The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-10-18
RED HOT.
Extracts from Ben Buffers Speech to
the Democratic Convention Of
Massachusetts,.
No Wonder the Republicans Want to Get
Rid or Him-..HOw They Disfran.
Chise the Poor and Treat
Their Prisoners.

With every emotion of sensibity receive
your kind greeting. ! have come obcdent to
the call of the convention, through your COM
mittee, to say II few words which may aid I'm
your deliberations. by your apprcciatve
Kindness year ago was presented as your
candidate for Governor TO the suffragcs Of
the Commonwealth. The people of the Com
monwealth, all who were in favor Of reform,
Of good government, of the honor of the old
Commonwealth SO far as they were then in
structcd ratified your nomination NJ the
polls. Ii seemed 10 me that to
\ delibcrativc assembly, representing
the reform element OF the Commonwealth.
that reform element which has always in
every day and In every year had It's seeds
firmly planted in the Democratic heart, i
should give some account of my stewardship
The tale may be dry and unintercsting. but
II is necessary that ut some time Ii should be
spoken. had intended 10 have given II to
you and TO the people In 4 letter accepting
your nomination II l had been away, but as
1t Is you must bear the iniiiction. As you
remember, / examined into the legislative
work of the Commonwealth somewhat In my
inaugural address to the Legislature. l
recommended therein many changes, some
wise, know-and some, for anght | know,
may have been Otherwise-but not one OF
those recommendations, no, not one, was
passed by q Legislature of the Commonwealth
which sat u longer time than any other Legis-
lature ever sat before, and much longer.
hope, than any other will ever sit
again. Why, there were some
recommendations 50 obvious that they
didn't even dare to consider them. recon-
mended them To pass u law protecting the
passengers on railroads against the insane,
wicked and malicious attempts of those who
would put distractions upon the rails, which
might he the cause of the slaughter Of
hundreds OF innocent women. 1t was
recommendation from the executive. or
course 1t would not pass.
They had pretended for years, IL the con-
stitutional restriction didn't bind them, they
would be glad TO relieve the people of the
Commonwealth from paying u poll-tax as u
qualification for suffrage. Their best ora
tors had 40 declared. Their ablcst men OF
the oldcn timc-when they had able men-so
declared. In view OF the general feeling
that this anomaly, that u mans vote should
depend upon his ability at one part of the
year to pay in Il sum of money, should be
wiped away, and, to get rid of the constitu-
tional defect, advised plan which would
allow the Legislature To do what ! supposed
| they would wish To do when they had an OPP
portnnity. They said they doubted its con-
stitutionality. Our friends in the Legislature
| then said: "Ncry good, let us put the ques-
| tion to the Supreme court "a Supreme
| court of their own choosing not mine, or
! there might have been u different choice.
| They refused it. That great question of the
| constitutional rights Of the people they
| would not submit to the Supreme court. But
they said: I'VE will have proposition to
amend the constitution" They were not
| chary, however, in submitting questions to
the Supreme court. When the third-rate
/ lawyers that composed some of the commit
/ tees OF that Legislature thought that the cx-
ecutiye had erred and did not know when he
| could or could not make q veto upon meas
nre. they rushed with that question to the
Supreme court, and the answer YOU rcmcm-
ber. Having then voted down legislative re-
| lief on that subject, they next proceeded to
/ vote down any prospect to the people Of q
constitutional amendment. and 50 now the
| great Republican party with which l acted
| and acted in good faith In giving untram-
mclled suffrage to every negro in the South
| denies II to their brothers on this SOIL
Going then little further into Legislative
| questions. They presented me several bills
to sign-during the Legislative session nine or
/ ten of them. | examined them, and found
| they were so loosely drawn and so incomplete
| that they didn't even express what the men
| who drew them meant they should, and
| said then to the Chairman OF the Committee:
| sDo you really want this bill in this wayi
Don't you see what il Is. II is not what you
wanted, ii can gather what YOU want from
your bill. Now. / can veto this bill and
| everybody will see the intention. but this is u
| good thing that you want now. Ask To have
this bill sent back and will send II back, and
then you can change ii and it'w III 20 through. :
1
times over. Then they sent me all sorts oi
bills, and l vetoed them thirteen times, one
after the other, and one was SD bad tha,
when il went back To them they couldn't iind
hut four Republicans mean enough 10 vote
| for it. And all the rest Of the thirteen were
| sustained except one, and that was one Oh
the last of the session, the purpose of which
was To give their clerks and Sergcant-at-Arm:
| increased pay.
| have no trouble about my election: but
msss
towns and send me some Legislators who know
their own mind and do not have TO go to the
Republican State committee To find cut who
they are. don't care what a man calls him
self. Tx he calls himself Democrat yot
know he IL right. IL he calls himself a Re
publican. ten to one he il right: but ind out
Are you In favar of having legislation which
will bring this Commonwealth back 10 whcrt
she was in the days OF our fathers in economi,
administration. In efficiency of administra
ton. and in purity of Administrations. yo,
can find such Il man vote for him: let us hnv,
him in the Legislature, for, as | do not wan
anything wrong, believe other men Of fa
mind, and who are not partisAns. will agre,
with me In all administrative measures; an,
the reason why | SO believe IL that, while
have had eight gentlemen out of nine of IN.
Executive Council who arr very bitterly op
posed To me politically, and in my nomination
of officers not unfrequently differed from M
tnfter they had got their instructions iron
the State committee1, have right 70 81.
and do 8ay--nnd they are here in town |,
contradict me IL am wrOng-that upon al
financial matters In regard to the Common
wealth, there never has been one word of dif
ference between us-not one. Therefore sem
me men To aid me. to hold up my hands. fo'
know the Bible tells us that when man gre,
old I'm battle ha had 10 have his hands he'll
up. have held up my own for yea
NIL alone. Please, now, give me somebody /
back me.
Now let MS come to some questions Of ad
ministration. have not done much, agree
Would could have done more | found tn
Governor in his Office like Guliiyer In IN
hands Of the Iilipufians. with pin NJ ever
: hair Of his head-and perhaps the reason the
didn't bold me any better Mas because didn
have any more hair on my heal. found In
Office emascuated. Not only the Governu
was unable 10 do anything. even to appoin
the colored mcS >enger NJ his door, wiihou
. the advice and consent OF his Council. hui
| with one or tMo exceptions, he could rcmov
nobody. and 10 far as the ingenuity Of Ks
publican lawyers and the laws could gol the
didn't mean To let him do anything else.
want To say In all fairness-becailsc | want
/ | he fair IL know how-that, while many Q
my predecessors were not lad men al all, ye
the found themselves in these Legislatls
j tolls. spread about them by the Commission
ers. who actually governed this Common
wealth, and they didn't sec any way 10 ~
through them. because IL would require thei
2 fo break with their party.
The iirst institution 10 which MAS oblige
, | to turn my attention WAS the States prisol
II WAS ia this condition. The men were In
state of revolt. and had been for six month
We were told that they were dangerous, III
less sesrnts-ise ar loo Of them we're kept
/ solitary confinement, or chained up hy a
hands To posts. that there WAS danger i'll thu
!, institutions. that IL could not be carried 9
: without these measures, and my predecesst
4 had instructed the Warden of the Institute
, 10 do what he pleased With these men.
!. heard their complaints. and considered thei
! | gave directions that their statements shan
D he allowed IL come to me without ANYBODY
!, seeing what WAS in the letter. ] said To Il
Warden: do that, sir, aud then you shs
!. have a hearing III every complaint IL you q
I sire H." Weeks passed and he did nothin
+ | SAN him again and said to him: sir, II
/. orders are generally obesed. Those III,
must hase leave IL write to me. Let the
!, write, seal Il up and send IL 10 me sealed. "
don't make any mistake about This" He
4 piled; well, you will have little else 10