Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-10-05
MIR. NEAL BROWN'S LETTER.
A Wausau Attorney Gives His Reasons fol
RenouDciDg the Republican Party.

Wausau Attorney Gives His Reasons for
RenouDciDg the Republican Party.
WAUsAU, Wis, Aug. %, 1SSS.-Ellis B.
Usher, chairman of the democratic state CEN
tral committee-Dear sir: In response to
your request for letter defining my political
views, L want to say some things that may be
of interest to many of my friends in Wiscon-
sin who wish to know why | am supporting
the democratic national ticket this fall. |
have deprecated any ostentatious public an
nouncement of my position, because it has
seemed to me that the political action of a
private citizen could not be of any particular
concern to the general public But if an an
swer to your request will aid in the slightest
degree the great cause OF tariff reform, do
not wish to withhold it because of any scru-
pies may have as to the propriety of public
letters believe that party allegiance is but
trivial thing compared with that allegiance
to his principles and convictions which every
man owes. From time to time as occasion
warrants, party lines and party prejudices
should be trampled under foot. i have al
ways contended that the principles of the re-
publican party compelled every republican to
follow his convictions even though this course
separated him from his party. There is no
merit whatever in slavish adherence to party
There is rather great shame and dishonor in it.
If needed support in this opinion l could
find it in the great statesmen living and
lead, and in the great mass of humber citi-
zel!s who have left the republican party dur
ing the last twenty years. l have always
voted the republican national ticket, and
aided it as well as I could, and I still respect
the party for its great achievements as much
as | ever did, but l cannot subscribe to the
latter day doctrines which the folly and
madness of the party leaders have made car
dnal principles in the party creed
Thousands of republicans who believe as I
do rested their hopes on the action of the
Chicago convention. Betrayed by the party
eaders in congress, who have refused to
either revise the tariff and reduce taxation
themselves, or to allow the democrats to do
so, republicans OF this faith looked to that
convention as the place where the suicidal
policy of the party leaders might be rebuked
The shameless manner in which that conven-
ton pandered to the men who believe in en-
riching themselves through the taxation of
the people, is well known l say with thou
sands of republicans that the tariff plank of
that convention is bitter dishonor to the
party that has in times gone by done so
much for the good government of this coun-
try. No republican who believes in limiting
the taxing power to the just needs of tho
government can possibly support that
platform or support the can
didates who have endorsed it.
without losing some portion of his indepen-
dence and self-respect. l decline to bow be-
fore this fetch of high tariff, that has been
elevated so high, or to take any place among
either its priests or its dupes.
have long since come to the belief that
the worship of this idol by the republican
looked for the usual juggle of words in the
party platform,-the customary resounding
sentences, which could be interpreted to
mean anything on this question. | never
could have believed that body of iptelli-
gent men would meet and announce as the
Platform of a great political party in free
country, the doctrine that it was better to
tax n, cessities than it was to tax Iuxuries;
that whisky and tobacco should 60 free and
every romfolt of the poor should be taxed
still higher in order to check imports of ar
ticles, the ike of which can be produced
here" Sugar, protected by an enormous
. duty, can be produced m this country, and
/ vet we buy over 30 per cent of all our sugar
/ abroad, and our own production has grown
| less under protection Out of the many
/ hundred million of dollars worth ot wool
/ that we use every year we raise less than
+ one-half here. And so with many other
I articles of lesser consumption and impor-
/ lance, protected by heavy duties, we stii
! have to 90 abroad for hundreds of millions
! of dollars worth that we need in excess Of
/ our home supply.
To check imports means to raise the present
+ duties still higher. Do We want TO keep on
/ paying the producers Of these things here
( still higher prices for their production when
I we cen get them produced much cheaper
/ abroadG How much longer shall we continue
/ this wicked experiment Of checking imports,
when we find. cs we do, that it has entirely