Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-08-24
Still They Come.


Republican to the Democratic ranks,
carrying with it large numbers of in
telligent and conscientious voters,
who feel'compelled to say goodbye to
their old party on account of its mon
opoly principles, is growing stronger
every day as the campaign progresses.
The Republican camp in Maine, where
it was to be supposed that Blaine's
magnetism would keep the line solid,
was startled by the announcement
last week that an unusually large
squad had gone over to the enemy in
a body, and they were important de-
serters, too, who had been faithful to
the party flag up to the time of theil
desertion. The reason they assigned
for going over was that they couldn't
stand the war tariff and monopoly
hardtack that is dealt out to the Z. y.
p. forces.
Among these deserters was no les g a
person than DIR. w. B. Lapham, ie-
Gently editor of the Maine Farmer,
who had long been a Republican.
Another was Lindall Titcomb, one of
the most extensive property holders of
Augusta, who leaves his old party in
order to help the cause of tariff re-
form. But the most noteworthy of
the deserting squad is Chas. N. HAM
len, large drygoods dealer of Angus
Ia, and son-in-law oi the late Lot NJ.
Morrill,, who SO long represented the
Republicans of Maine in Congress.
In assigning his reason for going over
to the Democrats, Mr.. Hamlen said:
~ don't see how can conscientious
ly vote for any other candidate than
Cleveland. l believe in tariff reform.
We need free wool. Woolen manu-
featuring in many of the mills in this
country are idle. They had been
manufacturing low grade of cassi-
meres from our American woods. The
market being overstocked with these
goods and the manufacturers being
unable to import the high grade of
wool needed to make line cloths, be-
cause of the tariff, were obliged to stop
their machinery"
In other sections of the country also
such cases of honorable desertion are
numerous. Frederick Weaverson, edi-
tor of the Social Science Reriew, of
New York, heretofore a staunch Re-
publican, comes out with the an
nouncement' that he will support
Cleveland because he believes in tariff
reform. Judge Carter A. Krum, life
long Republican of St. Louis, on Fri
day evening delivered a tariff speech
in response to an invitation of the
Twenty-Second Ward Democratic
Club in which he made the following
reference to the tariff plank in the
Republican platform
"From every st andpoint Of free
government and public economy this
is the most atrocious party utterance
which has been made in the history of
American politics. Its sole purpose is
to maintain laws which the necessities
OF actual war created, but which now
by so-called protection benefit. less
than three millions of people who
happened to be it's favored recipients
only, at the expense OF over forty mil
lions"
Judge Krum said that President
Clevelands message and the Demo
cratic platform did not favor free trade,
but only reduction of the war tariff
that was running the country. He
analvzed the Mills bill and gave it his
support.
Thus in all parts of the country the
desire to reform oppressive tariff laws,
and hostility to the monopolies which
a war tariff fosters, are operating as
disintegrating agents upon the Re-
publican party. Thousands of honest
Republicans, who see that their party
is welded to the interests of favored
class, are going with the Democrats
as the only way offered them to assist
in the work of reforming an oppressive
| war tariff.