USA > Iowa > Tama County > History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 28
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Republican by a large majority, and that they are row in the hands of the Democratic party, solely through force, fraud, intimidation, and failure to enforce the principles herein set forth.
3. The permanent pacification of the southern section of the Union, and the complete protec- tion of all its citizens in all their civil, political, personal and property rights, is a duty to which the Republican party stands sacredly pledged. In order to redeem this pledge, it placed the recent amendments in the constitution of the United States, and upon the righteous basis of said amendments it will go forward in the work of pacification until peace shall come through right doing, and contentment through justice.
4. The Democratic dogma of "home rule," which seeks to shut out from participation in the political affairs of the southern States all citizens who oppose the Democratic party and are not natives of said States, and i :. obedience to the spirit to which every man from the north, of republican sentiments, is termed a "carpet- bagger," is hereby denounced as the worst phase of State rights yet developed, and we demand for the people of Iowa absolute freedom to go whithersoever they may please within the limits of the nation, to utter their sentiments by speech or by press upon all subjects touching their interests, and all matters of public concern.
5. That the armed conflict between the traitors and the rebels who sought to destroy the republic, and the patriots who defended it, was more than a tri: 1 of physical force between Greeks. It was a struggle of right against wrong, of a true civilization against a false one, of a good government against anarchy, of patriots against traitors, wherein the Republican party Was the defender of right, the champion of a true civilization, the promoter of good govern- ment, and in whose ranks patriots marched against traitors; and who ever fails to regard the Republican party from this standpoint and in this light, fails to comprehend its character, its achievements, its purposes, and its duties, and whoever treats with the Democratic party from any other standpoint, manifests incapacity
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to understand palpable facts, and will be ober- whelmed with disaster.
6. That the soldiers who fought the battles of the republic are entitled to special credit for the heroism which they displayed, for their unselfish devotion to liberty and order, and for the great fact that the war "turned out as it did;" and discredit, in like degree, attaches to the traitors and rebels who fought to destroy the uation. Whoever fails to appreciate these facts, is derelict in the duty be owes to the party.
7 That the Republican party is the party of order as opposed to all lawlessness in whatever quarter the same may arise, or in whatever form it may appear.
8. That the wisdom of the financial policy of the Republican party is mide manifest by its results. It has brought specie and paper practi- cally together months before the date fixed by law for the resumption of specie payment by the government; it has given to all classes money of the same value; it has placed our nation on an equal footing with the other great nations of the world in all matters of financial concern; it has promoted the refunding of the national debt at a low rate of interest; it has maintained the national credit; and any change in this policy which tends to obstruct it in its work of restor ing specie payment, whereby paper currency becomes absolutely as valuable as gold and silver stand ird coin; of reviving business, pro- moting industry, and maintaining the public credit, is hereby denounced as wholly evil and injurious to the best interest of the country.
9. That the organized raid on the treasury by the Southern Democratic members of Congress, for payment of hundreds of millions of dollars of rebel war claims, is an unparalleled impu dence, and a present danger against the success of which the triumph of the Republican party is our only security.
10. That we favor a wisely adjused tariff for revenue.
11. In the matter of the faithful administra tion of the public funds, the Republican party challenges the closest scrutiny, and invites com- parison with any and all other agencies in pub-
lic or private affairs. Notwithstanding the vast sums, amounting to thousands of millions of dollars, collected and distributed by Republican administration, the percentage of loss is less than can be shown by any other political party that has ever been entrusted with the control of public affairs, or by individuals in their own private business. This shows that the charge of corruption made against the Republican party is as groundlessly impudent as was the attempt of the Southern Democracy to destroy the Union wantonly wicked and atrociously cruel.
12. The title to the Presidential term was definitely and finally settled by the forty-fourth Congress, and any attempt to open it is danger- ous, illegal, and unconstitutional, and the Republican party of lowa will resist all efforts not founded on the constitution and the existing laws to displace the present posses-or of said title, and it is a source of sincere congratulation that the firm attitude assumed by the Republi- can party of the country in this regard forced a majority of the House of Representatives to disavow the real but covert purposes of the so- called Potter investigation.
13. That the effotrs of the Democratic party in Congress to cripple and render inefficient the army and navy of the United States is most earnestly condemned, and all efforts looking to a permanent reduction of the same, with a view to a future reorganization, whereby the official stations may be in whole or in part supplied by officers who engaged in rebellion against the nation, who hold to the doctrine of secession, and who acknowledge primary allegiance to a State, are hereby denounced as dangerous to the peace of the country and to the permanence of the Union.
14. That it is not only the right, but the duty, of every good citizen at party caucus, in the party conventions, and at the polis, to use his best efforts to secure the nomination and elec- tion of good men to places of official trust, and we disapprove of all interference with the perfect freedom of action of any citizen in the exercise of said right and in the discharge of said duty.
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15. That personal temperance is a most com- mendable virtue in a people, and the practical popular movement now active througout the State, for the promotion of temperance, has our most profound respect, sympathy, and approval.
16. That we demand the most rigid economy in all departments of the public service, and rigid retrenchment in all public expenses in all possible directions, and the reduction of taxa- tion to the lowest limits consistent with efficient public service. In the direction of such economy and retrenchment, we heartly commend the action of the Republican legislature in reducing the expenses of the State in the sum of four hun- dred thousand dollars, and this example set by the State, should be followed in all other depart- ments of our government.
17. That the Republican party of Iowa de- mands an honest, faithful and . fficient discharge of duty by all officers, whether federal, State, county or municipal, and requires a full, fair, and impartial and searching investigation into the official conduct of all officials and the busi- ness of all officers, without regard to party or personal association, and whenever or wherever fraud and dishonesty are discovered, the Repub- licans of Iowa demand the prompt punishment of the guilty parties. "Let no guilty man es- cape."
A fusion ticket, composed of Green- backers and Democrats, was agreed on September 29th, as follows : Secretary of State, E. M. Farnsworth (Greenbacker); Auditor, Jos. Eiboeck (D. mocrat); Treas- urer, M L Devin (Greenbacker); Register of Land Office, M. Farrington (Green- backer); Judge of Supreme Court, Joseph C. Knapp (Democrat); Attorney-General, John Gibbons (Democrat); Clerk of Su- preme Court, Alex. Runyon (Greenback- er); Reporter of Supreme Court, John B. Elliott (Democrat). On Secretary of State the vote was as follows :
J. A. T. Hull, Rep .134.544 E. M. Farnsworth, Fusion. 125,087
T. O. Walker, Dem. 1,302
Hull, over all 8,055
The Democrats beld a convention May 21, 1879, at Council Bluffs, and nominated the following State ticket: Governor, H. II. Trimble; Lieutenant-Governor, J. Y. Yeomans; Judge of Supreme Court, Reu- ben Noble; Supt. of Public Instruction, Erwin Baker. The platform adopted by the convention is here given :
Resolved, That the Democratic party now, as in the past, insists that our liberties depend upon the strict construction and observance of the constitution of the United States and all its amendments.
2. That the States and the general govern- ment should be sternly restrained to their respe c- tive spheres, and to the exercise only of the powers granted and reserved by the constitution.
3. That the policy of the Republican party, by which it inflates the importance of the States when necessary to cover the theft of the Presi- dency, and in turn magnifies the functions of the general government to cover the coercion of the States into the endorsement of the partisan will of the fraudulent executive, is full of evil and fruitful of danger.
4. That such a policy is intended to array section against section, the States against the general government, and it against the States in turn, for the purpose of destroying the freedom of both, and teaching the people to look to a strong government as a shelter from the anarchy its advocates have planned.
5. That evidences of these nefarious pur- poses is furnished by the present attitude of the Republican party, which is arrayed against & free ballot, on which depend all the liberties se- cured to us by the constitution.
6. That we view with alarm the determina- tion of the Republican party, through the fraud- ulent executive, to deprive this republic of its army, so uecessary to the defence of its frontier, and its protection from foreign and domestic enemies, by vetoing appropriationa for the pay
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and support of our soldiera, unless they can be used to force votera to record the mere will of the executive.
7. That we hail the Democratic Senators and Representatives in Congress as worthy the hero- ic lineage of American citizens, for standing firmly for the American idea in government as against the despotic theory from which our rev- olationary fathers revolted, and we ask all lovers of liberty to join us and them in a protest against the change in our form of government proposed by the Republican party, which will aubstitute the will of one man for that of the majority of all the people.
8. That we are in favor of the substitution of United States treasury notes for national bank notes, and of the abolition of national banks as banks of issue; that the government of the United States issue the money for the people; and, further, that we favor a reduction of the bonded debt of the United States as fast as prac- ticable, and the application of the idle money in the treasury to that purpose.
9. That we favor the free and unlimited coin- age of the silver dollar of 41212 grains, and pro- viding certificates for silver bullion which may be deposited in the United States treasury, the same to be legal tender for all purposes.
10. That we favor a tariff for revenue only.
11. That we are in favor of economy in pub- lic expenditures, including reduction of salaries local and general wherever they may be deemed excessive; and also a reduction in the number of officiala.
12. That the Democratic party of Iowa is de- sirous of promoting temperance, and, being op- posed to free whisky, it is in favor of a judicious license law.
13. That we favor holding all public servants to a atriet accountability, and their prompt and severe punishment for all thefta of public money and maladministration of public office.
A Temperance convention was held at Cedar Rapids June 16th, and adopted the following platform :
Resolved, We recognize the traffic in intoxicat- ing liquors aa the great moral, financial, aocial, and political evil of the present age; that it is one of the worst relics of barbarism; that it has always been the moving cause of crime, and is, therefore, subversive of our republican form of government, and should be overthrown.
2. We believe that the prohibition of the traffic of intoxicating liquors is the only sound legislative theory upon which this vexed ques- tion can be solved and the nation aaved from bankrupcy and demoralization; therefore, we insist upon the maintenance and enforcement of our prohibitory liquor law, and upon such amendments by the next Legislature of the State of Iowa as will place ale, wine, and beer under the same condemnation as other intoxicating liquors.
3. We believe that in the security of home rests the security of the State; that woman is by her very nature the acknowledged guardian of this aucred shrine, and that intemperance is its greatest enemy, therefore we claim that the daughters of this commonwealth, as well as her sons, be allowed to say,thy their vote, what laws should be made for the suppression of this evil, and what persons shall execute the same.
4. That the present movement inaugurated by the temperance organizations of the State to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors, except for mechanical and medical pur- poses, including malt and wine liquors, meets our active support.
5. That we, aa the Prohibitionists of the State of Iowa, in view of the great questions of public interest effecting the perpetuity of our general government, which are now absorhing the thought and action of all our people, deem it inexpedient and unwise to nominate a State prohibitory ticket at the present time.
A portion of the convention in favor of the nomination of a State ticket seceded, and nominated a State ticket, headed by G. T. Carpenter for Governor. Mr Car- penter declining, D. R. Dungan was substi- tuted. The rest of the ticket was composed
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as follows: Lieutenant-Governor, Frank T. Campbell; Judge of the Supreme Court, J. M. Beck; Supt. of Public Instruction, J. A. Nashı.
The Greenbackers assembled at Des Moines May 28th, and nominated a ticket as follows: Governor, Daniel Campbell; Lieutenant-Governor, M. M. Moore; Su- preme Judge, M. H. Jones; Supt. of Pub- lic Instruction, J. A. Nash. The follow- ing platform was adopted:
WHEREAS, The sovereign and supreme power of the American Union is vested in the free will of the citizens thereof, who have an equal and unquestionable right to express that will as to them stems best adapted to secure the peace, perpetuate the liberty, and promote the pros perity of each individual, as well as to enhance and protect the common welfare of our country; and.
WHEREAS, This power has been delegated to unworthy servants, who have diverted it from its origin il purpose, whereby grievous wrongs have been perpetrated on the masses of the people, subjecting them to gross injustice, widespread poverty, untold privations, and business paralyzation; and,
WHEREAS, These grievances have been greatly augumented by limiting the legal tender quality of the greenbacks; by loaning the credit of the government to national bank corporations; by changing government bonds into coin bonds, and making the same exclusively payable in gold, by the conversion of a nou-interest bearing circulating medium into an interest bearing government debt; by defrauding labor of employ- ment; by the ruinous shrinkage in the value of property ; by the depression of busines -; by the willful restrictions placed upon the remonet.zi- tion of the silver dollar; by the exemption of capital from its just share of the burden of taxa- tion; by the contraction of the greenback cur- rency; by the forced resumption of specie pay- ment; by the increase in the purchasing power of money, and its attendant hardshi, s ou the debtor class; by declaring poverty a crime, and
providing punishment therefor; by the criminal waste of the public domain, through enormous grants of land to rai road corporations; by oppressive taxation; by high rates of interest for the use of money; by exorbitant salaries and fees to public officers; by official corruption in the administration of public affairs; and,
WHEREAS, A moneyed despotism has grown up in our land out of this state of affairs, which con trols the law-making power of our country, dictates judicial decisions, wields an undue influence over the chief executive of the nation -in the consideration of the laws passed for the benefit of the people, thus enabling the money power to carry on its schemes of public plunder, under and by which colossal fortunes have been gathered in the hands of the ambitious and un- crupulous men whose interests are at war with the interests of the people, hostile to popular government, and deaf to the demands of honest toil; therefore, we, the representatives of the Union Greenback Labor Party of Iowa, adopt the following as our platform of princip'es:
1. The general government alone to issue money; the amount in circulation to be fixed by a constitutional amendment upon a per capita basis; calling in of all United States bonds, and the payment of them in full legal tender money.
2. That the national banks, as banks of issue, must be abolished by law, and the legal tender greenback money of the government of the United States shall be substituted for their cir- culation.
3. That we demand the unlimited coioage of the silver dollar of the present standard weight and fineness.
4. That the American people owe a debt of gratitude to the Union soldiers that can never be fully paid, and in recognition of their patri- otic services we endorse the arrearages of pen- sions, and favor the passage of a bill providing for the equilization of bounties similar to the one vetoed by ex-President Grant.
5. That we view with grave apprehension the continued oppressi n of the people by cor- porate powers; and while we execrate the iubu- man tregiment of the Union soldiers in prison
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pens of the South during the rebellion, we con- demn the violence of partisan spirit in the legisla- tive halls of Congress, which seeks to revive the dead issue of the past while conspiring against and deliberately refusing to provide measures of relief adequate to the living necessities of the present.
6. That it is the right and duty of all qualified electors of any State n the Union to vote accord- ing to their conscientious convictions, and to have that vote honestly and fairly counted; and that any attempt to interfere with that right, either by threats of bands of armed men or the use of troops at the polls, or by fraud in con- dueting the election, or bribery in making out the returns, or by threats to dismiss front service, or any other means by which that right is abridged, is a crime that should be severely punished
7. That the office-holders of our country are the servants and not the masters of the people, and that these officers should be removed and punished to the full extent of the law whenever they betray the publie trust confided to them; and we demand that all official fees and salaries, commeneing with the President, should be re- dueed from twenty-five to fifty per cent .; and we further demand the strietest economy in the administration of our courts of justice, and in all other federal and State officers.
8. That we highly commend the moral re- form of men and the elevation of families by agencies of the temperance cause, and demand the use of all just and legal means for the sup- pression of the evils of intemperance.
9. That all real estate be assessed to the owner, and the tax thereon be paid by him, pro- vided, that in case there is a mortgage or ven- dor's lien upon the land, and he pays the whole tax, that he may deduet, as payment on said lien, the pro rata share of the tax.
10. That the revenue law of the State shall be amended so that the penalty or interest on the sale of delinquent taxes should not exceed the sum of ten per cent. per annum, and that the time of redemption shall be extended to a term of five years.
11. We favor the repeal of the present rail- road commissioners' law, and the adoption of a suitable legislative action to reduce and equalize freight
12. That the prison conviet labor shall never come in competition with free labor, by the contraet system, under any name.
Resolved, That we approve the bold and inde- pendent stand taken by our Greenbiek repre- sentatives in Congress; and we especially endorse the conduet of Messrs. Weaver and Gillette in their conduet with the combined opposition of both old parties.
2. That the nominees of this convention are the candidates of the Greenback party of Iowa, and in no case will we recognize the right of any person or persons to alter or change the tieket here nominated, except to fill vacancies occa- sioned by death, in which case the central com- mittee shall not place on the ticket the names of any person or persons who are identified with either of the old parties.
The Republicans assembled at Des Moines, June 11, and nominated the fol- lowing ticket: Governor, John H. Gear; Lieutenant Governor, Frank T. Campbell; Supreme Judge, J. M. Beck; Supt. of Public Instruction, C. W. Von Coelln. A platform was adopted as follows:
1. That the United States of America is a nation, not a league. This is the doctrine of the constitution, confirmed by the result of the war of the rebellion. The Democratie party denies this, and opposes to it the doctrine of State rights, which includes the power of a State to dissolve its connection with the Union, therefore it is dangerous to the national life to trust it to the Democratic party.
2. Upon the foregoing doctrine of nationality depends the power of the republic to protect its citizens in all other rights, both at home and abroad, and from its denial by the Democratic party have resulted the barbarous ontrages per- petrated on citizens in all of the disturbed see- tions of the Southern States, and redress can be
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had alone through the administration of public affairs in the several departments of the govern. ment hy the Republican party.
3. We denounce the attempt of the Demo- cratic party in Congress to render the federal elections insecure by the repeal of the election laws of the United States as dangerous to a free and pure expression of the voice of the people through the ballot-box, and as tending to subject said elections to the dominations of the bull- dozing elements of the Southern States, and of repeaters and promoters of fraud in the city of New York and elsewhere, and the resistence made to the accomplishment of this result by the Republican Senators and Representotives in Congress, and by President Hayes in his veto messages, is accorded our profound commenda- tion.
4. That we approve of the financial policy of the Republican party, and refer with pride to its results. The Southern Democratic rebellion for the perpetuation of slavery and the enforcement of State rights forced an enormous interest- bearing debt upon the people, which, in August, 1865, reached its highest point, and then amounted to $2,381,530,294.96, requiring an an- nual interest payment of $150,977,697.87. On the 1st of Angust next, when the Republican refunding operations will be completed, this Democratic debt will be reduced to $1,797,643, . 700.00, with an annual interest charge of but $83,778,777.50, showing a reduction in the prin- cipal of $583,886,594.96, and of the annual interest charge of $57,203,619.37; and we declare this debt shall be honestly paid in honest money, and to this end are in favor of keeping our coin circulation at its largest practicable volume, and of maintaining our paper currency where the Republican party has placed it-at par with coin; and to the further end that the dollar earned by labor shall be worth as much as the dollar earned by capital.
5. Concerning further financial legislation, we say, let us have peace, undisturbed by Con- gressional tinkering, that our business interests may revive, investments of more idle capital be encouraged, commercial interests fostered, and the general welfare promoted.
6. The profit arising from the coinage of gold and silver should inure to the benefits of the government, and not to the advantage of private owners of bullion, as this tends to diminish the burdens of the tax-payers, and no part of the tax-paying currency should be converted into the new tax-paying list.
7. We favor a wisely-adjusted tariff for rev- enue.
8. We demand a strict economy in the impo- sition of public taxes and expenditures of pub- lic money, and such just reduction and equali- zation of the salaries and fees of public officers as shall place them on an equality with like po- sitions in private employment.
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