History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history, Part 25

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Iowa > Cass County > History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history > Part 25

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186 IIISTORY OF IOWA.

Abernethy. The platform adopted by the convention was as follows:

Resolved, That we refer with pride to the his- tory of the Republican party, and congratulate the people of the country upon its successful career. It has given to the poor man a home- stead; it has abolished slavery and established manhood suffrage; crushed treason, and given us a continental railway; settled the doctrine of the right of expatriation; maintained the honor, integrity and credit of the nation; has vindi- cated the Monroe doctrine by preventing foreign powers from interfering with the governments of this continent, and to perpetuate it in power is the only guaranty for peace and prosperity in the future.

2. That we heartily congratulate the country upon the settlement of our vexed and dangerous controversies with the government of Great Brit- ain, and especially upon the just and Christian spirlt and manner in which these controversies have been settled.

3. That while we favor a just and reasonable degree of protection to all branches of American industry against foreign competition, we are unalterably opposed to any system of legislation which favors one section of the country or de- partment of industrial enterprise at the expense of another, and therefore advocate such protec- tion only as a fairly adjusted revenue tariff will afford.

4. That we are in favor of a uniform system of taxation, so that all property within the limits of the States, whether of individuals or corpo- rations, for pecuniary profit, shall bear its just share of the public burdens.

5. That, believing that all corporations doing business within the limits of this State are right- fully subject to the control of the people, we are in favor of so providing, by proper legislative enactment, as to effectually prevent monopoly and extortion on the part of railroads and other corporations.

6. That we are in favor of extending the blessings of civil and religious liberty to the human race everywhere, and therefore, when-

ever it shall be made manifest that the people of San Domingo so desire annexation to the United States, for the purpose of enjoying the benefits which such relation would afford them, we shall favor the earnest and intelligent con- sideration of this question by the treaty-making power of the government.

7. That, as agriculture is the basis of pros- perity of this State, we recognize its pre-emi- nent claims for support, by legislation or other- wise, as may be necessary to secure full devel- opment of our highly-favored State.

8. That we are for such a modification of our revenue system as will, at as early a day as pos- sible, relieve the pressure of our internal reve- nue laws, and reduce, as far as praticable, the expenses of collecting the taxes.

9. That we cordially approve and earnestly endorse the eminently wise, patriotic, and eco- nomical administration of President Grant, and heartily commend it to the favorable considera- tion of the country.

10. That we are opposed to any system or plan of granting public lands to railroads or other corporations without ample provision be- ing made for securing their speedy sale at a moderate price, and occupancy, upon fair and liberal terms, to any and all who desire to pur- chase and settle upon them.

11. That we are in favor of an economical and judicious management of the affairs of the State, and, with this view, we endorse the present administration of the State govern- ment.

The official vote on Governor was as follows:

C. C. Carpenter, Rep. 109,228-41,029 J. C. Knapp, Dcm .. 68,199

During Grant's first administration new issues were formed, and a new movement sprung up, known as the Leberal Republi- cans. This party placed in nomination Horace Greeley for President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President. The Demo- crats, meeting in convention shortly after

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the nomination of Greeley, ratified the nomination and adopted the Liberal Re- publican platform. The disaffection was so great among Democrats that Charles O'Connor was placed in nomination, as a regular Democrat, for the office of Presi- dent. Gen. Grant was re-nominated by the Republicans, with Henry Wilson for Vice-President. In Iowa the Democrats and Liberal Republicans met in convention August 1, 1872, at DesMoines, and agreed upon the following ticket, of which two candidates were Democrats and three Republicans: Secretary of State, Dr. E. A. Guilbert; Treasurer, M. S. Rohlfs; Auditor, J. P. Cassady; Attorney-General, A. G. Case; Register of State Land Office, Jacob Butler. The two conventions also adopted the following platform:

Resolved, That we approve of and endorse the action of the late Democratic convention at Baltimore, in placing in nomination Horace Greeley for President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice-President, and wc adopt its platform and principles.

2. That in the State ticket this day presented by the joint action of the Democratic and Liberal State conventions, we recognize citizens of in- tegrity, worth and ability, whose election would best subserve the interests of the Statc, and to whom we pledge our undivided and cordial support.

The Republican convention met August 21 and nominated, for Secretary of State, Josiah T. Young; Auditor, John Russell; Treasurer, Wm. Christy; Register of State Land Office, Aaron Brown; Attorney-Gen- eral, M. E. Cutts. The following platform was also adopted:

The representatives of the Republican party of the State of Iowa, assembled in State conven . tion on the 21st day of August, A. D. 1872, declare their unceasing faith in the principles

and platform adopted by the National Republi- can convention at Philadelphia, on the 6th day of June, 1872, and with honest pride refer to the history of the party in this State and nation, and announces an abiding faith in its present integ- rity and future supremacy. Under the control of this organization, a gigantic rebellion has been crushed, four millions of slaves not only released from bondage, but elevated to all the rights and duties of citizenship; freedom of speech has been secured, the national credit sustained; the taxcs reduced, and the commer- cial interests of the whole country nurtured and protected, producing a condition of individual and national prosperity heretofore uncqualed. So marked, decisive and unmistakable has been the judgment of the people of this country that the maintenance of the principles of the Repub- lican party are the only true guaranty of national prosperity and national security throughout the country; that at last the Democratic party have nominally abandoned the principles which they have heretofore maintained, and announced their adhesion to the principles of the Republi- can party, and are endeavoring to stcal into power by nominating recent Republicans. But with full confidence of our glorious triumph in the present campaign, both in this State and the nation, we hereby reiterate and re-affirm the great principles that have governed and controlled the Republican party in the past, and pledge to the people their maintenance in the future.

Resolved, That the nomination of our present able, earnest and incorruptible Chief Magistrate, Ulysses S. Grant, for re-election to the Presi- dency of the United States, and of Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts, for Vice-President, meets our unqualified and hearty approval.

2. That we are in favor of the most rigid economy in the administration of the affairs of this State and the nation.

3. That we are opposed to any legislation, State or national, that tends to unjustly dis- criminate between individual interest and that of corporations, believing that property, whether held by individuals or corporations, should bear their equal and just portion of the public bur- dens.

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

4. That we are opposed to all further grants of land to railroad or other corporations, and the public domain which is the common heritage of the people of this country should be sacredly held by the government for the use and benefit of actual and bona fide settlers.

5. That we hereby endorse the recommenda- tion of General Grant, that emigrants be pro- tected by national legislation, and that all efforts on the part of the government of the State or nation to encourage emigration from foreign countries meet our approval; and we hereby commend the labors of the officers of the State in their efforts to encourage and secure emigra- tion to this State.

6. That we cordially endorse the nominations made by this convention, and pledge to the nominees our hearty, active and earnest support.

A "straight " Democratic convention was held at DesMoines, September 8th, which adopted the following platform, and placed in nomination a ticket:

Resolved, That the coalition ef office hunters at Cincinnati and Baltimore, whereby Horace Greeley, a life-long, mischievous and unchanged Republican, was presented as Democratic candi- date for Presidency, merits the condemnation of every honest elector, and we repudiate the same on behalf of the unpurchasable Democracy of the State of Iowa.

2. That, with Chas. O'Connor and the Louis- ville National Convention, we believe that Horace Greeley, above all other living Ameri- cans, is the recognized champion of the pernic- ious system of government. Intermeddling with those concerns of society which, under judicious laws of State enactment, should be left to individual action, and as such, he cannot consistently or safely receive the vote of any Democrat.

3. With the Louisville convention, we also believe that the principles of the dual Republi- can party, one faction of which is led by Grant and the other by Greeley, are inimical to consti- tutional free government, and hostile to the fun- damental basis of our union of co-ordinate self-

governing States, and that the policies of said dual party are in practice demoralizing to the public service, oppressive upon the labor of the people, and subversive of the highest interests of the country.

4. That we will act upon the advice of said convention, and for national regeneration will form political associations, independent of either branch of said dual party, and nominate and sup- port, in the approaching fall elections, State and district candidates who are in harmony with said convention, and who are opposed to all the prin- ciples, policies and practices of said dual party; that we heartily endorse all the proceedings of the Louisville national convention, and pledge to its nominees, Charles O'Connor and John Quincy Adams, our most cordial support.

5. That the supposed availability of Horace Greeley, as a coalition candidate, upon which alone his name found any support, having already signally failed, it becomes the duty of the Baltimore delegates to formally withdraw from the lists a name which so manifestly fore- dooms the national Democratic party, with all its hopes and aspirations, to meritable and dis- honorable defeat.

6. That the alacrity with which the Demo- cratic press of Iowa, with one honorable excep- tion, has championed the corrupt Greeley con- spiracy, presents the most scandalous defection in all our political history, amidst which the sturdy devotion to sound principle, exhibited by the Audubon county Sentinel and the Chicago Times, is especially gratifying, and we there- fore urge upon the Democracy of Iowa a deter- mined effort to give the Times and Sentinel an extensive circulation throughout the entire. State, and such other reliable Democratic jour- nals as may be hereafter established.

7. That it is the sentiment of this convention that we proceed to nominate a full O'Connor and Adams electoral ticket and substitute Demo- cratic names on the State ticket, where Repub- licans have been placed in lieu thereof, and that we suggest that where Republicans have been nominated for Congress by the so called Demo- crats and Liberals in the several Congressional

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

districts, thst Democrats in favor of the Louis- ville nominations be substituted in their stead by the several Congressional districts.

The following State ticket was nomi- nated by the convention: Secretary of State, L. S. Parvin, who subsequently de- clined and Charles Baker was substituted; Treasurer, D. B. Beers; Anditor, J. P. Cassady; Attorney-General, A. G. Case; Register of Land Office, Dave Sheward. The following is the official vote on Sec- retary of State:

J. T. Young, Rep .. ... 132,359-57,862 E. A. Guilbert, Lib. and Dem. .74,497

D. B. Beers, straight Dem. 1,323

*The Republican State Convention for 1873 met at DesMoines, June 25, and nominated, for Governor, C. C. Carpenter; Lieutenant - Governor, Joseph Dysart; Judge of Supreme Court, J. M. Beck; Supt. of Public Instruction, Alonzo Aber- nethy. The following platform was adopted:

The Republicans of Iowa, in mass convention assembled, make this declaration of principles: We hold the Republican party to be s political organization of those American citizens who sre opposed to slavery in all its forms; who belleve that all men are entitled to the same political and civil rights; who believe that all laws, State and national, should be made and sdminiatered so as to secure to all citizens, wherever born or whatever their color, creed, condition or occu- pation, the same rights before the law; who believe in free schools, free opinion and universal education; who believe that Americsn aociety and the American people should all be raised to the highest possible plane of liberty, honesty. purity, intelligence and morality, and that all 'laws should be made and the government con- atantly administered with thia aim in view, and that no party haa a right to support of the people which is not inspired with this purpose. Believ- ing that the Republican party is still controlled

by these principles, and thst it is now, as it has been from ita beginning, an organization of the best and purest political sentiment of the country, we, as Republicans, renew the expres- sion of our devotion to it, and our belief that we can secure through it the political reform and the just and necessary measures of legislation, and of relief from monopolies and other abusea of power which the country so much needs; therefore,

Resolved, Thst, proud aa we are of most of the past record of the Republican party, we yet insist that it shall not rely upon ita psst achieve- menta; it must be a party of the present and of progress; and as it haa preserved the Union, freed the slsve and protected him from the oppression of the slave-master, it will now be direlict to its spirit and its duty if it does not protect all our people from all forms of oppres- sion, whether of monopolies, centralized capital, or whatsoever kind the oppression may be.

2. That we insist upon the right and duty of the State to control every franchise of whatever kind it grants; and while we do not wish that any injustice ahall be done to the individual or corporation who inveat capital in enterprises of this kind, we yet demand that no franchise shall be granted which is prejudicial to the public interests, or in which the rights and interests of the State and the people are not carefully and fully guarded.

3. That the producing, commercial and in- dustrial interests of the country should have the best and cheapest modes of transportstion possible; and while actual capital inveated in such means of transit, whether by railroad or Otherwise, should be permitted the right of reasonable remuneration, an abuse in their man- agement, excessive rates, oppressive discrimina- tions against localities, persona or interesta, should be corrected by law, and we demand con- gresaional and legialative enactments that will control and regulate the railroads of the coun- try, and give to the people fair rates of trans- portation, and protect them agaiuat existing abuses.

4. That we heartily applsud the active meas- ures of the late Congress, in ferreting out and

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exposing corruption. We have seen, with pro- found regret, in the developments made thereby, evidences of political and official corruption, and the abuse of responsible positions by men of all political parties, to further personal ends, and we demand pure official conduct and the punishment of unfaithful public men, who, having betrayed the confidence freely extended to them, shall not be shielded from the disgrace of their acts by any partisanship of ours. and we denounce all credit mobilier transactions and all official misconduct of whatever form.

5. That we believe that whenever a person holding any position of trust given him by the people, is guilty of fraud or embezzlement, he should be convicted and punished under the criminal laws of our land, in addition to the re- covery from him or his bondsmen of the amount so embezzled.

6. That the act of the majority of the mem- bers of the last Congress, in passing what is known as the back-pay steal, by which they voted into their pockets thousands of dollars which did not belong to them, as well as the act of those who voted against the same and yet re- ceived the money, is most flagrantly improper and infamous, and should secure the political condemnation of all who were party to it; and we demand that the provisions of the said act by which the salaries were increased, shall be promptly and unconditionally repealed.

7. That we sympathize with every movement to secure for agriculture and labor their due in- fluence, interests and rights, and the Republican party will be their ally in every just effort to at- tain that end.

8. That we are desirous of political reform, and for honesty, economy and purity in all offi cial administration; that to secure this is the duty of every citizen; that to this end every good man should feel bound to participate in politics, and to make an end to bad men forcing their election by securing a party nomination, we declare it the duty of every Republican to oppose the election of a bad and incompetent candidate, whether he be a candidate upon our own or upon any other ticket.

The question of monopolies began to agitate the people to a great extent at this time and the opposition to Republicans united under the name of anti-monopolists. An Anti-Molopolist convention was held at Des Moines, August 12th, and the follow- ing ticket nominated. Governor, Jacob G. Vale; Lieutenant-Governor, Fred. O'Donnell; Supreme Judge, B. J. Hall; Supt. of Public Instruction, D. M. Prindle. The following platform was adopted at this convention:

WHEREAS, Political parties are formed to meet public emergencies; 'and when they have discharged the duty which called them into being, they may become the means of abuse as gross as those they were organized to reform; and,

WHEREAS, Both of the old political parties have discharged the obligations assumed at their organization, 'and being no longer potent as instruments for the reform of abuses which have grown up in them, therefore we deem it incon- sistent to attempt to accomplish a political reform by acting with and in such organization; there- fore,

Resolved, That we, in free convention, do declare, as the basis of our future political action,-

2. That all corporations are subject to legisla- tive control; that those created by Congress should be restricted and controlled by Congress, and that those under State laws should be sub- ject to the control respectively of the State creating them; that such legislative control should be in expressed abrogation of the theory of the inalienable nature of chartered rights, and that it should be at all times so used as to prevent the moneyed corporations from becom- ing engines of oppression; that the property of all corporations should be assessed by the same officers, and taxed at the same rate as the pro- perty of individuals; that the Legislature of Iowa should, by law, fix maximum rates of freight to be charged by the railroads of the State, leaving them free to compete below the rates.

IIISTORY. OF IOWA.

191

3. That we favor such modification of our banking system aa will extend its benefita to the whole people, and thus destroying all monopoly how enjoyed by a favored few.

4. That we demand a general revision of the present tariff laws that shall give us free salt, iron, lumber, and cotton and woolen fabrics, and reduce the whole system to a revenue basis only.

5. That we will not knowingly nominate any bad man to office, nor give place to persistent seekers therefor, but will freely seek for our- selvca competent officers-aa heretofore, politi- cal leaders have sought office for themaelvea- and that we will nominate only those known to be faithful and in sympathy with these declara- tions, and will, at the polla, repudiate any candi- date known to be unfit or incompetent.

6. That we demand the repeal of the back salary law, and the return to the United States treasury of all money received thereunder by membera of the last Congress and of members of the present Congress. We demand a repeal of the law increasing salariea, and the fixing of a lower and more reasonable compensation for public officera, believing that until the public debt ia paid and the public burden lightened, the salaries of our public servanta should be more in proportion to the awards of labor in private life.

7. That we are opposed to all future grants of land to railroada or other corporations, ard I elieve that the public domain should be held aacred to actual settlera; and are in favor of a law by which each honorably discharged soldier or his heirs may uae auch discharge in any government land-office in full payment for a quarter-section of unappropriated public lands.

8. That public officers who betray their pledges or trust are unworthy of renewed con- fidence, and those who criminally trifle with the public funda must be punished as criminals, regardless of their previous influence or the political importance of their bondsmen.

9. That we are in favor of a strict construc- tion of our constitution by our Supreme and other courts, and are opposed to the exercise of the doubtful powers by judicial or other officers.

10. That in the corrupt Tammany steal, the credit mobilier fraud, the congressional aalary swindle and official embezzelementa, and the hundreds of other combinations, steals, frauds, and awindles, by which Democratic and Repub- lican legislatora, congressmen, and office-holders have enriched themselves, and defrauded the country and impoverished the people, we find the necessity, of independent action and the importance of united effort, and cordially invite men, of whatever calling, business, trade, or vocation, regardless of paat political views, to join us in removing the evils that 'so seriously affect us all.

The vote was light, and on Governor was as follows:

C. C. Carpenter, Rep 105,132-24,112

J. G. Vale, Anti-M. .81,020

An Anti-Monopoly convention was held at DesMoines, June 23, 1874, which nom- inated the following ticket and adopted the following platform: Secretary, David Morgan; Auditor, J. M. King; Treasurer, J. W. Basner; Attorney-General, J. H. Keatley; Clerk of Supreme Court, Geo. W. Ball; Reporter of Supreme Court, J. M. Weart. The following is the platform:

Resolved, That we, the delegated representa- tivea of the people of Iowa, favorable to the organization of an independent political party, laying aside past differencea of opinion, and earnestly uuiting in a common purpose to secure needful reforms in the administration of public affaira, cordially unite in aubmitting theae decla- rations:

1. That all political power is inherent in the people; that no government is worthy of pre- servation or should he upheld which does not derive its power from the consent of the gov- erned, by equal and just lawa; that the inesti- mable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should be secured to all men, without distinction of race, color or nativity; that the maintenance of theae principles is essential to the prosperity of our republican institutions,

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and that to this end the federal constitution, with all ita amendmenta, the righta of the States, and the union of the Statea must and ahall be preserved.

2. That the maintenance inviolate of the righta of the Statea, and especially of the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions according to ita judg- ment exclusively, is essential to that bal- ance of power ou which the perfection and 'endurance of our political fabric depends; and that we denounce as a criminal excess of constitutional power the policy of President Grant's administration in fostering the enormi- ties perpetrated in certain States of the Union in arbitrarily interfering with their local affairs, in sustaining therein the usurpations of aliens and irresponsible adventurers, whereby certain men have been illegally invested with official authority, and others deprived of their constitu- tional rights, oppressive lawa enacted, burden- some taxation imposed, and immense and ficti- tious indebtedness created, resulting in the degradation of those States, and the general impoverishment of their people.

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Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918