Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-08-15

tructiOn Of our war money was stopped
and silver was AZ least partially remone-
liZed, ald the broken soldiers of the
union army given then hari.earned ar
rears of pension; and | challenge contra
dictien of the fact that from the begin.
ming of the government until now, con
gresS never has been purer and never
guided by more patriotic purposes, (Ap.
plauscl
Gentlemen Of the republican, party, as
you now sit and look in the races OF
these eN'confederateS- of char,
acter, education, purity of person.
al life, with hands uuSmutched
with public plunder-you know that
! they are youc peers in intelligence and
ability, and in devotion To our common
country and its laws tApplausel You
do injustice to your own hearts ii YOU say
otherwise. You know there is not 4
latent purpose Of diSloyalty either iii
them or in the great masses OF the
southern people they represent, and you
know that il the honor Of this country
were assaulted now, anywhere or in any
way, they would fly to its support with
an ardur rs intense rs ever burned in
YOUR own breasts, Applause ON the
democratic side
Southern claims will be prated about
on every stump at the north, in the com
ing campaign. Southern claims when
you paid over $780, 100000 OF the people
money on them, and when, since the
south has had true representation here,
the whole southern claims business has
been, in effect, finally Squelchcd You
republicans, only ten days ago, came up
with absolute unanimity and voted
against the bill Of the gentleman from
Wisconsin Mr. Braggl 10 repeal the
law establishing the southern claims
commission, while the southern repre.
sentatlyes voted to repeal IT,
You are crying for peace at the south
and protection for the negroes, when YOU
are inaugurating il policy which You
know necessarily makes peace impossible
and endangcrS the happiness and pros
peritV ofthe blacks.
You know, too, that this whole country
longs for peace; that every great interest
is suffering because il is covered with the
cloud OF dust you raise in every campaign
to obscure the issues that the people
ought to be thinking and voting about
And you know moreover, that you would
meet those real issues now, if you were
not aware that the moment they became
the controlling questions the republican
party will be driven from power
Possibly you may again win power by
renewing this sectional agitation; but
you omit from your calculation one
important fact Within two years past
Il half million of men in the north have
left the republican party and joined the
nationals. Will you call them back by
blowing the old bugle? Will you thrill
them again by sheetiron thunder about
the southg viii they shed tears again
over your Eliza Pinkston stories ;
Laughter No, gentlemen. Two or
three years ago they were troubled about
the negroes; they are distressed about
their own wives and children now
We are denounced as inaugurating
partisan legislation. Not 50. What we
ask is that there shall be no partisan leg
islation, but Obedience TO the constitution
and respect for the traditions Of local
selfgoyernment in which you and our
selves, your fathers and our fathers, were
reared II yoH fear the democratic city
of New York, 3re fear the republican city
of Philadelphia where we suffer as
much by Illegal voting MS you do in New
York. But utterly reject the PROPOSE
ton to change our constitutional forms
and usages to meet their local troubles
as best they may. Moreover, the chief
cities Of the north are about evenly poi ed
between the two great political parties
Either party can come forward now and
ask for the repeal OF these laws without
just accusation of seeking undue ad
vantage We ask their repeal solely for
Of u In Nh IL n,,l
back to 1.-THE old paths, where is the
good way'-to the theory that the people
are the pure fountain OF government. and
that every step you carry power from
| them ia step toward making. the govern
ment more corrupt and Irresponsible
If it be true that the people of this
country cannot be trusted to hold con
gressional elections conducted by state
officers and state laws, without the inter.
vention Of the federal, civil and military
power, without troops, and marshals and
spies TO watch and command their Off
GERS and drag them for disobediencc 10
remote courts for trial and punishment
if the people have become so corrupt
that good government requires that they
be subjected TO this despotic and hateful
cspionage-then our republic is already
rotten, and its foundation built on
stubble.
But it is not true Outside OF, the cities
the purest governments of this country
are those that come nearest the people
first, the town and township govern.
ments next, those Of the counties; next,
those of the states, and last Of all, the
federal government Any abuse in our
state and local administrations is almost
always promptly punished, because the
power is in the hands Of those who
know the wrong and demand the en-,
iorcement of the penalty. But the fede.
raj government, remote from the people,
is held to far less strict responsibility.
1t may organize election outrages under
this system, with corruption fund
drawn from the treasury and from host
of officials, and it need but strike ut a
few critical points to accomplish its
purposes; while the localities injured
will have no power Of redress, and com
Hunitics elsewhere no distinct apprecia-
tion of the wrong. Leave the ttemen
dous enginery of these test oaths, troops,
supervisors and marshals in the hands Of
the president, and, though the power
may not just now be used at all, The day
will come when IL will be exerted 70 the