The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-29
Patriotic and Intelligent Republicans

The republican Fifth Congressional |
convention met at Junction City on
Wednesday afternoon of last week and
nominated JOHN \. ANDERSON for re-
election by reclamation. Among other
things it was decided,
That we, the representatives of the
republican party of the Fifth Congress
sional district of the state of Kansas,
in convention assembled, in giving full
expression to our confidence In the
honesty. integrity and great ability of
Hon. John \. Anderson, feel great
pleasure in availing ourselves OF the
present opportunity to express our
| especial emphatic approval of his course
upon the tariff question, believing, as
we do, that the views of our represent
alive on that question are just and reaS-
enable, and his action on the floor OF
the house, especially on the Morrison
bill, has been that of wise and lar
seeing statesman.
! 1t is too bad that this resolution
should be so equivOcal and misleading.
| The reader is tortured with dOubt-a
gaunt wearing doubt as to whether Mr..
ANDERsON's vote to consider the bill
or his vote against it is commended as
I the act of "a wise and far-Seeing states
man. 1t looks a good deal like strad-
I die to common folk, who see very little
consistency or craftsmanship III his
treatment of the MORRISON bill. But
following the above comes this startling
and profound declaration:
That while we are in favor of pro-
tective tariff, we do, nevertheless, be-
lieve that it is our forests and not our
lumbermen that need protection. Hence
we are in favor of placing lumber on
the free list; we also believe that teas,
coffees. spices, mahogany, logwOod and
all other articles which constitute the
basis of coloring matter do not come in
competition with either American in
dustry. in agriculture or manufacture,
and therefore ought to be also relegated
to the list of free goods, to the end that
the revenues of the government may be
reduced and all of our national indus
trial interests be at the same time duly
protected.
Shades of the blessed departed! What
have we here as the product of the best
brain of the convention? Mr.. AMBER
SONS vote against the MORRISON bill
is commended, and the august and dig
nified convention declares that it is ''in
favor of placing lumber on the free list"
The MORRISON bill placed lumber and
dive stuffs on the free list, but Mr.. An
DERsoN is commended for voting
against it! Such illogical and contra
dictory statements, such peversiOn
of direct and forcible English, could
emanate from no other source.
But the well-informed intellects of
the convention believe that ''teas, cof-
fees and spices should be relegated to
the list of free goods" where, bless the
unconscious souls of the committee on
resolutions, they have been for quite a
number of years. Such ignorance is
inexcusable in body of men supposed
to be representative, and the members
of the convention would do well to
, make a personal application of Their
. third resolution, which reads:
That we unhesitatingly affirm that
the disposition of the republican party
to adopt as the guiding principles OF its
4 craftsmanship a thorough diffusion OF
' knowledge among the masses, and such
a reward for labor as will enable an In
dustrious population to lay hold of the
means of physical comfort and itellec'
l tual development, entities it to the
: continued confidence and support of the
( people.
And we do not hesitate to say that
p the republican party has nothing to be
proud of if its efforts to ''diffuse knowl
edge among the masses have achieved
7 no better results than the Junction City
convention.