Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-10-31
LEADING GREENBACkER.

~ A@AS ~ ~ ~ AA AAN NA|0S ~ L -
A LEADING GREENBACKER.
Any movement in which the general
public are asked to participate should
have an honest and respectable leadership
No man has right to expect the people
to follow him, or to adopt his views, uu
less he be first, consistent and reasonable
and second, Of good character and repute
among those by whom he Is best known
That W. A. Hotchkiss is the leader Of the
so-called "Greenback Party" in this
county, no one will deny,-he is the ora.
Gle and the expounder Of the new faith
This admitted, it is proper to inquire,
whether by virtue of what he is, the ma.
tional Reform Greenback" movement is
entitled to any respect from the masses Of
the people. In pursuing this inquiry, we
have no purpose except that of doing jus.
tice between pretended reformer and
the honest masses whom he seeks to de-.
ceive and mislead. Before he came here
to reside Mr.. Hotchkiss was known to
the newspapers and the public men of
the state, as not only unreliable in his
statements, but unscrupulous in the choice
of means with which to consummate any
OF his schemes. Since he came here to
reside these elements in his character
have been more fully developed. Under
the friction Of a vigorous and constant op-
position, he has unmasked himself CON-
pletely, and today he stands before those
who know him best, dennded If almost
every characteristic with which an hon
est man is clothed. When he came to
this state he was an avowed Democrat, t,
and sought long and diligently for To-
cation where he might establish Demo
cratic paper. Not finding an eligible
opening for such an enterprise, he turned
his loosely, fitting political coat, and
started a Republican paper. Three years
ago when he came to Austin, he announc
ed himself as an unalterable adhereut of
the Republican faith. A year later he
bolted the ticket of his party, two years
later he openly opposed the Republican
candidate for president of the United
States, and since that time he has asso-
ciatcd promiscuously with all the politi-
cal soreheads of the present age. For the
furtherance of his schemes, he has
assailed the character and falsified
the record Of all prominent men who
stood in his way. So odious had he be-
come in his character of public dcfamer,
as to have been despised and stunned by
nearly all respectable men who were in
timately acquainted with him, aud finally,
driven thereto by every consideration Of
decency, duty, self-res2ect and public
opinion, the church with which he was
connected preferred charges against him,
alleging specifically, SANDER and false
hood, in addition to general charges of
unchristian conduct. After patient and
thorough trial, in which he was given the
benefit ofevery exculpating circumstance,
the testimony was submitted to an advis.
cry council consisting of five clcrgymcn
aud five laymen from abroad, none of
whom were acquainted with accused or
accusers, and they reported unanimously
recommending that he be suspended from
his connection with the church for the
period of six months, to be restored only
upon profession Of pcnitence aud full
confession to the parties aggrieved; aud
this is tn man who is ostenta:iously lead
ing 'reform movement" Can anything
he more disgusting? Will the honest
yeomen Of this county take lessons in
morals from such man? What is there
in his career that justifes his pretensio rs
as "reforI:cr?" His life is perpetual
libel upon his professions. While advo.
eating reduction Of salaries, and cur.
tailment of public expenditures, he never
fails to charge the most exhorbitant
prices for any public work which he Is
employed to dc. Politically, he seeks
constantly to pervert everything which is
good, and to make that which is wrong
appear 10 be right. If, by any mischance,
he become the advocate of good cause,
he Injuries it by misrepresentation, and If
he gain any following it is gained by
deceit, and if he make any friends tley
are generally made by fraud and misrep-
- :.
seeking to defeat the nominees of the Re-
publican psrty, and such are the means
by which, and by which alone, he hopes
to accomplish his purpose.