The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-04-05

NaS~NAOh 0oCo W WING Oul. nCIl VIC
got together early in groups on the
street, argument was rife and vocifer-
Gus. Now and then il became ex.
|ceedingly necessary to separate those
who carried the argument to the arbit.
lrament of battle An election without
a fight or two was tame affair. In
those elder days we drew party lines
)extending from the president to school
director. In staunch republican COM
munitieS it was fully understood and
decided that utilization with the "un-
washed and unterrified" democracy
utterly untitled the person thus con-
lnected for any public office, elective
or appointive, including pathmaster.
Similar disqualification of republicans
existed in democratic communities.
The fact was that both parties were
fully modified for war
Men and matters were submerged
beneath a mighty principle or an at
tempt to destroy the country, the view
point deciding which was which. One
side referred TO the other as black
republicans, the other inclined in
/ epithet to the term "copperhead."
When a bunch of one or the other ilE
met up with another equally apt in
epithet and welcoming trouble things
often took place rapidly. Both sides
were convinced that the other would
stuff a ballot box upon opportunity.
The war was as fierce in country pre-
cinct as in those of the city--in in
stances even fercer. The election of
county supervisor was the signal for
all kinds of trench fighting and bonn
bardment. The office of town clerk,
which paid about $25 a year at most
became a place to covet and defend,
An election for school director brought
out every voter in the district and
some that we're doubtful. The noses
of the hired men counted closely and
strict canvass was undertaken as to
those who got their washing dope
| in the district" for laundry work was
popularly assumed to decide the ques'
ton of domicile.
Even at township elections, where
at least two of the clerks and judges
must be democrats the minority on the
board were endured rather than well
coined Township elections were bit
terly fought affairs. If there existed
doubt as to qualification to vote the
suspect must swear his vote in"
| Having done so he never forgot the
challenger but held it as personal
affront and an effort to deprive him
of his sovereign franchise as indeed
it was in many instances. But the
bitterness was factional rather than
personal. Most of them changed
works in harvest"
In our minor elections party lines
have mostly disappeared. Attempt to
arouse partisan opposition to candi-
date for city and township Office is
generally resented. However we do
not forget that somebody's grand
fathers brother-in-law threw rock
at our grandmother's hens back in the
nineties and we continue to vote as
much on prejudice as on Judgment. 1t
is an American trait to vote against
a candidate rather than for a Candi'
date. But we fail of the extreme eX
citement and lack the personal en-
counters and avoid epithets common
to our forbears.
I Maybe, some sweet day b. and by
we shall all understand the purposes
of an election; that it is a stOckhold
ers' meeting to elect directors in the
management of a vast and important
business-that of governing ourselves
as a social corporation. Little by lit
tie we are pushing or being pushed
that way Perhaps we shall some day
arrive"