, 1888-11-01
DIR. HATFIELD'S VIEWS.
A Staiwart Letter from n Leading
Methodist Preacher.
Reasons Given Mt Length for Supporting
the Republican Party - Unsavory
Reputation OF the Democrats.

the Republican Party - Unsayory
R,,,,., o,,,. n.ma...,.
Rev. Robert NJ. Hatfield, ID. D., in Octo-
ber Statesman.
In considering the present political sit.
uation we do well to remember that there
are but two bona fide presidential candi.
dates in the field. IL Is true that General
Fisk, Belva Lockwood, and others are
named in connection with the high office,
and IL is the conceded right of every Amer.
lean citizen (if white and living in n
northern state) TO vote for whomeyer he
will in the approaching presidential cleo
ton. He NAV deposit his ballot for Gen.
eral Fisk, Mrs. Lockwood, George Francis
Train or Mrs. Grundy. but il he is possess.
ed of average intelligence he can have no
hope that his candidate will be elected.
His vote will be of no consequences except
as IL NAV help or hinder one of the two
country is divided, As a lifelong adyo-
cate OF temperauce l do not propose to
throw away may voice, or cast lit
where il will afford aid and comfort to
the democratic party. I cannot support
this democratic party for the following
and other reasons:
First-Their candidate for the pres,.
dency has an upsavory reputation. We
are told. I know, that we have nothing to
do with the moral character of a candi.
date. and that all personalities are to be
excluded from political discussions. From
this utterly dissent, The doctrine NAV
be a convenient and appropr,ate one for
roues and libertines. who sneer at virtue
and make light of the vices that destroy
domestic peace and social order, but when
a candidate solicits the suffrages of a vir-
tuors people the first question TO be asked
is, What ,s his moral character? It IL
NOT to the credit of this country that Gro.
ver Cleyeland was elected president four
wears ago; his reelection at this time
would be little less than national
disgrace. | cannot support the democratic
parfv for the further reason.
the tariff ouestion to be wrong and antao-
onistic 70 the best interests Of the conntrv.
am aware that on the question of the
tariff there is not perfect nnanimitv in the
democratic partv, INIT the marty as
whole. with the president at its head. ia
hostile To n tariff for the protection of The
industries of our country. On this cues.
tion the party is English rather than
American. It's policy. il adopted, must
work general arrangement of business
and in time reduce the workinemen of our
To a level with the poverty. .strick-
en- labErers of the old world The tariff
may, and probably does, need revision but
this revision sbould he made bv friends
who desire its improvement. NOT bv enc.
mics who are benf on its destruction A
more serious objection To the democratic
marty ia fonnd in the fact,
Tbird..That IL sympathizes with and
encourages the men who for four wears
fought to DESTROY the nation. and who to-
day are doing their utmost to secure by
other means what tbey failed to obtain by
war. Tbese efforts have been largely sue.
as the colored citizens of the South
know to their cost. I taye known the dem.
ocratic marty for forty years as the pro.
slavery and whisky party. It plunged the
nation into n war with Mexico to extend
the area of slavery. IL exerted all its
power To force that accursed institution
apon Kansas. During all the war for the
of the Union its sympathies
we're largely with traitors and rebels. IL
denounced Lincoln, discouraged enlist.
ments, and stigmatized Union soldiers as
and dogs. In national conven.
tion held in Chicago in 1864, it declared
the war a failure, and demanded
peace on such terms as JEFF
Davis would accept, and it is
the same old party still The Ethiopian
has not changed his skin nor the leopard
it's spots. 1t encourages the former slave
holders in robbing the colored citizens of
the South of rights as dear to freemen as
life itself. The Buffers and Hamptons
and others of that ilk have disfrancb;sed
the hundreds of thousands of colored voters
in the South Every important election is
by violence or fraud, and the
r.,o; ;la.t II III, ,o,ty Lnou, - /. 90 .nd