Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-05
ments in the line Of platform DECLARE

ments in the line of platform declara-
tons do no harm in Iowa.
This view of the case appears to reg
ulate, regardless of any Considerations.
consistency, principle or patriotic obi
CATION, the view of the Iowa demo-
Gratis. Holding their state convention
in the year preceding the national
election, they can declare for any pol
icy which seems promising. If it is
well received as means of votetget-
ting the national convention may take
it up. IL it is not well received, il Is
abandoned. The Hawkeye democrats
experiment with principles as chemists
do with poisons or explosives and the
republicans carry the state.
In the year 1895, preceding the last
presidential election, the democrats of
Iowa declared "for the use of both gold
and silver as the standard money of the
country and for the coinage of both
gold and silver without discrimination
against either" They insisted in their
platform that year upon the adoption
OF this policy as specially necessary
for the protection of the farmer and
lahoring classes.'' This declaration
was not very successful. The candidate
nominated upon it was defeated in No-
vember by 10000 majority.
Two years ago there was curious
and unseemly controversy in the;demo-
cratic state convention in iowa. Hor-I
ace Boies, Uncle Horace, had been
twice elected governor, running on al
democratic ticket, with republican,
support, las the candidate of those who5
opposed the stringent prohibitory1
liquor law adopted in January, 1854.
iowa has a considerable foreign borna
population, including 100000 Germans,s
$4,000 Scandinavians, 10000 Bohemianss
and 5000 Hollanders. Few among
these favored such an extreme meas-s
ure of prohibition. or would give their
support to candidates approving it,
For this reason the republicans off
Iowa suffered in two successive stated
contests and the democrats became
the champions of more liberal excise
regulations. In the state conventions
of two years ago the populists, many
of them prohibitionists, refused to sup
port the democratic ticket unless thes
party agreed to abandon its liberal ext
else views and to stultify its former
declarations. The matter was consjd-s
cred on the ground of political adyant-s
age only, and after a controversy iof
several hours duration, the platform
committee of the democrats yielded to
the populits and nominated for COVER
nor Fred White, Of Keokuk, who was
defeated by 10000 majority.
On Tuesday, at their Des Moines con-
|vention, Mr.. White, the defeated candi-
date of two years ago, was renomina-
ted, and another experiment in the
line of platform-malling was tried by
the tacit abandonment of silver, by si-
lence as to those state issues in which
the voters of Iowa are naturally inter-
ested, and by the adoption of a declar-
alton of party faith which ascribes the
present existing revolt in the Philip
pines to Great Britain, and protests
against the enforcement of American
authority on the extraordinary ground
that it will disrupt the friendly rela-
tons which have heretofore existed be-
tween the United States and Ger
many
The Des Moines platform is an ex-
pertinent, and a most ignoble and dis
creditable experiment, in its effort to
test the advantages of fusion for 1900
between the populists and the Ger
man-Americans, who are opposed gen
orally to free silver. If the plan
doesn't work, no great harm can come
of the declaration. The question
whether Mr.. White is to be defeated by
10000, as he was in 1897, or by a larger
majority, does not dusturb the, demo-
Gratis of Iowa much No patriotic
American, democrat or republican, can
withhold his contempt for such trans
parent bid for the support; on un-
American grounds, of the naturalized
voters, as was made by the populists
and democrats in Des Moines on Tues
day. lit issan experiment which gives
no hope OF success. Iowa. the great
corn state, without debt, with credit
unexcelled, with more lines of railroad
| in successful operation than all the
states Of New England, with its high
standard Of education and low per.
Icentage of criminals, state of Amer-
lean, homes and farms, will not falter
in its allegiance to the government in
defense Of which $4,000 Iowa troops
webt to the frpn.t in the, civil war, and
which has been represented honorably,
bothin Cuba and the Philippines.
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