The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-02-07
THE REPl'BI.IcAN cALl.

We did not expect nj the time to- hsyc
our prediction verified sd sGoil, but thai
We were right in one instance Mt least,
the call for the National Republican
Convention proves.
..ftct !asttin. The time md place for
holding the convention the call prolcc,it
to say: "Thc Republican electors OF the
several States and all other voters. with
out regard to past political differences
now mark the language, "who are in
favor OF e!o,!liing it'd tl'gaifsina Amer
lean Labor" This reads ms though II
had been written by n Knight of Labor,
"A Trade tnionist or some real sympa-
thizer with labor: Int when il cmanatcs
from party Of men who have favored
every scheme to enrich the few at the
expense Of tho many, who have received
appeal after appeal, petition utter petit
ton, protest after p, otest ffom fei,ra,,
sentative bodies Of workingmen. and
treated them all with scorn and inditier-
ence it sounds pretty rich.
We were horn and reared Republi-
can, and when that party was organized
it stood distinctitcly heft,rc Tho people
rs FREQ labor party; il stood for the
rights OF man in contralistinction tt
the idea that property should rule.
The men who made and led the party
to victory and power were poor, but
they were animated by n higher and
nobler purpose than spells. They
saw one portion Of humanity enslaved,
robbed and oppressed 10y few, and
they resolved that these oppressed men
should be free; that the products OF
their toll should no longer go to enrich
the few. All the power, the law and
the decisions Of the courts were upon
one side in defense OF the awful crime,
while oil the principle, the humanity,
and the spirit Of progress were upon
the other to do battle for mankind.
Where are the men who thus led us
nearer to o realization Of the grand
truth that "All men were created free
and equal?" Are they the men who run
the machine labeled Republican party?
Not by any means! Not one of them
has voice III its management o. a seat
in its councils. The power which the
party was organized to fight has gradu-
ally manned the machine to grind its
own grist.
Because the words-"Who are in
favor of elevating and Identifying labor
are appropriate with the past his
tory of the machine, they who run il
command it to be thus placarded that
it may bring the old customers to il
with their grist, which is always put in
the bin labeled lvealth and Property.
They make motions, when they are
watched, of going to the bin labeled,
Nan and Labor, but they never get
there.
We presume Grant was in favor of
elevating and dignifying labor, when
he signed the bills which made lords
Of the few and tribnte-payers of the
many. Arthur must have favored it
when he penned the lines in his veto
message Of the Chinese bill, "The in
terests of capital have not vet been
conserved III the matter of labor
Cnllom was for it, by large ma
iority, when he vetoed the Truck
BILL which would have saved labor
in Illinois from being robbed by the
check system and corporation stores
All Of the Republican Governors have
been for it with all their might and
main as they have attached their e.
natures to corporation laws and sent
ont militia to shoot men down for
striking against tyranny and enslave-
mt mt
Is this the Republican party? We
say NO, 1t is vile and foul Islander
upon its name and record to call such
men Republicans. They have stolen
the livery Of a grand cause to serve the
power that would enslaye the people.
These are the old watch words, it is true,
but it is the voice of the siren that uses
them. But let us go little further
with our inquiry. The committee says
that /" 1t views with regret and indig-
nation the recent attempts to suppress
human rights and destroy free suffrage"
What. against the methods which they
employed in Massachusetts, when they
caused colored ballots to be run from
printing presses for the sole use of
manufacturers among workingmcn, and
who issued them in mills and shops and
had bosses at the polls TO see whether
the right ballots were cast or not?
When We're the so-called Republicans
OF Massachusetts denounced by this
highly virtuous and indignant COM
mittee? Never time, and they never
will when their selfish ends are served
by an abridgment Of this sacred right
of half starved and trembling men!
Away, then, with this clap-trap talk and
mockery of sacred things! We forsook
such leadership years ago to battle in
the cause of human rights. We loved
the principle better than We loved our
party name or the plaudits of the un-
thinking mass. Yes, we believe in FL
eyating and dignifying labor; we be-
lieve in Free suffrage and human
rights, but We cannot accept any such
Spider to the fly invitation rs is ex-
tended to us by the so-called Repub-
lican party.-JOliet Nens.