Year: 1878

Ius


Two weeks ago We received a letter from
Q. w. johnson, secretary of the Republican
committee, Minneapolis, asking for copy
each week of the Record till the 9th of No.
vember, for which he would remit the
amount of subscription on receiving bill
We sent the paper, but instead of bill
merely pointed GB to our rates. The nex1
week instead of remittance we were mod
estly asked by the said johnson to subscribe
at least $40 to a fund for the purpose Of
securing Republican majority fol
Washburn, and argued that it was the
duty of Republicans to do what they could
to obviate the dire calamities that would
befal the country in case of Democratic
victory. Now we are not in favor of using
money to secure the election of any man tc
Congress, and would suggest that if Wash
burn cannot be elected without the spend
ing of such large amount as $40 from each
Republican in the district, he would better
stay at home; for it is evident the people dc
not want him to represent them or they
would vote for him without the incentive of
money. Our own individual preference is
for the man who is, and always has been, the
friend OF the laboring man, and opposed to
the one who found it convenient to pay
his labOrers at the rate of 40 cents on the
dollar.


There are indeed many reasons why the
people of these United States should demand
change In the administration of officers,
And it is not very difficult for man who
IS not wrapped up in party and prejudice
against ell others, not to see many good and
sensible planks in other party Platforms
While the Republican party has accom-
pllshed very much good for the country, and
no doubt comes nearer being perfect than
any other, it is far from being perfect, and
the complete control it has of the admins
tration of affairs. the appointment of fed
eral officers, etc., has become corrupt, as
witness the attempt to carry an
election In our own fair State
by the use of money. Nor do
we think Democratic or National victory
any calamity at all. It would be the means
of purging the Republican party of much
that IS offensive to the people at the present
time, and might strengthen it for the next
Presidential campaign. And unless it is
purged of corruption it would be better to
suffer defeat. In the present canvass there
Will be three candidates for Congress. Let
the people judge for themselves which would
be the most likely to support measures that
would aid the poor man to live and edu-
cate his family, and vote for him no mat
ter what party has brought him out.
The people are too much controlled
by party-afraid of being stignatized as
turn-coats-to exercise their own iudg-
ment and vote for man of another party
even when their conviction is that he is the
best man. Happily, this state of things has
nearly run its course SO that it will not be
always said, when party is largely in the
ascendancy, that nomination is as good as
an election. The people should rule, but
they cannot as long as tricksters can buy
themselves positions of honor and trust
Measures, not men, should be the peoples
motto, and they must exercise their owl
good judgment what measures are most
likely to ameliorate the depressed condition
and elevate labor to it's proper position in
the nation.