Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-09-04

Extract from Hon. James r. Will
sons Speech Delivered at
Bloomfield, Iowa, Aug.
%, 1873.
Nothing can be truer than this. mol
well informed person doubts that with
free elections and honest count
ing, and effective enforcement of re-
suits. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Florida and South Carolina, would be
in republican control to-day. That
they are not is the result of great
crime, crime akin to that commit
ted by the men who resorted to force
of arms to destroy the union, because
the people gave judgment against
them at the presidential election of
1850. Largely the same men have
perpetrated the present crime. Then
it was to maintain active secession,
now to assure the same principle pre-
scented in new dress, and called
''HoME RULE"
Home rule by whom? BY all the
legally qualified electors of those
states: BY no means; but by such
only as are willing to vote the demo-
cratic ticket, and subscribe to the doc
trines Ofthe democratic party. Home
rule for what purpose? To capture all
of the departments of the national
government, by the greater power Of
a solid south opposed to a divided
north. That is why the unparalleled
election Outrages have been commit
ted in those states. That is why the
resident republicans of those States,
largely it is true colored men and
poor, but still men and citizens, and
lawful electors, are kept from voting,
and at last driven to an abandonment
of their party organizations; and it is
for the same reason that a system of
social and business ostracism has been
Established towards men of republican
sentiments of the northern states who
desire to emigrate to the south, to aid
in building up its waste places, pro-
noting its prosperity, and give it the
: blessings of activity and thrift. The
south is not, for the reason named, a
free country to northern men, and this
. we'll known fact was the inducement
to that manly utterance in the Des
Moines platform, which says: 1--WE
demand for the people of Iowa abso-
lutte freedom to go whithersover they
; may please within the limits of the
nation, with perfect enjoyment Of
their rights as citizens, to utter theil
sentiments by speech or press, upor
all subjects touching their interests
:. and upon all matters of public con
cern.'
- DIFFICULTIES,
/ know well the difficulties of en-
+ forcing this demand; but / as wei
p know that the government will not
' and can not, be success until all ne
: cessity for such a demand shall hav,
+ Disappeared; and we all know tina
/. just as long as this difficulty exists, i
n is the strongest possible reason for re
J. fusing to extend the power of tn
v democratic party in this nation. Cal
you give me any reason why eacl
4 person in this audience should not b
: as absolutely free in the exercise an
II enjoyment of each and every social
e political, personal and property RICH
l. in any southern state, as you allo,
n persons from that section of the cour
p try to be here in Iowa? You have a
o much right there as they have here
e But the fact exists that you can nc
is enjoy this right there as they ca
d here.
10 POLITICAL TEST.
X One of you remove with your fam
le ly to Mississippi, and you will sool
le and to your sorrow, learn how bite
u ~ true this is. You buy property an
d settle down to the work of accommt
N dating yourselves to the changed eli
1T cumstances which surround you, ava
y from your old home and the life ass,
A. Citations under which your family h:
n grown up, you wait with anxious e,
I'd pectatiOn the movements OfyOur ne
ri neighbors. What are they doins
n Certainly not what you desire. The
Us are not getting ready to call and we
o. come you and your family to Vol
g new home. They are spreading Fl
l. and wide the information which the
~ have collected concerning you. The
~ have found out that YOU are fro
rs Iowa; that you are a republican
IN politics; that you always hated Il
n abominable crime of human SLAYER
en- that you are opposed to secession; tn
~ you were in the union army; and tn
hit you have not changed your senI
ments with your change Of residenc
is but propose to vote the republics
at ticket. That is enough. You me
IT possess wealth, industry, the best an
he most intelligent family in the countr
nd anxious to be on good terms vii
al your neighbors, to aid them in evel
Oh proper effort to do all that can be Sc
is pected of good member of cor
e? munity in promotion of its interest
60 This all counts nothing. You c.
is make no Roadway. Your person ms
DIS be safe from injury; your family ms
n, escape overt insult; your proper
ny may not be destroyed. But you a
he not wanted, and are let alone. n
to one calls on your wife and daughter
ur they are indeed strangers i'm Stran1
to land. No social relations are ofiere
a No advances meet with favorable r
d. Spouse. You are not wanted. YC
MT are ostracised in all the relations
lis life. How long would you desire
I'd stay there? How long would you iii
az that kind of home rule? But this
d. a common occurrence from the Car
Id linas to Texas.
III NOW REVERSE THE SCENE.
~ ~ Change the case. Let a family mo,
az from Mississippi to Davis count
)! Iowa. How would yon acto W
= would exactly reverse the southel
~, mode of treatment; you would We
~ come the new corners, and set about
~ once making their changed circur
,,l stances agreeable to them. W
,e would show them i'm a short tin
=, what warm hearts beat i'm the mort
~ You would soon shame the boastt
"a hospitality of the south by displs
- of that more genuine article whit
VI abounds in every household i'm ii
~ north. You would make them
~ yourselves, and they would soon fe
", that it was good thing to live
y Iowa. This better rule of action
ne the one that the republican par
y wishes to extend to all pasts Of O.
% common country. How much bett
~, it would be for all if this were so.
~ will be SO in time; but there is gre
~ deal of work to be done first. Tin
:" and defeat will bring it about. III
former works its own way; we mu
see to the latter.
Us A NATURAL RESULT.
/ do not wonder at the condition
in affairs in the southern states. \
d. man, no community, no governme
ce can long practice great wrong wit
ar out becoming demoralized. For
ad century the southern people nurture
to the crime of human slavery. The
,st schooled themselves to the belief tn
ir- it was right for one man to own a
n other; that it was right for one man
he eat his bread in the sweat of anoth
he mans face. That capital should ow
IA labor. That it was right to sell vii
re and children of the Iaborer for Il