Year: 1874

The JOURNAL last week challeng-
ed the editor of the Democrat to
place himself squarely and unmista-
kably upon the record either for or
against the Democratic party, not
only for this year, but for next year,
and also for the Presidential cam.
paign of 1876. He said in his paper
of August 18th last year:


"We can assure the Democrats who
speak through the VOTER that Nc
Cormack has not or does not intend to
sell out the Democratic party to the
| Grangers.n We propose
to stand by the Democratic organiza-
tion.o


Now read this, from the columns
of the same paper, Aug. 10, only one
week later, and judge of the value Of
his promises:


"The report says that John p.
Irish was on hand, and in speech
proclaimed the Democratic party
defunct. Which is evidence, we
suppose, that no Democratic Conven-
tion will be called by him, and is an
order from headquarters for the few
that are left Of the old party to scat
! ter. The advice was not needed
down this way, as from present APP
| pearances of things there is not
enough left of the old banner under
which we have been fighting for
| - ,tnt, Ln x,f En trpx
ers of Court House rat. We are
scattered, and in the race through
the brush the Devil will not only get
the hindmost, but may gobble the
whole lot. Which will be good
joke on the Devil"


OF course we do not anticipate that
our friend Mccormack would feel
| bound more than one week by any
declaration he may make this year.
He violated his solemn pledges, only
one week old, last year, and did his
utmost to sell out the Democratic
party to the Changers. After the
election is over this year he will turn
his back with scorn upon the Gran
gers and return to his wallowing in
the Democratic mire, his pledges to
the contrary Notwithstanding. Nc.
weaves a tangled web at best, and
always. Just now he is scrambling
in his own meshes. He cannot con-
sistently serve two masters. He
must either love the Anti Monopoly
party and hate the Democratic, or
hate the first and love the last. We
only ask him to declare himself for
one and against the other. Dare he
say they are one and the same party,
and thus reveal the trap he has laid
for Republican Changers, and the
the bats he has thrown out to entice
them into the Democratic party :?
Dare he say that he is with the
Changers and the Anti-Monopoly
party to stay? Dare he say boldly
that he has enlisted for the war
against both the old parties, and will
stand to the guns and the flag of the
new party until it shall gloriously
triumph over all foes or be utterly
crushed with it? Will he swear to
die in the last ditch rather than sur
render to Democratic numbers Or
will he endeavor to surrender his
hosts to Democracy whenever that
party shall offer his price?


Among other questions we pro-
pounded last week, were these;


Will the Democrat dare to fix its
own status for the next year, or for
the next two years, by declaring that
it will stand by the Autobiography
party and oppose the Democratic
party? Will it dare to say distinctly
which party it will support next year
and in 1876? Will it dare to place
itself unmistakably upon the record
either in favor ofthe Anti Monopoly
party and opposed to the Democratic
party, or gice rersaf


The answer comes this week in
these words:


What we shall do i'm several years
from now, we really don't know"


Isn't that bold and manly declar-
alton to come from man who is
seeking a Congressional nomination !?
He wants to go to Congress, but
don't know what he shall do" He
don't know whether he will resign
his present official position or not un-
til he is sure Of a better. He dare
not give explicit answer before the
meeting Of the Ottumwa convention
on the 18th Of next month. If he
declares against either party he must
bid adieu to all his Congressional
aspirations. If he declares that next
year he will still support the Grange
party, his Democratic friends in the
Convention, including Sam Evans,