The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-12-07
THE NEW GOVERNOR OF IOWA.
His Interpretation of the Meaning
of the Recent Election.

=
and at the same time hardened my
mind with weight of responsibility
nat halt saddens my spirits 10 night.
| do not regret the fact that you rejoice.
4 would not if | could lessen in thu
ieast degree the outward demonstra-
tions of happiness that are visible
on every hand. TO the democrats OF
Iowa | can well say you have every
reason to be glad. You have fought a
great battle and won a glorious victory.
In all that struggle not a banner bas
trailed, not a soldier has struggled.
10 every member of my party my
heart goes out i'll gratitude for its loyal
devotion to the cause we have made
our own. And greater still, if possible,
Is my personal obligation TO the demo.
cratic press OF Iowa for the magnificent
tId III the contest that Las closed.
Never was the power of a political
hercules more wisely applied OF adni-
rably directed. TO it more than to al.
other agencies combined Is TO be al
tributed the grand success we haYe just
achieved And in this connection !
cannc Iorget the royal service OF indie.
pendent papers in our own state and oI
democratic papers in sister states.
These, too, have placed US under lasting
nUilgationsi thai Sder,ocrats Will nevei
forget. 90, ,,,a,, ~
And vet iD all these forces combined
l'we have not reached the real cause o.
ghes strfnfBph wes have assembled to Gel.
ebrate. ~ was ~ power greater thai
The press that lore the banner o! re-
publican rile from the masthead OF
[owa's Snip i6f istatc ana elfaileds it
place thestembIeno Fundamentally IL eu;
premacy. 1t was the people fpl ioa1
state-a grand army OF patri9fa ftlsasi
see i'll their duty To country an 6tligai
ZION higher than any they owe a poliis
ical faction-that won the victory over
| which we all rejoice. To them, as such
let us ascribe the honor of an achieve
ment that has surprised, if 1t has moi
startled, the country at large. A vic.
tory thus won bears with it an adnoui
| ZION as well as triumph. 1t teaches
us that those who have clotlfBd us witt,
power will exact at our hands unwa-
vering loyalty to all the pebple of oui
commonwealth; that in SO Efar as our
acts affect the enactment or admin.
istration OF the laws,we mustbe states.
men rather than partlsans; that all in-p
terests must be faithfully and impair
TALLY guarded, and every pledge we
nave made religlously kept. 1t also
| establishes the great truth that no
political parry in Iowa can wantonly
violate the sacred rights of her citizens
and continue to WELD the sceptre OF
power; that her people are just, and
when they have had time to weigh and
measure the acts of their servants, they
| will, independent of party ties, reward
| or punish as their acts deserve.
The reasons for this political revolu-
ton are more than one. The positions
| of cur adversarles that the people OF
the agricultural states of the west are
benefited by tariff which adds one
halt to the cost of all the necessaries of
| life because il makes another class rich
and thereby enables but does not com
pei it to pay better prices for labor and
The products of the soil, is gradually
| becoming understood, and as fast as
understood, it becomes an exploded
theory. Catching it's inspiration from
II great leader, it was an easy matter
tor the democratic party of Iowa TO
present all unbroken front upon this
great question, while many thinking
men from other political organizations
came to its aid on this issue of the cam
paign.
Upon no question of the day is there
more thorough unanimity of sentiment
among the thoughtful people of all the
! political parties than on the subject of
ballot reform. 1t should be apparent
to every one that the safety of our
| political institutions Is to be found in
faithful expression of the Judgment OF
those who shape their destinies with
their ballots at the polls. 1t is well
| that the democratic party of our state
took advanced ground on this snbject.
for thereby 1t drew to its aid patriotic
men OF every political faith.
Upon the subject, too, of the control
OF corporations OF the state, our party
is abreast of the times. While recogniz-
ing as sacred in every respect the prop
erty rights OF all classes of people, it is,
as 1t has eyer been, the especial cham
plon and friend OF the POOR mans
| rights. The position of the party, as
defined in its platform OF principles, on
this question brought to its aid con-
servative men from all political parties.
| Capitalists recognized the fact that in
our party they would find no element
or faction willing, upon any pretense
whatever, TO conliscate the fortunes of
any OF our citizens, while those Of lin
lted means were assured that every
right of theirs would be guarded with
Jealous and paternsl care.
But more, perhaps, than to any other
plank in our platform is our victory dne
to the position assumed by our party
on the subject of the control of the sale
of Intoxicating liquors. Our present
law on that subject in its very inception
was cruel violation of the most sacred
of all political rights-the right to be
secure in our persons and property
Under the pretense OF comforting upon
our people great blessing, the repub-
lican party, in the enactment of our
prohibitory laws, struck at the very
foundations of our civil liberty, and
established precedent that in its
Legitimate consequences would lead to
the most disastrous results. Neither
property rights nor personal liberty
were regarded in framing laws that
were to revolutionize the habits of vast
numbers OF our people, and compel
submission to moral ideas foreign to
the minds OF the great masses OF the
civilized world. The practical work.
ing of law founded on such mex
cusable wrong was easily foreseen. 1t
was sure 10 meet with determined and
unceasing opposition, and as sure to
wholly tail to accomplish it's purpose
in all the cities of our state. Expert
ence has demonstrated the truth of all
that which seemed apparent to
thoughtful people from the start. In
the light of this experience conservative
men of all political parties have Joined
hands with us to wipe out law whose
very birth was political crime, and
whose whole existence has been
traught with disaster to the best inter-
ests of a large section of our state in
both moral and financial sense.
The democratic party is pledged to
enact for the control of the traffic q
wiser and better system of laws-a
system that snail meet the approval OF
the localities TO which they apply. Ii
will, so far as lies within its power,