History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 25

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002

USA > Iowa > Hardin County > History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 25

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The representatives of the Democracy of Iowa, coming together in a spirit of toleration and de-

votion to the doctrines of representative govern- ment, and relying for final success upon public discussion and the intelligence and patriotism of the people, deem the present convention a fitting occasion to proclaim the following as the prin- ciples of the Democratic party of Iowa:

Resolved, That the internal revenue system of the United States is unendurable in its oppres- sive exactions; that to impose burdens upon one class of citizens, or upon one branch of industry, to build up another, and to support an army of office-holders to enforce their collection, is an abuse of the taxing power, and that we are in favor of the collection of all taxes through State government.

2. That we are opposed to the present unjust and unequal tariff system, and in favor of one which, while adapted to the purpose of raising the necessary revenue to provide for the liquida- tion of our national indebtedness, to meet the expenditures of an economical administration, will not oppress labor and build up monopolies.

3. That we are in favor of such disposition of our public lands as will secure their occupa- tion by actual settlers, and prevent their absorp- tion by mammoth corporations.

4. That we assert the right of the people by legislative enactment, to tax, regulate, and con- trol all moneyed corporations upon which extra- ordinary rights are conferred by charters.

5. That we are opposed to any attempt to abridge the most full and free enjoyment of civil and religious liberty.

6. That we cordially invite the electors of Iowa to co-operate with us in the support of the principles herein enunciated.

The Republicans met one week later than the Democrats, and nominated for Supreme Judge, full term, C. C. Cole; Su- preme Judge, Dillon vacancy, W. E. Mil- ler; Supreme Judge, Wright vacancy, Jas. G. Day; Secretary of State, Ed. Wright; Auditor, John Russell; Treasurer, S. E. Rankin; Register of Land Office, Aaron Brown; Attorney-General, Henry O'Con- ner; Reporter of the Supreme Court, E.

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H. Stiles; Clerk of Supreme Court, Chas. Linderman. The following are the reso- lutions adopted by the Republican conven- tion :

Resolved, That we refer with pride to the his- tory of the Republican party, and congratulate the country upon its successful career. It has given to the poor man a homestead; it has abol- ished slavery, and established manhood suffrage; crushed treason, and given to us the Pacific rail- road; settled the doctrine of the right of expa- triation, maintained the honor, integrity and credit of our nation. It has vindicated the Monroe doctrine by preventing foreign powers from interfering with the government on this continent; and to perpetuate it in power is the only safe guaranty for peace and prosperity in the future.

2. That we heartily endorse the honest, faith- ful, and economical adminstration of General Grant, by which our national debt has become so largely reduced, and our national credit and honor so firmly maintained.

3. That a tariff for revenue is indispensable, and should be so adjusted as not to become pre- judicial to the industrial interests of any class or section of the country, while securing to our home products fair competition with foreign capital and labor.

4. That we are opposed to any system or plan of granting public lands to railroad or other corporations without ample provision being made to secure their speedy sale at moderate prices, and occupancy upon fair and liberal terms by any and all who desire to pur- chase and settle upon them.

5. 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 government, and commend it to the favorable consideration of the people and to future adminstrations.

6. That we are in favor of such legislation as will protect the people from the oppression of monopolies controlled by and in the interest of corporati: ns.

7. That while, as Americans, we feel in duty bound to preserve a strict neutrality in the con- test now waging in Europe, yet we cannot forget that in our late war thc sympathies and material aid of the German states were freely given us, and we do not hesitate to declare our unqualified sympathy with the earnest efforts of the Germans to maintain and defend their national unity; and we condemn the course which the Democratic press of the country has been and is now pursu- ing in the support of a despotic, imperial dynasty, and a causeless war against a people desiring peace, and aspiring to perfect liberty. .

8. That the Republican party of Iowa wel- come to our shores all human beings of every nation, irrespective of race or color, voluntarily seeking a home in our midst; and all the rights and privileges which we, as citizens, demand for ourselves, we will freely accord to them.

9. That we are in favor of amending our naturalization laws by striking out the word "white" from the same, wherever it occurs.

The official vote on Secretary of State was as follows: Ed. Wright, Rep .. 101,938-41,433 Charles Dorr, Dem. 60,505

In 1871 the Democrats were again first in the field, assembling in convention at Des Moines, June 14th, and nominated for Governor, J. C. Knapp; Lieutenant-Gov- ernor, M. M. Ham; Supreme Judge, John F. Duncombe; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Edward M. Munn. They adopted the following platform:

Resolved, That we recognize our binding obli- gation to the constitution of the United States, 'as it now exists, without reference to the means by which the same became the supreme law of the land.

2. That we will faithfully support the consti- tution of the United States, as it now exists, and that we demand for it a strict construction so as to protect equally the rights of States and indi- viduals.

3. That we cherish the American system of State and local governments, and that we

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will forever defend the same against the central- ized federal power.

4. That universal suffrage, having been estab- lished, should now be coupled with its twin measure, universal amnesty.

5. That we denounce all riotous combinations and conspiracies against law, and demand that the same be suppressed by the proper State authorities, and that the federal power ouglit not to intervene unless such intervention is de- manded by the State authorities.

6. That the proposed annexation of the Do- minican republic meets with our earnest oppo- sition, partly on account of the character of the mongrel population, and that of their unfitness to become American citizens, but more especially on account of the corrupt motives in which that measure had its inception, and of the reprehen- sible means by which it was sought to be con- summated.

7. That while we have a tariff on imports, it must be regulated with an eye single to revenue, and not with a view to what is called protection, . which is only another name for the legalized plundering of one industry to bestow favors upon another; and that the recent election to the United States Senate, by the Legislature of Iowa, of a man wholly and openly committed to a protective tariff, demonstrates that the party in power are in antagonism to the great agricul- tural interests of the State.

8. That the profligate corruption and wanton extravagance which pervade every department of the federal government, the sacrifice of the inter- est of the laborer to aggrandize a handful of aris- tocrats, the wicked deprivation of the people of their rightful heritage to public lands, which have been made a gift to railroad and other monopo- lists, the payment of more than $20,000,000 prem- ium during the administration of President Grant on government bonds, payable at par, the maintenance, at an annual cost to the people of nearly $30,000,000, of an unconstitutional, op- pressive and extortionate system of banking, whereby money is made scarce and interest high, are abuses which call for wise and thor- ough remedies.

9. That we are in favor of strict economy, of a large reduction in the expenditures of the federal and State governments. of civil service reform, of the collection of the internal revenue by State authorities and return to honest labor the myriads of tax-gatherers who inflict our land and eat up its substance, and of the speedy trial, conviction and punishment of the thieves who have stolen the taxes paid by the people.

10. That it is a flagrant outrage on the rights of the free laborers and mechanics of Iowa, that the labor of penitentiary convicts should be brought into conflict with theirs, and that it is the duty of the next Legislature to enact such laws as will certainly and effectually protect them from such unjust and ruinous competition.

11. That section 2, article 8, of the constitu- tion of Iowa, which declares that "the property of all corporations for pecuniary profit shall be subject to taxation the same as that of individ- uals," should be rigidly and strictly enforced, and that by virtue thereof we demand that rail- roads and railroad property shall be taxed the same as the farmer and the mechanic are taxed, and we affirm the right of the people, by legis- lative enactment, to regulate and control all cor- porations doing business within the borders of the State.

12. That with the watchword of reform we confidently go to the country; that we believe the interests of the great body of the people are the same; that without regard to the past political associations they are the friends of free govern- ment; that they are equally honest, brave and patriotic, and we appeal to them, as to our brothers and countrymen, to aid us to obtain relief from the grievous abuses which wrong and oppress every one except the wrong-doers and oppressors themselves.

The Republicans met at DesMoines, June 21st, and placed the following ticket in nomination: Governor, C. C. Carpen- ter; Lieutenant-Governor, H. C. Bulis; Judge of Supreme Court, J. G. Day; Su- perintendent Public Instruction, Alonzo

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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 spirit 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 Amcrican industry against forcign competition, we arc 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 npon 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, Dem .. 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 State, and to whom we pledge our undivided and eordial 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 Angust, A. D. 1872, declare their unceasing faith in the principles

and platform adopted by the National Republi- ean 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 gigantie 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 seeured, the national eredit sustained; the taxes reduced, and the commer- cial interests of the whole conntry nurtured and protected, producing a condition of individual and national prosperity heretofore unequaled. 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 trne 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 annonneed 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 Picsi- 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 cqual and just portion of the public bur- dens.

HISTORY OF IOWA.

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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

HISTORY OF IOWA.

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districts, that 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; Auditor, 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. 1,322

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 a political organization of those American citizens who are opposed to slavery in all its forms; who believe that all men are entitled to the same political and civil rights; who believe that all laws, State and national, should be made and administercd 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 American society 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- stantly administered with this aim in vicw, and that no party has 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 that it is now, as it has been from its 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 abuses of power which the country so much necds; therefore,

Resolved, That, proud as we are of most of the past record of the Republican party, we yet insist that it shall not rely upon its past achieve- ments; it must be a party of the present and of progress; and as it has preserved the Union, fred the slave 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 shall be donc to the individual or corporation who invest 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.

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History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 25

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1002

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield IL : Union Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1002