Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-09-27
walker Correspondence Of the Bulletin.l
What Shall / Do?

Our fall election is near by, and we
are reminded by all the aspirants for Of
fee, that it is our duty to go early to
the polls and vote for them. For more
than forty years l have gone to the
polls with my vote, under the convic-
ton that then and there, | was going to
perform the most important act of the
whole year. During that period, two
thoughts, my God and my country, have
given character to my votes. In no in
stance has my vote been bought with
money, liquor, or promise OF office. The
Democrats were always too greedy to
divide with me, and the Republicans
never supposed | was good enough for
them, and as for brides, no one has been
able to detect any green spot in my eye.
[ have voted with the Abolition, Free
Soil and the Republican parties, be-
cause | thought they more fully embod-
led ideas worthy of christian and phi
lanthropist. than any other party. |
have never doubted the correctness of
my votes, though | have voted for some
men in whom l was greatly deceived.
Another election is at hand, and,
should | live, | must vote. l find in
the field the Republican party, the old
standby friend of my country and all
classes of citizens, whether domestic or
foreign; who saved my country when
she was imperiled by traitors; wiped
out the worst stain that eyer cursed a
nation, and broke the letters of four
millions of bondsmen; saved the nation
from bankruptcy, when a war debt was
saddled upon her, the like of which no
nation ever paid; has reduced said debt
from three billions, thirteen years ago,
to one billion now, and the amount of
interest which we were paying IL years
ago, and which many feared would bring
ruin, has been reduced almost one-half.
The same party put the ballot into the
hand of every true American citizen,
and pledged him protection in the use
of the same, and gave US prosperity, the
like the nation never before realized.
To the Republican party we owe our
financial policy, whereby we have Q
currency ample to all necessities gold,
silver and greenbacks, the choice of any;
good for the rich and the poor, the la
borer and him who tolls not What
need | say more? Such is the party |
have loved to honor, and why not? [
have felt proud of my company. But,
alas! she has not proved herself perfect.
She has done some very naughty things,
if report is correct; such as refusing to
pay the Southern war debt, and pension
rebel soldiers, denying rebels and their
sympathizers the privilege of govern,
ing the nation, allowing industry and
traffic to be rewarded, and thus many
are rich; denying that the idle tramp
should share equal with the producer;
causing the farmer to have short crops
and prices, not paying the debts brought
on by extravaganza, and for beer and to-
bacco. And thus, for want of green
backs, which should be scattered broad
cast all over the land, aud by govern
ment officials put in every mans pocket,
many one must lose his farm, and the
wall of hard times must continue to stir
up the souls of Butler, Brick, Kearney,
& Co. Oh, horrible, such corruption as
has got into the Republican party.
Who believes it?
Therefore IS my question, what shall
| do? If | was simply a sore head, |
should know what to do. | would go
to some of these reform parties; Demo
cratic off shoots; become cats paw to
do the dirty work Of that party who will
condescend to anything for viotorys
sake.
[ must vote with the r. or d. party,
for, in fact, | find only those two parties
in the field. The various aliases are
only to deceive Each and all are the
offspring of the same parents, and the
principle that underlies all their acts is
the same-office.
The Republican party is well known
for its good deeds. 1t is a pity it has
any bad men in it. They had better go
and let Ben look after them. The 9th
er party can be easily identified. In
the front ranks are the old time seces
sionists, bearing the same flag of trea
son, and carrying the same mark of iden-
tity. They are officered by the same
class of men who fired upon our flag;
that sought to destroy our government,
that killed thousands of our boys in
blue, and brought tax Of billions upon
the people, and who will increase that
sum to billions more, by paying rebel
claims, if they have the chance. Their
past has been one of crime and fraud,
their future promises no better. Pom
der we'll this beautiful extract from a
Democratic paper published in Ala:
" No white or colored citizen. of Ala
bama, who votes the Republican ticket,
is treated with any sort Of respect by
the Democracy. The white man who
does so is openly treated as public en-
envy, and is so ostracised and persecut-
ed, that it is equal to he'll on earth.
Good Lord! must | train with such a
company to save my country, or to get
office n. SHAPLEY.
Walker, Sept. %