The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-10-16
BROWN Us. CLARKSON
Two lnteresfirg Letters Upon Subjects
OF Current Interest.
THE LODGE ELECTION BILL
How the Ex- Assistant Postmaster General
Views tho eubiect-An ABLE Answer to
Els Arguments BY Leonard Brown
4 Rspablesn Whs Spoke in
Eight ltatss for Harrison
in 1888.

WARRINGTON. D. c.. Sept, /. lsao.-Dear
NJ Brown: read your reply to my letter
In the New York democratic papers, with my
sentiments distorted to democratic uses, while
only such portions of your letter as suited
democratic purposes were quoted. Two or
three days after .rading IL in the democratic
newspapers i received the letter from you.
IL Is little surprising 70 me 70 receive letters
from you through democratic newspapers.
/ certainly would never send one to you
tArough the same channel, nor to any man
who had been . republican, who was in favor
OF tbs war to save the union, and who favor.
cd the emancipation and enfranchisement Of
the former 81 sves. / fear you are getting
into bad company. and You Will see It before
long. Nothing Ii 70 dangerous to a republic
can ~ the praise OF democratic newspapers.
and you are revslng In the wild honey of
that just now. ] am sure that neither with
yourself nor in your horne will y1u dnd much
pleasure in this praise from the enemy-from
those who were with the south during the
war. who are with IL cow. ent who will
always Os vito II, r.sLt or wrora.
do not care tO serly at leurtn 10 your let
ter. especially ~ 1t ss-ms. judging from tho
fate OF others. it 10 to lie turned over for den-
ocrats TO garble ami cistort 10 they wish.
II you are going 20 continue this eontco-
versy. and appear in justification OF the sup.
preston Of the republican vote in the south
and OF tns oppression OF the Negroes both in
their political rights aad their rights to live
~ free man. would suggest that you read up
on the election laws OF the southern states.
You say, In speaking Of this suppression or
votes In the South, Before / will see
the ballot box wreuched from the bands
Of the trustees elected by tho town meeting
ana han led over to the tender guardianship
Or the United Staaes marshals," etc. Ara you
not aware that these things are conducted In
ha rxsith hort
trustees? The town meeting is the unit OF
liberty and national welfare. Wherever II
exists 1t Ia Impossible for fraud and oppres.
sion long to rule. In the south there is no
town meeting. II ~ resented NJ northe m
or Yankee invention. Ii we could have the
Yankee town meeting in the south. and the
Yankee schoolhousa, this question would set
tie itsslf. But the people OF the township
and the neigh oorheot have no voice In these
matters. No town meeting lie allowed. No
township In any wET selects its own election
officers In this mcst OF the southern states
the governor of the state. or state commiS-
sion selected for the purpose, chooses men In
each county who have absolute power to Sc
iect the local officers. The people do not meet
In the township. or at the schoolhonse, or AT
the pools. 10 we do in the north, and choose
their men from the crowd. That matter i6
decided from the stats capital, and their legal
rights ore entirely overridden, and overridden
by arbitrary democratic authority. to the ex-
tent that no republicans are allowed on the
election board. So that your dne figure o.
speech aboat s'the ballot box being wrested
from the trustees OF the town meeting" might
apply to the north. where 3 national election
Law would seek TO prevent fraud, but IL cam
not apply to the south. The south maintains
its power BY this very sort or thing. Every
thing IL ordered from the state capital. In
several or the states the governor appoints
Safa No he fsaa nd pxv-
You treat the south as though 1t stood on the
broad basis Of fair Ilay that the north stands,
when In fact IL has 40 fair play st all about
its elections, and republicans are held as
having no rights that the democrats: author
tiles are even Inclined to respect, much less
bound to consider
The truth is, Leonard, that you are In the
wrong company. You have gona among
strangers. You have joined the nullifers,
the people who do not believe that republic
cans nave any rig ats AS voters OF &c men. II
you made q trip through the south YOU would
be ashamed OF our present position. for you
would see In .hat region where 1t requires
courage to be Il republican such rule OF
tyranny aud oppression Us never has existed
In any republic, nor can it longer exist here,
without danger to every portion OF the land.
II you arc the man have always known you
to be, you are In favor OF every voter In thi !
lard having the Same rights Of protection
that you demand Tor yourself. In none OF
the southern states has n republican the
rishts that you enjoy In Iowa. Yet you so
to the democratic side ard cay to tho rcoub-
licans OF the south. ..Let the southern demo-
Gratis, with tie came spirit that brought On
the war and that nas fought reconstruction,
settle your msttkrs tor you II is the old
story OF the fable: You hand tho iannb be
over to the Dives and trust to the wolves
to take cure OF them. I am not be.
In aiof rnCa tho
south. l asnire much OF Its energy, and
some of its customs think are better than
those of the ncrsh. do no. share with those
who contiaue Their utilization, an hold a6
an enemy every one who WAS confederate
solder. have oaly contempt for the col-
federatS government. 1t VAS failure, an
abortion, and crime in the eyes OF men, and
will be held In contempt By history. 1t was
an utter failure ia every respect, and has
left nothing by which it Will be remembered
except TO be despised. The soldiers OF the
confederate army were something else, and
something better They offered their lives
| for their belief and the massss OF them were
honest, although they were w1ckedly deludoo
By their leaders. The great mass or them
ere good citizens now, and the old soldiers OF
the cCnfe derAte army are not the me1 whose
main object In life Is to disfcanchise repnbli-
l cans, and who MAKE enc OF thor paetiues
riding ct night 10 shoot into the caoins of tue
negroes. The greater part OF this y done D.
the ho0dlum Or younger element OF the
| south; the ooarser and lower element. Tae
good that was in tho confederate army We car
| al value. Tue bravery Ut that ar0y Wal
American and will never be aeiittied. Many
| thousands OF the oonfedssates are now re-
publicans and have their faces turned toward
| the light, and do not approve OF the methods
by which the remaining tyranny OF the pirii
| Of state riga "a sees to perpstuate rule oil
intolerance aud to disfranchise all voters who
are not democrats. The south Itself ID more
Interested than tho north In having such .
rule that republicans shall have the same
right &C the polls and in their homes as deln.
oorats. 1t was blessing upon II Wnen slar
very VAS destroyed It viii never have peace
aud full prosperity until this question now