The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-05-25
The Mock Convention.


printed last week. in accepting the position
of permanent chairman, Mr. James Nc.
Bride, of Burton, spoke. as follows;
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THIS
CONVENTION: L sincerely thank you for
the honor you have conferred upon me
and / ask the aid and indulgence of this
convention in the discharge of the duties
that devolve upon the chair this evening.
AS students many OF us are yet 10 cast
our first vote in National election But
if we havelearned any one thing more than
another by our observations it is that the
progressive element of this University are
believers in the principles of the Republi-
can party. This is because as students we
have learned that in the formation of our
government there were present two antago.
nistic principles. They were more than
antagonistic, they were antipodal, they
were irreconcilable. The common subjec.
of difference was and is the treatment of
the great mass of society. The Democrat
ic party believes in the subjugation OF the
masses while the Republican party believes
that the true safely of society and its high
est development requires the constant
elevation Of all classes. The north has
SO,OuV,OOO lOiCISu iiuiSi oHb w hhiCiiOdhiAO
and knows of no other way but to educate
them. The south has 10000 900 colored
people and does nothing but subugate
them. The school property of our. own
state approXimates to the total value of
the same in the whole solid south. The
South has acknowledged that slavery was
an economic error, if not moral one. but
still holds to The old idea of race subjuga-
ton. The solution of this vexed question
will lie with us and our contemporaries 1t
is not question of mere partisan interest.
already it concerns us from an industrial
standpoint. There are two million colored
laborers in the South. They were formerly
engaged in producing commodities that
did not compete with Northern labor
From the production of cotton, tobacco,
rice, etc., the colored laborers are turning
to the manufacturing industries. We
speak with pride of the new South, busy
Birmingham and Chattanooga, the noisy
iron works and whirling spindles. But
the dark side of this question is that subju-
cation has made the grade of living so low
that wages are but half what is paid in
Ohio and Pennsylvania. Capital is being
placed in the South so rapidly that the
time is not far distant when the question
must be settled of rendering Il just reward
to the colored laborer by his elevation or
injuring the Northern man by his degra-
dation.
Abraham Lincoln truly said that "this
union cannot be maintained half slave and
half free; it must be either all slave or all
free" And it can be said now that the
present industrial condition cannot exist
when in the same products half the labor
is i'll paid add degraded, all must be either
degraded or elevated. The political pres
ent, when voter in Mississippi exercises
twice the influence in National politics
than the voter of Michigan is an outrage
upon our manhood. These facts are not
denied, they cannot be. The only answer
that is made when they are mentioned is
waving the bloody shirt" The only reas-
on for this answer that | know is that
there are still Norther men with Southern
principles.
The Republican party must face these
issues squarely. The Courage of LincolDs
the tenacity of Grant and the statesman
ship of Garfield, remain as heritage
for the party of principles which proclaims
for all men equality of right, equality Of
privilege and equality of power.
The platform adopted was sound and as
follows:
1. We denounce the policy of the
Democrat party as set forth by the Presi
dents message and the Mills tariff bill as
dangerous 10 the industrial interests of
the country, and attempting to benefit
foreign producers and degrade the condi.
ton of American laborers. Such policy,
unless restrained by the Republican senate
must result in the unsettling of business,
financial distress and Generalization of
American manufacturers.
Q. The Republican party adheres to the
doctrine of protection as announced in the
platform of 1884, and believes in the
reform of the tariff in such manner as
will correct its present inequalities, reduce
The surplus, benefit the American consum.
Or, and not injure the laborer or the great
interests of the country.
8. When the Republican party assumed
control of the government 1t found the
Nation plunged into civil strife, its credit
impaired and the treasury empty. But
Turing its triumphant rule of "a years it
brought the war to successful close, |
raised the credit Of the government to
nigh premium and left large surplus in |
The treasury. This surplus the Democrat |
phiby piCbSOu W ICuuCCs lhdt |
pledge has been broken, and the Democ- |
'acy has shown itself entirely incompetent |
% deal with the question.
4. Inasmuch as our borders and seaports |
Ire defenseless, our navy incapable Of |
the respect due the Nation,
our rivers and harEors not properly i'm |
proved, our public buildings inadequate
or the purposes of the government, edu- |
;ation neglected and large public dJbt
unpaid, we hold the Democrat administra-
ion responsible for the continued accumu-
alton of the surplus in the treasury, when
t should be applied to these purposes.
Much can and should be done 10 prevent
he accumulation of excessive revenues by
he reform or repeal Of the internal taxes.
5. We condemn the compromising and
owardly action of the majority of the
Democrats in the house of representatives
n surrendering TO minority Of ex.confed-
rates and their allies TO prevent the passage
( the direct tax refunding bill.
G. The gratitude of the American people
due to the Union soldiers of the late
7ar; and we favor the enactment of liberal
ension laws for the benefit Of the injured
eterans, and the support of the widows
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