yet knew of case
where man took up the battle of. the
slave, or, in other words, became the
advocate of the universal rights of all
men, and afterwards united with q
party of pro-slavery, who was such
man as it would do to trust implicit
ly. We fear that Stanley Matthews
is not made of that true, unselfish
material, which can be relied on to
give out clear and certain notes.
We hope for the best. We shall be
very glad to have it turn out that
Stanley Matthews will do infinite
honor to and greatly serve Republic
an principles in the United States
Senate, but we confess, we do not
expect it. Hence, VIC say, we believe
his election mistake committed by
the Republicans of Ohio.