Year: 1879

and subsequent speakers reiterated them
with more or less emphasis, the general
opinion being that resort to arms would be
had if necessary to enforce these extreme
and unpatriotic views. The same ideas,
clothed in somewhat different language, were
incorporated into the platform of. the party,
while that instrument was, to say the least,
heretical: The convention announced as its
platform general denunoiation of the Dem
ocratic party. 1t declared that this country
is not confederation of States, but ma
ton; that the policy of the Democratic
party has amounted to declaration that
barbarous outrages on the negroes of the
South ought to be condoned. Yet
it does not attempt to prove that any of the
rights due to citizens of the United
States, black or white, have been denied
to them. 1t proceeds, however, to declar-
alton that the denial of this right has given
the Democrats the predominance in national
politics. It further proceeds to denounce
the attempt of Congress to repeal the cleo
ton laws, as being an effort to subject
the voters to the domination of bulldozers
North and South. We deny the conclusions
of the platform, but are not aware of any
constitutional provision that prevents Or pre-
olu1vs Gougrvss frOm repeating any law that
may seem to interfere with the, liberty Of the
citizen. The assertion of the convention
that such repeal is contrary to the constitu-
tuition or the spirit of the government is very
far-fetched.


The assertion in the second resolution of
tho convention, that the Democratic policy
has resulted in the commission of outrapes
upon the colored population of the South, is
simply a falsehood. The Democratic regime
in the South has resulted in the elevation of
the colored race, not in it's degradation, and
proof to the contrary is challenged.


There is, perhaps, no law that prevents
men from making idiots of themselves.
Probably the Iowa Republicans took advan-
tage of this omission in the laws to perpe-
trate the following resolution:


The government of the union could not be
beaten to death, and it cannot be starved to
death. The financial policy of the Republican
party is approved, and its results are q source
of pride. The public debt has been reduced,
so that from the highest amount to the amount
it will be on the 1st day of August, when the
refunding operations will be completed, there
will have been saving of annual interest of
$67, 203, ,919, and reduction of the principal
of 583,8S6, 1894.


We agree that the government of the
union could not be beaten to death, nor can
it be starved to death. But the assertion
that the financial operations of the govern
ment have resulted in the reduction of the
debt requires more evidence than tho Iowa
platform can furnish. The truth is that the
interest bearing debt has increased little
over ninety millions of dollars within the
past year, even giving credit for the reduc-
tion claimed by the Iowa Republicans.


By denying to Congress the privilege of
repeating laws passed by itself by asserting
that the Republican party alone represents
the sentiments of the people of the
whole country by claiming that the Demo
cratic party, which now practically controls
the government, is disloyal, the Iowa Repub-
licans have placed themselves in the attitude
of rebels. By threatening to enforce their
views by force of arms they have arrayed
themselves against the government of the
United States and the people at large. If
they are sincere in their desire to interpose
fifty thousand bayonets between themselves
and the consumnation of the Democratic
purpose, they have that privilege, but they
ought to understand that it is an act of re-
bellion which they contemplate and that thew
are regarded. under the laws of tho United
States, as outlaws, deserving of no consider
ation uhatavor s4rzSgs sGss tss5