Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-27


Bargain Counter Principies.-A pc.
litical party may differ as to candi-
dates without serious results, but
when divided upon a question of prin-
ciples it is altogether another matter.
The democrats of Iowa are wide apart
on fundamental principles; every
body knows that. What Importance,
then, is to be attached to a platform
declaration which has been concocted
by ambitious leaders. DESTROYS of
unity and vote and which meets
the real judgnl and desire of very
few, If any, of {. : subscribing to 1T?
The absurdity OF this phase of poll
tics is made apparent by glance at
the election returns of 1900 when Mr..
Bryan polled in Iowa 209,466 votes and
many thousands of democrats either
voted for President Mckinley or stay.
ed away from the polls. In 1896 Bry-
and had 223,741 votes in Iowa. A
fraction of this vote was cast by pop
ulists. Assuming there are, in round
numbers, 100000 steadfast democrats
in Iowa cleveland polled 196,367 in
| 1922, it follows, as a ridiculous Sc
quence, that 100000 voters in this
state have not known until this morn
ing what their principles are! They
have waited to be informed by a
state convention. The delegates came
together in uncertainty and wrangled
day and night in secret caucuses
and in public Hobbies and sidewalk
gatherings. They sought not the ele-
ments of eternal principles of good
government, but the construction of a
platform upon which they could COM
promise. The agreement was con-
cededly to be play of give and take,
concession for concession; one below
ed principle" to be yielded up as O
sacrifice if some other adored "princi.
ple' We're cast aside. Alleged funda-
mental doctrines were trimmed and
shaved, panel removed here, an arch
ivolt added there; coat of paint put
on here to cover weak spots, and a
! fine polish given an ornamental piece
| there;-this is the platform building
| in which political and economic prin.
ciples have no place except as con.
venient planks for ambitious candi.
dates to stand upon and pose as cham.
pions of great cardinal doctrines in a
republican form of government!
This morning the democrats of Iowa
who read the daily press, are expect
ed to wake up and discover awaiting
them not only their breakfasts, but a
new and assorted lot of party "princi
pleS,' which they are expected to
swallow and assimilate and hereafter
forever swear by AS the only true and
genuine democratic creed. Yesterday
Iowa democrats We're cropping in the
dark, knowing not their political be
lief. Today they are in receipt of q
: ready-made suit which they are to dor
and wear through the campaign and
until another state convention con
venes to refurbish, or to rebuild, the
, party standard. Yesterday they were
: gold democrats or silver democrats l
neutral democrats or populistic demo
: Gratis, according to each individuals
| conception of true democracy. To-day
they are unity democrats, united upo1
: declaration of principles which they
have yet to study to comprehend The
meaning and concerning the varied in
gradients of which they were at log
gersheads with each other yesterday
To the intelligent citizen the spec
tacle is as ludicrous as it is pitiful o.
what moral force can such hap-haz
ard tumble of beliefs have upon tn,
: judgment OF intelligent, conscientious
men? What veal of state or nation
is conserved by such a grotesque pro
nouncement? Is that the way t,
build up either party or a state? i
there nothing more in politics thai
: Kaleidoscope creeds and children
block houses of principles? Can an.
candidate, can any party. hope to aI
peal successfully to an intelligent citi
zenship after such antics as character
lied the making of the Iowa democrat
J, lie Observation-Disclosures Hawk-Eye.