The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-25
THE INDEPENDENTS.
Colonel HIssinson states Their Position.

Colonel HIaginson States Their Position.
Colonel Higginson, OF Cambridge, has
| written a letter to the Philadelphia Amer +
can, which contains very interesting facts
about the Massachusetts, Independents.
He saws: .HThe american for June IA,
| 1884, does me the honor to mention my
name as enc OF four prominent Republi-
cans who have bolted the nomination OF
MIR. Blaine. and afterward says, call the
boilers named are free-traders.' Will you
allow me, as one OF the four, to say that
YOU can have no possible authority for
making this statement, or for knowing this
fact, so far as | am concerned, since IL Is q
fact OF which am not myself aware. In my
whole life have written nothing, 1 believe,
on the subject OF the tariff or free trade and
have made but two brief speeches on the
subject, both in answer to unexpected
calls to speak. In each OF these speeches
said that IL was subject upon which
claimed 10 know but one thing clearly
namely. that the nations surplus revenue
is too large, and is demoraliZing the old
soldier by creating an appetite for unlimit-
ed pension bills. Is it being a free-trader
to think that our surplus revenue ought
to be dimiDishedY Surely not, In the eyes
OF the American. since the american itself
wishes to reduce it by distributing it among
the States. AS q subscriber and faithful
reader OF your able paper, may appeal to
ynnr oapdor little, farther Nothing
more tends 10 strengt,aassq the purpose OF
the anti-BIane Indepess ants than the utter
uniairness OF such attefgpts as yours to de-
pict their opposition IS a free-trade move
ment in disguise. Almost every one OF the
1000 or 600 who signed the call for the
Boston meeting would have gladly sup
ported Mr.. Edmunds. Brotectionist, for
President, and this Iact is conclusive
against your theory. The meeting included
all shades OF opinion upon this issue, as
upon all others. In the preliminary
meetings the tariff question was never
so much as mentioned, so far as
can remember, and Rev. DR.. Clarke
alluded to it in the meeting only in
enumeratlng the points on which there
was scarcely any difference OF position be-
tween the Republican and Democratic
parties. The meeting was not called to
consider measures, but men, and
it certainly considered them with
some emphasis and with essential
agreement on the main point-the
purpose not to vote for Blaine and
Logan. The newspaper reports give but
"a faint impression OF the tone OF the as
sembly. I have been accustomed to pub
lie meetings all my life, and / can truly
say that | have not seen since the
war time such enthusiasm and such con-
centration Of purpose. In its estimate OF
that meeting the american is liable to err
as any Massachusetts newspaper might be
liable to err in writing OF Pennsylvania
p1litics-irom ignorance Of the relative
local weight and influence Of men. Mr..
Uenry l.. Pierce, who headed the call for
the anti Blaine Convention, was the chosen
candidate OF the Republican party for Gov
ernor at the last State election; Colo
mel Goldman, whose name stands next
on the list, presided at the State Con-
ven.ion last autumn, and his speech
gave the keynote to the successful cam
paign against General Buffers forces Mr..
Charles Francis Adams, Jr., mainly wrote
as has always been underst ood-the plat
form Of the State Republican party IN
1888. Apart from these, any man who
knows Boston and vicinity will admit that
the list OF signers to the call includes the
names OF great many men without whose
money, whose brains, and whose energy
the Republican party OF Massachusetts,
never yet went into an election. When we
consider that with all the aid that these
men could give, the plurality for Governor
Robinson was but 0.S64, it is pretty evident
that the condition of things is one that cam
not be in the least compared to anything
that ever existed in the State before. 1t is
easy to call the boilers idealists and free
traders and what you please, but by what
ever name you call them they represent the
same definite amount as respects numbers.
brains, money, and determination"