Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/19

 CHAPTER I HE Republican State Convention assembled at Des Moines on the 14th of June, 1865, nominating Governor Stone for reëlection by acclamation. Benjamin F. Gue was nominated for Lieutenant-Governor, George G. Wright for Judge of the Supreme Court and Oran Faville for Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Upon the reading of the report of the committee on resolutions, Edward Russell of Scott County moved to amend the fourth resolution which read as follows:

“Resolved, that, with proper safeguards to the purity of the ballot box, the elective franchise should be based upon loyalty to the Constitution and the Union recognizing and affirming the equality of all men before the law.”

Mr. Russell moved to amend this resolution by adding the following:

“Therefore we are in favor of amending the Constitution of our State by striking out the word WHITE in the article on Suffrage.”

This precipitated a warm discussion in which the amendment was earnestly supported by Hiram Price, Edward Russell, Henry O’Connor and E. W. Eastman, while it was as warmly opposed by J. B. Grinnell, J. F. Tracy, W. S. Sample and others. The amendment was a bold and unmistakable declaration for negro suffrage in Iowa and was opposed as injudicious and likely to endanger the election of the Republican ticket. The position of its supporters cannot be better stated than by an extract from the speech of Hiram Price, who said:

“The Republican party is strong enough to dare to do right and cannot afford to shirk a duty. The colored men North and South were loyal to