The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-10-16


tion for the southern people. Loyalty and
Kindness are the characteristics of that race
1t sec ms to me that the south ought TO De
shamed by the unequalled record OF loyalty
a0d kin mess shown to the whito people by
the blocks, into finally doing justice 10
the poor and loyal people. who cherish
the south as their home the same
as the others, and who still love tho southern
people In fact better than tho northern. 1t
will be the happiest day for the south when
all the men who are voters are allowed to
vote. and when to DO republican will not be
crime. the south needs peace and develop
ment. ] believe thst the settlement OF the
question Is coming IN the right way. Twenty.
hve years from now some OF the strongest re-
publican states will be I'm the south, because
their interests will lead them TO the protection
pulley. The negro vote will probably be de
vided. and also tho white vote, and every
question will thea be settled with respect TO
The future and not 20 the past. 1t Il contra
dict!on Of all that you have ever beer for yon
to join In with those who would not let any re-
publican vote In the south. and who would
Cypress and ruin the pour people In their
homes. You want TO remember that this 10
something that In your hours of reflection you
viii be ashamed Of and you will DO ashamed
~ have your children know. IL Is easy for any
republican to get democratic praise. You
arc receiving some of it now, and 1t Is the only
life. III you viii send and get the election
laws OF the soush. and sec their enormities,
aud how carefully they sre planned for the
one purpose OF tdisfranchising repu blicans,
and see how they not only dispense with the
town meeting, but do not allow II TO exist,
and how they take from the voters at the
polls the right to choose their own election
officers ron will eee that you are on the
wrong track, and yon will get back in the
right position on double quick. You are too
good . man to be used by men In parties that
j. S. CLARKsoN.
Hon. Leonard Brown, Polk City, Iowa.
NJ Cabin Home, near Polk, lows, Sept.
Q, io30.--DeAr Mr.. ClArkson: Your very in
tereeting letter OF September IL received,
and am greatly instructed by II. You cugnt
not, think, be offended that our correspond
ence ap peared Hist in print In democratic
paper, when tell you that / believed there
WAS no alternative. read on Thursday
evening the proof sheets OF both our letters,
by the courtesy of 5ir. Stivers, who acted, In
all respects, the part OF . true gentleman,
that on know he ID. He made no very un-
favorable comments on either Of them, and
both letters appeared in full In the next
mornings LEADER. Once in print they were,
OF course. public property. I sent you i'm
mediately my printed reply with copy Of
your letter enclosed. The delay Of the
unitel States mail / was not 10 blame for.
neither am I to blame IL democratic papers
give me blessings instead OF curses. My
mother taught me TO "DO right and fear not. -
Poverty may be his. and stripes and the
prison pen and the soaffold, who obeys this
righteous precept, but never shame.
You have instructed me, because from your
letter !, for the frst lime, learn the fact that
the worst features OF tho despo,ic Lodge cleo
ton bill are already engrafted on the laws Of
several southern states, presumably OF the
so-called .D.ack belt You say that s.the
people there have no control OF the ballot
box" The elections are conducted without
80 town meeting and without trustees" and
1.-THE people Of the township and ne!gnbor-
hood have no voice In these matters. No
township In any way selects its own election
oftcerf In most OF the southern states the
governor of the state, or q comm ssion select
ed for the purpose, chooses men In each
county who have absolute power over the local
election officers. That matter Is decided from
the state capital and their legal rights are en-
tirely overriden, and overriden BY arbitrary
democratic authority. This south maintains
It power by his very sort If thing. Everything
In ordered from the state capital. In several
of tho states the governor appoints all the
officers OF the counties and townships"
Good heavens! Iexclaim, what is congress
about! The constitution Of the United States
says: 1.-THE United States shall guarantee to
every state In the union republican form OF
government" Why doesn't cosRress refupe
10 receive represents tives from these lndem-
ocra.ic states (Which it has right to dol
until they have in good faith established "a
republican form OF govern nent." In that
way "ths town meetna' nugns be .naugur-
atec In those states And you have the can
dor to say, sIf we could have the Yankse
town meeting in the south, ard the Yankee
school house, this question would settle itself.
The town meeting i3,' you declare, sthc unit
OF liberty ard national welfare and where.
ever IL exists II Is impossible for fraud and
oppression long to rule
hut, Mr.. Clarksor, l challenge you to deny
the assertion, and to show proofs Of the truth
OF that denial, that the Lodge election bill
destroys republican government, 1t least In
thirsy-fye states OF tho union where the town
meeting already exists, because, fCrsOoth.
republican government has already beer de.
stroyed. You say, In six or seven southern
states by the withholding from the people
there the privilege of eleoting their own
guardians OF the ballot box.
When the town meeting {"the unit OF lib
er.y and national welfare" in the sunshine
OF which ut 10 impossible for fraud and
oppression long to rule, hasabeen destroyed
de jure, IL Is only question OF little time
when 1t will be destroyed dc facto. II il de.
strayed In law aud would coon be In fact 10
every election precinct In the United States,
by this detestible Lodge election bill. The
local 'rustees-guardisn ans OF the ballot boz
elected by the people, have no longer any
authority. The dndings OF the federal mar.
snals and supervisors are nnal The peoples
election board may, indeed, act rs subordi.
nate clerks to the fec ersi board, appointed
by for-lite-appointed supervisor, appointed
BY for-life-appointed judge. appointed BY Y
federal chief magistrate elected ut a "super
vised'' election; but the decisions OF the fed
eral board are conclusive and final: and the
candidate for congress, or for presidential
elector counted out by the federal mar
ehals and supervisors. has no redress
Hence popular government for tho nation II
eubvertod. For no object OF nxtional vel
fare will the town meeting have room te
! exist. There would be no Office 1t could per
/ form--no work it would be required or per
! mitted (under ihis federal election law)to Go
It would in national concerns, therefore
| soon pass away and be no more, even In New
England, with such = law as this enforced, al
It soon would be every where.
'.Dut the south." you say. 'smaintains IT.
! Rower Dy this w ~ sort Of thing" thai Is Io
| say. the control OF .ha ballot boz from tn.
| state capital. oh, sir, when 1.-TWO thousand
capitalists own more than all the rest OF the
sixty live millions OF our population" whel
| two hundred and ffty thousand Owl seventy
| ave per cent OF the nations wealth. vheE
| ..the American rtpublic Is, therefore, pra.
| ticslly owned by less than . quarter of q
| million OF persons" a0d when s.N pressnl
causes which produce concentration OF capt
| tai continue the fepu bile will soon be owned
by less than fifty thousand men" would moi
these plutocraN, who town the American
rcpu olic," ..maintain their power" ruiz
America with rod of iron. hold the masses
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