Wichita eagle., 1888-08-26
A LETTER FROM DR.. sToRRs.

pendent, explaining his views on the po
! iltical situation is worthy Of production il
| these columns, coming as it does from {
| man of his prominence. 1t will be noticed
that he does not wholly indorse the party's
policy as outlined in the Chicago platform
but he still proposes to vote the Republican
ticket, and gives his reasons therefor in q
very clear and forcible manner. The letter
reads as follows:
| My DEAR SIR: The playful remark to DR.
Cuyler, that In my perplexity about politics
it seemed better to take TO the woods, u
was made when l was rolling toward the
Adirondacks at forty miles an hour, and al
ready rejoicing in the thought Of their near
| quietuess and leisure. OF course it took
more apparent significance when caught
by his ready and racy pen, pushed into type,
and echoed in many newspapers, than II
had been when half-je5tingly spoken, in
| face to face conversation, amid the rush OF
| the train. But even for an idle word one
must be ready to give account; and this one
represented real feeling of uncertainty
and unrest, from which l have not alto
| gether escaped, though it becomes increas-
ingly probable that l shall again vote for
| the Republican ticket. at present, at any
rate. that seems the conclusion toward
which my mind drifts in the shadow and
shine Of the neighboring ''woods," with
| their pillared stems and open spaces.
Something Of this is owing, no doubt, to
the momentum CT habit. 1t IS not easy,
| perhaps it ought not to be, for any man who
has long honored a great party for its proved
| fidelity to public interests in critical times,
| to break away from it, unless thoroughly
convinced that in spirit and aim it has been
destructively revolutionlzed. l do not yet
| believe this about the Republican party,
| though think that its recent convention at
| Chicago made grave and dangerous mis-
| takes; and having conscientiOusly acted
with it more than thirty years, during which
it has appeared to me substantially right on
| nearly all the Fundamental political and
ethical questions aSitated among US since be-
| fore the civil war. l have q certain abldln g
confidence in It's instinct of righteousness,
and in the civil wisdom of those honored
| leaders in it with whom have sympathized
in political thought. At any rate wait for
further developments before joining the
ranks of those who go out from it, though
for them, or any Of them, l have no word or
thought of disrespect.
| Undoubtedly, too, my tendency toward
| continued cooperation with the Republican
party is encouraged by all that [ learn Of
| their candidate for the Presidency. Mr..
Morton / had already had reason to esteem;
but it happened that l knew almost nothing
| of General Harrison up to the time Of his
nomination. He is represented to Inc, how
ever, by those who know him well. and in
whom | have entire confidence, as par
ticularly Just, serious, thoughtful and con-
scientious man, domestic in his habit, pure
in his tastes, of friendly and generous
spirit, independent in thought, and I'M
spotted in reputation, while eloquent in
utterance and gallant in the field-a
reverent and deyout man, highly hon0red
by his neighhors, with considerable expert
ence in public affairs, faithful and pains
taking in all duties. Precisely such q man
should be, as l think, at the head of this
Nation, full, as it is, of Christian homes,
schools and churches. His infuencA can
not but be an element for good, not only II
the administration of affairs, but in the
moral culture of the country. | shall GER
tainly vote for him far more easily than if
he did not so distinctly represent whatever
is best in the American life and spirit.
l believe, still, that the tax on whisky
hampers its manufacture, discouragos and
measurably limits its use. It is, at any
rate, a kind of National protest against
the unchecked consumption of the dan
gerous article; and for moral reasons, as
well as economical, / desire to have it
maintained and unsparingly collected. To
represent the best sentiment of the Re-
publican party the platform, it seems
to me, should. on this question, have
faced exactly the other way; while to it
should have been added-not a general
commonplace sentence, approving temper
ance and morality. to which every body
outside Of d Jail or an asylum must say
Amen-but hearty and unequivocal in
dcrsoment of the efforts made in many
States, ard made chiefly by Republicans,
to limit the sale of intoXicants by impos-
ing high-license fees on those engaged in
the business. This is the one ethical Ques-
ton surviving IN our politics, and pre-
senting itself in the present - campaign"
The answer to it should be not theoretic,
in the clouds, but prompt, practical ard
governing, on the line of salutary social
regulation; and it IS an occasion of pro-
found regret that the party which faced
slavery and fought it to the death, and
which rescued the Nation from the bot
tomless bog of an irredecmable currency,
should have failed to see and to seize the
work.
At the same time, however, l can not con-
ceai from myself the fact that even on this
subject reliance is to be placed on the Re-
publican party, rather than on that which
principally opposes it, in any endeavor to
assist by law the interest Of temperance.
This is certainly not a suggestion of preju-
dice Many friends whom / highly honor
are reckoned among Democrats, and their
personal sympathies must be unreservedly
on the side of good order aud the best public
welfare But the history OF recent years
in our own State seems enough to show
that, as rule, the Republican party favors
temperance, and would support it by law
wherever practicable, while the chief oppo-
sition to it comes from the ether side. I
can only find indication Of the future in
what has hitherto appeared; and so, III
spite of what seems to NE the very serious
and threatening error IN the platform at
Chicago, | think it best, as thus far advised,
TO continue to act with the Republican par
t., hoping, not without confidence, that it
will prove wiser, s0undcr. more courageous
in this matter, than were those who under
took - speak in ats name If this shall be
so, it Will not be the first time that its Diff
fused moral life has surpassed and over
ridden the feeble or the artful statements
Of those who sought to be leaders in
1t.
On the question Of the tariff my position
is not very different from that which | have
outlined on this matter Of temperance. l
an not an expert in discussions Of this sort,
but for more than forty years, ever since l
began TO think seriously en- the subject, /
have not doubted that it is the right and the
duty Of a Nation situated as ours Is 10 en-
courage and protect its own Industries vp TO