Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-10-03
HE ACCEPTS.
The Democratic Nominee for
Governor Accepts.
He Reviews the Sioux City Platform
and Expresses His Approval Of
1.-THE Letter In Full.

4
WATERLOO, Iowa, Sept. 20, 1882.
Paul Guelich, Secretary Democratic
State Convention, Burlington, Dear
Sir: Yours of recent date conveying
formal notice OF my nomination for the
Office of Governor by the Democratic con-
vention at Sioux City is received. For
the honor thus rendered am pro-
foundly grateful. In accepting the
nomination beg leave to assure you
and through you the Democratic party
OF Iowa, that in whatever capacity /
am called to labor, it will be. a pleas
ant duty on my part to aid as far as /
can in putting into practical operation
the principles of the platform so wisely
constructed by that convention.
| 1t was fit that the Democratic party
OF one of the chief agricultural States
of the Union should reatlirm the doc
trine of tariff reform and renew ITS
! pledge OF opposition TO system OF
taxation, which, reaching beyond the
needs of government and consequently
1 p1yphu tiC itettiHtdtC tStltlNt vi ltE
powers, lovies unnecessary burdens
upon our people, for the benefit OF
those engaged in other lines OF BUSH
ness and chiefly residents of other
States.
In view of the shameful prostitution
! OF the elective franchise through the
corrupt use OF money IN our elections,
| and tho li,i,tn,iaI sni,;t ~ ,>o,,,,
zealots, who demand the absolute
sitting of individual opinion, that
political parties may remain intact, it
is well that the Democratic party,
recognizing a danger that threatens
our national honor and imperils the
perpetuity OF our institutions, should
demand better safeguards for the
! purity OF the ballot aud more efficient
means for securing the thoughtful and
unbiased judgment Of each clector
upon political issues he must help de-
| termine.
Equally wise IL is that such party
asserts the right of State and National
control over railway and other COR
porations which from the necessities
of legitimate business must control
immense financial interests and hence
be clothed with the power and inilu-
ence OF vast wealth to be welded for
| good or for evil by few men.
Deriving as they do their very ex-
istencc from the State, IL necessarily
follows that they are subject TO Its just
control. 1t is the plain duty OF the
making power, in this as in other
cases, to enact such, legislation as ex-
perience teaches is necessary for the
full protection OF the public.
The State should require that rates
Of transportation on the railways
thereof shall not be fixed ut u sum more
! than sufficient TO meet an average
reasonable interest on the fair value OF
the property actually employed in the
! business of these corporations. They
should not be so adjusted as to pay
interest on inflated values or watered
stock, nor on the other hand so as TO
| fail to pay a just remuneration TO those
whose capital is or may hereafter be
| honestly invested in these great enter
prises upon which the development
and prosperity OF our State largely de-
pend.
OF equal, il not greater Importance,
| locally considered, are the uttcrances
of the convention on the subject OF the
CONTRACT of the traffic Ia Intoxicating
liquors. The issue made by the plat
forms Of the two great parties involves
no less than the vital principle on
which our political institutions are
founded, viz: the right OF our people
| to self governmcpt.' kis'
Recognizing the now established fact
| that in some localities OF onr State pub
lie sentiment approves OF our present
prohibitory system, while in others
like sentiment condemns the same, the
Democratic party demands for each
the same fundamental right, to-wit
The right to determine for itself in the
light of ITS own surroundings, whether
such laws shall or shall not prevail
therein. But il is careful to declare
that in all localities where prohibition
lis rejected q rigid high license law
must prevail.
1t is fortunate, too, that the general
principles Of this proposed law are
! fore-shadowed in the platform OF the
party. A minimum fee of $500 with
I power IN municipalities to add such
| further tax as they respectively deem
proper would necessarily place the
traffic in the hands OF responsible par
ties. The proposition that this mini
mum fee shall go into the county treas
! ury is simple justice to those. living
outside municipalities wherein licenses
are usually issued, because they must
help. to bear whatever public expense
results from the use Of intoxicating
liquors under any system that can be
devised.
The right Of municipalities TO add an
additional fee is another application
Of the principle on which the proposed
system is based, and simply enlarges
the right OF each locality adopting the
same to more perfectly control, in its
own way. the traffic in question.
The fairness Of this plank 20 every
section OF the State will commend Il TO
all liberal minded men, and point the
way for Iowa's delivcrance from most
fruitful source OF dissension among
her people.
II was appropriate, too, that the
convention should express its condem-
nation OF our present pharmacy laws,
which, recognizing the necessity for
alcoholic stimulents in sickness, and
for other legitimate purposes, forbids
their sale except on conditions that are
dishonorable to the seller, and an in
suit to the buyer.
The expressions OF the platform in
favor OF pensioning all honorably dis
charged soldiers who Nor any reason
are unable to support themselves and
families, will meet the approval OF just
men everywhere. while the position
that none but these should occupy the
Nations Roll OF Honor is just 10 the
soldier and country alike.
1t gives me pleasure to add my hearty
approval OF every expression of this
most admirable platform, and earn
estly invoke for it the candid consider
alton of all the people of Iowa. Re-
specially yours, II. BoIEs.