Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-31
ABLE ADDRESSES.
DAHLoNEGA REPUBLICANS HEAR
ISSUES DISCUSSED.
BIG MEETING HELD IN TOWN HALL
Senator S. H. Harper. Emil Fecht, EN-
NETT Work and Candidates John M
McEroy and Rufus Dana Address
Voters.

For fifty years on all the great
questions of policy that have arisen
between the democratic and republic
can parties the record of later events
and developments show that invari--
ably and without exception the demo-
cratic party was on the wrong side"
declared Senator S. H. Harper at the
republican meeting and rally held last
evening in the town hall at Dahlon-
ega.
Senator S. H. Harper, Emil Fecht
and Emmett Work were the speakers
and they We're accorded the closest and
best of attention. The hall was filled
with the most intelligent and represen-
tatiye voters of the township. The
speeches were good and the interest in
Che speakers and their statements was
evident from first to last. In addi-
ton to the speakers Supervisor John
M McElroy and Rufus Dana were pres
ent and after the regular speakers of
the evening had finished each in turn
arose in response to repeated calls
from the audience and made brief and
pointed talks.
j. S. MccIune Chairman.
d. ..
the meeting and introduced the speak
ers of the evening. Senator Harper
was the first to take the platform and
he made a strong and effective talk,
drawing a comparison between the rec
ords of the democratic and republican
parties for the last fifty years. He
showed from the historical record that
upon every great question OF policy
! that has become a factor between the
! two parties since the organization of
| the republican party, future events
and developments have shown that in
yariably the democratic party has been
on the wrong side. He said in part:
Wrong for Fifty Years.
Fifty years ago the republican par
/ ty was organized to oppose the extern
| sion Oh slavery. In 1852 the democrats
had swept the country and elected
Franklin Pierce as president. Embol-
dened by the victory the democrats of
both the north and the south declared
that slavery should become national
i institution.
4 THE Missouri compromise was re-
i pealed. The old line of 30:30. above
which slavery should not come in the
4 territories was wiped out. Then follow
1 ed the years of warfare in Kansas.
4 Lincoln was elected and the south Sc
ceded The democrats declared that
I the government had no power to raise
: troops and compel the southern states
to come back into the union. Through
all these struggles and the great wal
that followed the democrats were on
i the wrong side.
A Opposed Greenbacks and Conscripts
! when we needed both money and
], men to carry on the fight against sla
, very the democrats opposed both the
Issuing of greenbacks and the con
!; scripting of men detachment from
the Army of the Potomac had to b
/. sent from Washington to quell the
: riots melted and started by the oppo
sition party in New York City. Men
; women and children were killed by
these mobs, so bitter We're they in op
position to the policy and the measures
adopted by the republicans. In 1864
when the fight was practically won
when the Mississippi was open from
;, end to end, when Sherman had takel
ATLANTA, and over one-third of thu
, south was in control of the northern
armies, the leaders of the, democratic
!. party assembled in Chicago and declar
al ed the war a failure. They wer
q wrong then, as they were all through
f the struggle.
S Opposed Constitutional Amendment.
:, q "After the war came the question {
! amending the constitution. The den
| ~. sod hot "a
= amendment giving the negro freedoi
h and abolishing slavery and the fl
a teenth, giving him the right to vot
after he was freed. The homestea
q law allowing every American citize
= the privilege under certain condition
= . of securing home and a quarter Sc
e ton of land from the millions OF acre
{. owned by the government was tWie
= defeated by a democratic senate al
er it had passed a republican hous
Later, when the republicans were
full control it was passed and signe
by Abraham Lincoln. The democra
y were wrong then in opposing II
measure that has opened up the gre
Il west and given free homes to million
lg of citizens.
Union Pacific Railroads..
= tsWhen the proposition for the go
- eminent to loan its credit, influen
% and assistance for the building
y the great Union Pacific Railw;
!, system was made the dem
Gratis fought that measure wi
the most intense bitterness. VIII
= that system was built, and
q believe it to have been the one gre;
est internal improvement ever undo
z taken, other roads were built and t
. great west was developed. The bro
g and rich lands, roamed over occasic
n ally by the Indians were taken UP a
q became the established homes of m
!. lions of American citizens. Every d
= lar of money paid by the governme
y has been paid back. The democrs
'c were wrong when they declared til
:. the project was bad one and til
:. aot a dollar would ever be receiv
il back again.
- The democrats opposed the bl
! ing of Alaska, the resumption OF s.
= Gle payments they opposed
policy of the government in fulfill