Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-23
The Conversational outloolx

The interest and issue in the next
political campaign in Iowa will center
upon the election of Congressman,
and the battle line is now disclosed
beyond reasonable question. Democ-
racy in Iowa means anything to de-
feat the Republican party, and it has
never yet failed to surrender its great
body to any proposed liason, regard
less of principles, If the fruits prom
ised were those of Republican defeat.
The names under which democracy
in this State has sought to disguise
itself since the close of the war are as
numerous rs the calendar years dur
ing this period, and those names have
each in their time been the temporary
blanket under which it was snugly
tucked away for cohabitation with
tho disconnected and sorc-headpd ele-
ment in the Republican ranks. Last
year tho victories it could reasonably
expect to gain were simply local,
hence it had gold candidate for Gov
ernor on greenback platform, and
the two were shifted and shuffled to
suit the particular counties and neigh
borhOods where votes were wanted.
This year the issue upon Congress
men will necessitate another union
between democracy and the green
back element, both in its own ranks
and those of the Republican party,
upon some sort of patchwork plat.
form, If any hope is INDUCED of
breaking the solid Iowa Repub lican
congressional phalanx. To do this
the programme as already developed
is to let the greenbackers lead out in
organizing, and democracy will bum
die away its hard money traditions
and rise to second the motion, relying
for success upon the ease with which
its rank and file can be "voted" by
party leaders. The recent greenback
convention at Des Moines, although
but little talked of before or since,
was the first kicking of of the cover
by the amorous greenbackers for a
liason with democracy. 1t was also
. fore-lock intimation to the diseased
carcass that it must come, and that
the greenback party was the reigning
mistress Of the mansion. Will de-
mocracy go? Certainly. That party
has learned long since that in Iowa
whenever q straight democratic head
pops up 1t is sure to be fatally punch
ed, If by consorting with the green
hackers Republican defeat can be ac-
complished, they will accep. this con-
ISOLATION, for such il will be, even
though there may not be drop of
pure democratic blood in the veins of
the victors.
In this, the 9th district, the billing
and cooling has commenced, and in a
greenback convention at Ottumwa
last week both of the democratic edi-
tors, Evans and Ives, embraced Gen.
J. B. Weaver and indicated their will
ingness to follow his standard
Weaver wants to go to Congress.
This disease has long grievously af-
ficted him, and the Republican party
declined to cure it. Being now the
greenback leader in this district, it is
fair to presume that he does not mean
any coalition with democracy that
will sacrifice the desire of Weaver in
dividually. Trimble, Hendershott,
Evans, Mccormack & Co., must for
the time subside and bottle up their
ambition for congressional honors.
If under the banner OF Weaver they
can break the republican line and de-
feat the party, then they doubtless be-
lieve that in some future shuttle it
will be safe to turn up democratic
trump. But for the present Weaver
holds the key to the situation. lie
can't be choked of, and We straight
democracy while not pleased with
the situation, will doubtless accept it
IS the best thing they can do under
the SPONTANEOUSLY Neps.