Year: 1875

NUN w kI(IHIVS


LETTER.


4


L cannot, my good friends, make this
announcement, without, in view of what I
owe to the people ofIowa and nv friends
adding one other word In thus retiring
beg to assure you and them that I hone
to be no less devoted to Republicanism,
no less anxious for the success of our
principles, than heretofore 1t shall be
my aim and pleasure to labor for this sue
cess in every manner in my power. l
feel too keenly the necessity for the con-
tinued and final triumph of this great par
ty of principle and right, to be Indifferent
at any time, as trust, to its future. I
fully believe that the nation owes too
much to its record in the past, and has
too much involved in its ultimate triumph
to justify surrender now or at any time,
to those who would destroy it. With, as
l trust, the utmost catholicity Of senti-
ment towards those who seek to take from
us the control of the government, | nev-
ertheless do firmly believe that the de-
feat OF the Republican party, not the de-
feat OF individuals or schemes or rings,
but OF the party in the State and nation
would turn back the wheel of true pro-
gress, and entail upon us policies and con-
sequesces, the evils of which no man can
now foresee or estimate And believing
that it behooves every man to do his duty,
L certainly would be untrue to my obliga-
tions to State and people, which have
remembered me so kindly and honored
me SO often, if / failed at any time to
battle in my humble way, to arrest these
threatened dangers. In proposing and
declaring my purpose therefore, to with
draw from public life, | do not by any
means wish to be understood as being in
different to the success of this party nor
as unwilling to labor as citizen for its
ultimate triumph


Iowa is Republican; has been SO for
many years, and is now, by and upon a
full and fair vote, from thirty to fifty
thousand majority. 1t is the banner Re
publican State in the great Northwest,
and indeed, almost in the nation If we
fail to keep it so, defeat will be traceable
largely, if not entirely, to our lmismanage-
ment. The coming political year is to
tell not little on our future, and espec-
tally on the great contest-the greatest
politically of the century-that of 1876.
1t we are true to our past history, true to
the people, true to the warnings of ali
around us, we shall not fail Let US
bear in mind that the people are now more
determined than ever to have their own
way, to control their own policies and
nominations, and that any well founded
suspicion that nominations or candidates
are made to order-set up in obedience
to some pre-arranged plan or agreement
will work as certain defeat as that the
election is held. Iowa has been unusually
free from any such manipulations or So
called ring management, and have the
utmost confidence will be- Our success
has been largely traceable to this fact and
the confidence of the people well founded
that it was so.


We have had for the most part good
State officers, and this has aided not
little in inspiring confidence and giving us
support. Large majorities, however have
led us, too often in many localities, to bel
different to local nominations. If, in
every county, at the coming election, we
will put forward our very best men, men
of sterling worth, those to whom we can
refer with pride and satisfaction as worthy
of the support of the people, and not
those whose names bring modification and
shame, and who are pushed through con-
ventions by manipulations, and the ballot
box, because they are on the ticket; say
if we unite upon this rule and give to the
people excellent, exceptional good candi-
dates, Iowa will give us larger majority
than ever before in the history of the par
ty. There is no denying that everywhere
the people are demanding that good men
shall come to the front, and bad men take
back seats. Acceptable local tickets in
all Offices, the highest and lowest-accep-
table because the people have faith in the
integrity of their candidates and their
ability to discharge well their trusts, and
not simply because they are the candidates
of the party, local tickets, repeat, thus
acceptable, will do more to unite and
, strengthen us as party, and give us a
grand and long to be remembered victory,
than all other things combined To let
down the standard of excellence and
worth in county, municipal and town can
; didates is the sure precursor of ultimate
defeat This, the people see and feel
J Good tickets and officers at home, in sub
ordinate places, give good tickets and
good officials in the State and Nation.
Prosperity and good administration at
home, in counties and their subdivisions,
will very certainly insure like results in the
!, wider and broader field of the Nation and
State.


repeat, therefore, let us give the
voters good cahdidates-men of unques-
toned excellence and worth at home, and
} we shall enter the contest with victory al
ready well assured. The people have no
wish to repudiate the Republican party.
The elections last fall are not to be thus
construed. The party, or the politician
: who thus calculates, sadly misjudges the
temper or purpose of the people. The
rejection of men, or the condemnation of
evil practices, here or there, must not be
mistaken for disapproval of Republican
principles, or the readiness of the people
to place in power party which has been
} so sadly unfaithful to every trust reposed
in it in the past by generous and not
unfrequently forgiving people The peo-
pie do not intend to turn the government
over to the opposition. They are as truly
attached to the principals of the Republi-
can party now as ever. And this attach
ment they want to, and will evince, if we