The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-10-26
President EIIiott's Reasons.


recently publicly proclaimed hi
change of party, from the Republi
can to the Democratic, gives thai
considerable class known as indie
pendents some good, solid advice il
his Boston speech. These voters BY
tieing themselves to no party accom-
plish nothing. They should at least
aid the one of the two great parties
which is nearest to their principles
By scattering their votes, voting foI
an independent candidate who has nc
chance of election, or not voting al
all, they exert no influence at all
when they could cast the deciding
vote. President Elliot said:
''But present myself to you, gen
tlemen, as case of some interest to
practical politicians. Ibelieve that,
as practical politicians, what you
desire and need is to convert few
thousand voters in Massachusetts,
and in few of the other States, from
the Republican to the Democratic
party. Laughter. Now that is
just what has been effected in my
case applause, and my reasons for
changing my party may possibly be
influential with Others
81 have always been independent
in politics in two senses: In the
first place there may perhaps be q
100000 Of Americans who have some
expectations ofpublic office, or vague
desire for public employment; but
there are 5S,000,000 who have no
such expectation or desire, and who
know that if they wanted public en-
ployment they could not get it.
Laughter. l belong gentlemen to
those 100000 Laughter and APP
plause And am independent in
politics in another sense. / will stay
in political party only so long as
that party stands for the political
principles which believe in. Great
applause. |"
Referring to the past of the Re
publican party he declared "its ac-
tual leaders have forgotten its noble
birth, abandoned it's disinterested
principles, and deserted the stand
ards of its founders" Therefore, he
continued:
II felt obliged to join the opposite
party [great applause for the posi-
tion of the independent in the tech
nical sense, does not seem to me to
be an effective one. l think that
conscientious citizen should choose
between the two great parties of the
country, and should habitually act
with that one which best promotes
the principles which he holds. The
position of man who hangs between
the two, and votes now with one par
ty and now with the other, seems to
me very unsatisfactory, unless it is
avowedly temporary and provisional.
Being thus an independent in two
senses, and yet being resolved to act
with one or other of the two great
parties, if either fairly stand for the
principles in which l believe, let me
tell you what public policies l had
in mind when | left the Republican
party and joined the Democratic.
President Elliott stated that he
was born Wing and reared Re
publican, but that he had come to
believe shat the protectionist prin-
ciple is false and delusive, and that
the industries of the United States
are crippled and their natural devel-
opment prevented by the heavy taxes
maintained under the name of pro-
lection. The protective duties So
called protect capital, perhaps, but
not labor, and l believe that this
protection for capital is unnatural
and undesirable in the long rum"
His remarks on civil service re-
form which he regarded as vital is
sue, are notable:
"On that issue what is the record
of the Republican party as compared
with that of the Democratic party?
Have we not seen the public service
degenerating more and more, and
treated more and more as private
property under successive Republi-
can administrations last of the
series being the worst of all in this
respect? Great applause. And
have we not seen the single Demo
cratic administration of the twenty
eight years past the best of all
American administrations during
that period, in this respect? Ire
mendous applause. No intelligent
man will place any reliance upon the
professions of a party when it's pub
lie performances necessarily contra
dict them. Applause. We must
rely upon the public acts of the men
who represent the respective parties.
Can any civil service reformer hest
tate for a moment between the adj
ministration of Cleveland and of
Harrison on that issue? Applause.
One honestly promoted the reform
and the other has betrayed it.
President Elliott next took up the
pension question, treating it in this
emphatic style:
II hold it to be hideous wrong in
fiicted upon the republic that the
pension system instituted for the
benefit of the soldiers and sailors of
the United States has been prostitu-
ted and degraded by the whole series
of Republican administrations. As
things are, gentlemen, one cannot
tell whether pensioner of the Uni
ted States was brave soldier or
sailor, or cowardly deserter. True.
One cannot tell whether a pensioner
of the United States received an hon
orable wound in battle or contracted
chronic catarrh twenty years after
the close of the war. Applause.
One cannot tell whether a pensioner
of the United States is disabled
soldier or sailor, or a perjured pau
per who has foisted himself upon
the public treasury. l say that to
have put the pension system of the
United States into this condition is
crime against all honest soldiers
and against republican institutions
applause and it is series of Re-
publican administrations which has
brought that system to this condi-
ton, the present administra ton be-
ing the worst of all.