The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-01-06
A shssp-3rssdsr psdnss HIS POSI-
tiou

1 80
ton
GRAsD BLANC, Dee. 70, 1887.
To the Editor Of the Michigan Farmer.
DEAR SIR:-I wish through your col.
umns. in a brief way. TO express my views
and purposes in regard to President
Clevelands message, N il affects the sgri
cultural interests Of the country, and most
especially the sheep and wool interests
&. and for the purpose If divest,ng The minds
Of any readers IT the Farmer q. 70 any
p"llicrl pr'djudicr, | will say that am
forty four yeas old this month. and have
since tweniy'onc Y airs ut age. always
vot' d the Democratic ticket aud supported
that party; aided both IN money and in
fiurncc. so far ~ | was able. the election
of Mr. Cleveland, have also endeavored to
sustain him since his Inauguration and
had believed him the advocate and pro.
tector of all Glasses and each and every in.
dusry | had not question: his views
upon tariff ISSUES: bul from what | could
gather from his non-commiltal policy ON
that subject. had considered him mod
crate prot' ctioni>t al least believed that
with Mr. Randall and his political policy
and acknowledged craftsmanship on the one
side, AMI the rabble of free traders on the
other, Mr.. Cleveland. would. rs an Execu-
tive. occupy conservative position, which
l believe is always much The safest one.
How my opinions and hopes have been
disappointed can easily be understood
when read his late messag'. Ia Congress
If 10 can br called MESSAGE. Now, to
you, my fellow sheep breeders. wool.
growers and aaricnlrMists. for our interests
are common. and without attempting any
discussion of the tariff question, what
should be our policy in regard to our IN
terests as We look upon them to-day? Let
us reason together, and for n short time
forget. as did the shecp breeders al Ian.
sirg this week. our party affiliations And
let us look from this time on until the
campaign OF 1888 and see il we can,
what our policy shall then be, and what
men and Whist issues and principles are
best calculated to control our destines in |
the future.
To Democrats who occupy the same
position rs myself at this time. want to
ask you, in all candor and earnestness, how
do you regard the situation, Let us look |
At it for y moment Mr.. Cleveland has
with Secretary Fsirchild substantially de. |
clarcl for free wool, and defined it raw
MATERIAL" he has said to the sheep breeders |
and wool growers OF the United States. to |
their conventions and associations, to our |
Representatives In Congress. and to all the |
improvers and importers Of earlier and |
later dates, that every thing, money. gold |
and silver, brains and muscle, anxiety and |
care. hopes and ambitions. are what? Raw |
materialr This, the great Executive of |
the nation has said to us, gentlemen. What
is more, he recommended that the Congress
ofAhe United States declare this to be so,
and that wool be placed upon the free list;
and as said before, classed a. raw ma |
terial." Doyou believe in this. my fellow
sheep breeders. wool-growers and agri-
culturists? As said before. believe
our interests are inseparable. II you DOM |
believe IL, where is your protection against !
the prevalence of such ideas. This ques
ton will put to my brother Democrats: |
"What stands between you and the almost |
certain destruction Of your Industry" II
you are honest you will say q Republican |
Senate. Is there anything humiliating to
you in this? am almost ashamed to 60 |
out and look my sheep in the face. l am
proud OF my flock, and my success In their |
production, and yet while my best efforts |
ct homo. and my health and strength have |
been sacrificed to their improvement.
have been. as results show, voting them at
the polls as producing only rsw material!
Gentlemen. I shall not attempt to explain |
how this came about; it is enough to know |
that it is true. believe I will be credited |
with fair amount OF intelligence and bus. |
mess sagacity, and am ashamed to admit |
I have been misled or deceived. But when
an old-linc Democrat is obliged to call
upon his enemies in politics TO protect his
interests it is time, think, to begin to look
around. have mapped out policy for
myself. that, if endowed with strength to
follow, shall prosecute until the close Of
the campaign of 1888, and that policy is
the defeat of Grover Cleveland and his
tariff theories; and l take this means Of
making my position public.
Very truly yours.
GEo w STClpT