Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-17
WHY He FLOPPED.
Good Reading for Democrats; Also for
Republicans.

Alta Republican rally in Bradford
Pennsylvania, last week. Hon. G. B. Nc
Calmont. leading lawyer of that city
made speech: which we copy entire
from the Pittston Gazette, believing
that it will be fully relished on the
Kansas prairies. He opened by saying:
I suppose you have been to the races
and know what it is to hedge"
Well, have been hedging politically
for some time.
l commenced TO hedge away back on
the day that Cleveland signed his frs
pension veto message l thought thai
when a worthy widow of worthy sol.
der by special act was granted a pension
and when the chief magistrate of this
great nation stopped to veto that bill, be
cause under the old rules of the pension
department she was not entitled to a
| pension, it was time for me to hedge.
Again, when the bill was up to take
back vast tracts of land and restore it tC
the actual settlers-land unlawfully held
by three railroads, the Missouri, Kansas
q Texas, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe and the Lawrence, Leavenworth &
Texas. As happened to live in Kan
sas in 1870, and knew something of
these particlar grants, turned to the
Congressional Record to see how the
| final vote stood, and found but nine
nays. and to my surprise, eight of the
nine nays were Democrats. By examin-
ing the debates on the bill | was con-
| founded to find that the only obstinate
and bitter opposition to this bill was by
Democrats, led by Van Eaton, of Missis-
sippi, and Cakes, of Alabama. This
caused me to hedge still more.
waited to see what would come next,
and when Cleveland wrote that school
boy essay on wool and sent it to con-
gress, made break for the fence.
straddled the fence and looked to the
st. Louis convention to rescue the party,
but it came not to the rescue, and when
the party in convention swallowed free
trade and Cleveland swallowed the party,
| got down off the fence and found my
self standing where l stand now,
and where | never stood be
fore-on Republican platform.
The Democratic party asks me to vote
for free trade in wool and paralyze the
wool growing industry Of this country. l
won't do it, and that is the reason | am
not Democrat.
The Mills bill will cripple and ruin
every farmer in the land by taking the
duty off his main productS-wool, po-
tatoes, cheese, etc. In passing the bill
the Democratic party was neither true to
its traditions nor honest with the farmer,
whom they tried to deceive; and that
is another reason why am not Demo-
crat.
| am asked, as Democrat, to vote for
a reduction of q per aent on wooden
goods and destroy the wooden manufac-
lures of this country, l won't do it,;
and that is the reason | am not a Demo-
Crat.
l am asked, as Democrat, to vote for
free lumber, and not only that, but for
free wooden manufacturers, such as sash,
windows, doors, carriages, boats, etc.,
and send the lumbermen now working
around through our hills and valleys,
and in our saw mills, to Canada to hunt
work and destroy the wooden manu-
factories of this country. won't do it;
and that is the reason | am not Demo-
craJ.
l am asked, as Democrat, to vote for
free salt, and destroy the salt industry of
the country. | won't do it; and that is
why am not Democrat.
l am asked, as Democrat, to vote for
a per cent. reduction ON iron and Grip
pie the iron industry of the country l
won't do it; and that is the reason l am
not a Democrat.
don't propose to tax your patience
with exhaustive argument on the tariff.
Since l voted, the tariff question has
never been a distinct issue between the
parties before the people, and l have
never had occasion to debate the ques-
ton or to declare publicly my position
on the question: but | have always had
a steadfast belief that American in
dustries ought to be protected, and that
our natural resources ought to be devel-
oped. The Democratic party, especially
in Pennsylvania, was always divided on
that subject, and l thought l could be-
lieve as pleased on the question, and
still be a Democrat. In my simple inno-
cence l supposed / could be in favor of
American industries and still be Dem
ocrat, Twas guileless and chlldlike enough
to believe | could favor the development
of our natural resources and still be a
Democrat. But this year the sole issue
is free trade or tariff, and man cannot
be Democrat this year unless he is for
Cleveland and free trade.
/ never was for free trade and there
fore I am forced to leave the party or
vote against my convictions.
A little confusion arises about what is
meant by free trade. The Democratic
papers allege there is no free trade party
in this country. That depends on what
we mean by free trade. Let us get right
on that and then we will understand
each other better. If foreign product
is brought to this country and allowed
to be sold on an equal footing with the
American product, that is free trade, is
it not?
Now, every American citizen pays a
tax of some kind for revenue to support
lowed to sell his goods here by paying
merely nominal tax for revenue only
such as we all pay. then he is on an
an equal footing with the American pro-
ducer and manufacturer. is he not?
And is he not then just as free TO trade
as we are: And is not that free trade:
1t certainly is. And this is just what
the Democratic party of today advocates.
On the other hand if the foreigner is
compelled to pay for the privilege of sell
ing his goods here. not merely nominal
tax for revenue only, but in addition a
tax or duty sufficient to force him TO sell
his goods for no less than the price for
which it can be produced or manufac-
tured in this country at a fair profit
this is protection, and this | understand
to be the position of the Republican
party on this question and with this I'M
Outstanding of the terms "free trade"
and protection" we viii know what We
are talking about.
If you express 70 a Democrat your
fears on, account Of the reduction Of tar