The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-17
Ex.REBEL CHALMERS.
ne Tells In . Few Words Why He II
Become n Republican.

ne Tells In Few Words Why He Has
Become n Republican.
When l came to Congress as Demo-
crat in 1877 / came with my mind filled
with the belief that the Republican
party had enacted the reconstruction
measures and the Fifteenth amendment
| to the constitution OF the United States
solely TO humiiiate the Southern whites,
and that this party was actuated in all
| that it did by feeling of bitterness and
hate toward the South. But any honest
and fair-minded man who comes to Con-
gress finds that these prejudices soon
begin to soften and finally melt away.
My district on the Mississippi river
was then sadly in need of increased mail
facilities, and. to my great astonish-
ment, 1 found Republicans ready to as
sist me, and Democrats opposed to me.
1 found that the Republicans enter
tanned broad and National views for the
improvement of the whole country,
while Democrats seemed to be impressed
with the belief that economy means
parsimony in the expenditure of public
money.
When the scourge Of yellow fever was
decimating cur people 1 found Gar
field and other great leaders of the Re-
publican party willing and anxious to
protect US against its invasion by Ma
tional laws, while leading Democrats
were troubled with conscientious
scruples about constitutional power to
do any thing not nominated in that in
strument
My district was then deeply inter
ested in obtaining Government aid for
the Mississippi levees, to protect US
against the great floods coming down
on us from other States, and l labored
hard but hnsuccessfully to obtain this
from the Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth
Congresses, both Democratic The first
shovelful of dirt thrown on our levees
with Government money was from an
appropriation in the Forty-seventh, a
Republican Congress, and the first mes
sage to Congress recommending aid to
our levees was from Republican Pres
ident / found. too, that the tariff.
which had been taught to believe was
a measure to enrich the North at the
expense of the South, had given to the
cotton planter, through the competition
of home buyers, better price for cotton
in 1880 than we had in 1860, although
the crop was largely increased; and
found that under the influence of pro-
lection Southern cities like Atlanta
and Knoxville grew great, while cities
like Birmingham and Chattanooga
sprung up as if by magic under its fos-
tering touch. But the vital and allah
sorbing questions with Southern men,
since Whitney's cotton-gin made slave
labor valuable, have been questions
growing out of the negro problem.
The Democrats of the old school in
which the Confederate soldiers were
educated believed in a strict construc-
ton of the constitution and strict en-
forcement of the laws, and especially
denied that there could be any law of
nature or civilization higher than the
constitution. Under that instrument
before the war slavery was acknowl-
edged and protected, and when the
abolition party contended that there
was a law of nature, civilization and
Christianity higher than the constitu-
ton which demanded the abolition 81
slavery, the Democrats denounced them
as incendiaries who would destroy the
constitution, which was our bond of
union. So long as this remained an alb
stract question of morals and Christi
anity its agitation was confined princi-
pally to the old abolition party. But
there was always feeling Of political
jealousy in the free against the slave
State because five slaves, which were
legally personal property, were counted
as three persons in fixing the ratio of
representation in Congress and the
Electoral College, while no property in
the free States was thus represented.
And when we acquired new territory,
and the question came up whether
slavery should be permitted in the new
territory and the property Of the slave
holder be there represented, while in
the free States no property was repre-
sented, it became great political
question over which many violent po-
litical contests arose, until finally 1t
eliminated In a war between the Con-
federate and the United States. When
the war was over the constitution was
amended and the slaves were not only
emancipated but enfranchised. Now
the attitude of the parties has been
changed, and now Democrats are the
advocates of "higher-law-ism" and are
claiming that there is law of civiliza-
ton which demands the preservation of
white supremacy, and that this should
be maintained, even when 1t results in
a notification Of the Fifteenth amend
ment to the constitution of the United
States.
The Republicans on this vital ques-
ton now stand where the Democrats
once stood in favor Of the constitution
and the enforcement of the laws, and
this Is the great reason why every Con-
federate who loved those old principles
and risked his life in their defense
should now be Republican. Obedience
to law is sometimes repugnsnt to our
feelings, and is often a most trying test
Of patriotism.
the enactment OF the Fifteenth
to the Constitution Of the
United States, at the time and under
the circumstances, was harsh political
blunder and sympathized deeply with
my Democratic brethren when they
were oppressed by it But when they
were restored to power, through revo-
buttons tolerated by the Republican
party, and began to prosecute their
and to hold their places by
means and practices ruinous and de-
structive to the morals Of our people,