The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-06-02
SOLON CHANE'S REPLY TO Hon.
PETER Cooper.

VENERABLE SIR: Your very candid
letter is received and carefully consid-
cred. The vigorous tone that runs
through it gives promise that We nay
profit Iy your counsel tor many years'to
come. Your position us pioneer Grt en-
hack candidate for President. and the
strength your honored name has given
to our party, has caused me to study
your writings and your speeches with
much care. / have the honor Of being
one of little band of 500 who voted for
you for President in 1876. 1t was con-
science vote-a seed vote-planted in
good soil, that brought forth many fold.
If differ with you in your conclusions
it is for conscience's sake. Whatever
difference there is between IN is of meth
ods and not of principles, and / shall
have none the less respect for you il
your method is different from what my
Judgment and conscience guide me. IL
/ make blunder it is blunder Of judg-
ment. Ii have ever done any harm to
our cause ! am sorry for it, but have
done the best could.
am aware there is . difference of
opinion among our friends on this fusion
question. Yourself, as you say in your
letter, first believed in fusion. On re-
Election You changed your mind, and now
You have come back to your first conyic-
tions. You, like myself. have but one
object in view-the advancement of the
cause for which we have labored for long
years, each in our sphere-myself an
obscure farmer in the Down East State
Of Maine, aud your name household
word in two continents-bnt neither Of
us would hesitate y moment to change
our methods il satisfied We were in the
wrlng. We have the same object in
view, harmony Of heart aud unity Of ac-
tion Of all those men who see in the blaz-
ing Greenback star the dawn OF higher
civilization, and to bind al Greenback-
ers together like band Of brothers to
resist the encroachmenls Of the owners
Of funded wealth.
You say:
"The Republican party was formed
parties with the old Wing party"
I once had three neighbors. One
called himself an Abolitionist, one an
anti-slayery Wing and the other free
soil Democrat. All had their eye on the
star of human liberty, but they pulled
apart. The Abolitionist was said to be
"one.iiea man." The free-soil Demo
crat said slavery might exist until
doom's day before he would Zine
drives" with pro-slavery Wings and
Hartford Convention Federalists. But
there came Il time when my three neigh-
bors pulled together, and they made \
strong team. When the old Whig panty
let go its name, the pro->l.very Wings
went into the Democratic party. The
ALolitionists, the anti slavery Wings
and tie free-suil Democrat, massel i'll
tie II publican party. There was nn
trade, no coalition of existing parties
when the Republican party was formed.
bat new purity WAS born, and every
man staid out of it vi ho was not opposed
10 slavery and every man came into II
, who was opposed to slavery. The leay-
en Of the lump Was the free soil Demo
Gratis. There i now parallel cnn,li.
ton II things as when the Republic ~
party was formed. TIE heaven 10 the
lump is the unit hank II puai.e.ns. The
Democratic party was driven from power
by taking converts fl m it, raaLs The
Republican part. va dtivsn from power
in Maine by taxing converts from Is
ranks, hut the converts were all made
before there was any fusion with tht
Democraticparty. Democrats voted oul
ticket, hut without cAactng conditions
that excited the prejudlces OF the nes
We were taking from the R,pu'lica,
ranks. When coalition WAS maize viii
the Democratic party, based upon d
vision Of tho offices, the anti bank Re-
puhhcans heard again the gun that VA
fred at Fort Sumter, and the anti
fusion Greenbackers feared the fund
holding element IN thu Democratic part,
as much as they feared the sam. elem. y
in the Republican party, and looked npoi
the coalition as the abandonment Of ou
principles. You say:
at was by union Of Democratic an,
National votes that Gov. Plaisted wa
elected.
Yes, but Greenbackers could see NJ
J trade Or lusiop in Gov. Plaisted. bn