The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-10-26
HARVARD COLLEGE.

been the scene recently Of two notable
though seemingly contradictory events.
One is told in the following:
aBoston, Oct. 19-[ Associated Press.
The senior class of Harvard College
has elected Clement Garrett Morgan,
a colored man, as class orator. The
was hotly contested. but Nor
gan had a substantial majority, about
270 men voting. He entered college
with little means, and during his fresh
man year worked in odd hours in
barber shop. Since then his rank as a
student has brought him beneficiary
money from the college. Last year as
q competitor for the Boylston prizes,
he carried bis audience by storm and
won the first place
II this incident proves nothing else,
1t Is confirmatory of a conclusion re-
Gently advanced in the TIMES that
the sentiment of race difference, of the
essential inferiority of the negro be-
cause he Is a negro, was not 80 deep
aud fixed in the North as in the South; /;
that this sentiment in the North Is
softened by the individual possession
of education, culture, or money. This
Is not the case in the South.
The other event, which Is far more
in the nature of a sensation in Bay
State circles, Is the declaration by the
President of Harvard, for the Demo-
cratic party. Before a great company
assembled at the regular dinner ofthe
Bay State Club In Boston on Saturday
evening last, President Elliot, of Har-
ward University, announced that he
had joined tho Democratic party.
This declaration was followed by q
speech of which the following are
sample extracts:
IL present myself TO you, gentlemen,
as a case of some interest to practical
politicians. | believe that, practical
politicians, what you desire and need
is to convert few thousand voters In
Massachusetts, and IN a few Of the 9th
er States, from the Republican to the
Democratic party. Now that is just
what has been effected In my case
and my reasons for changing my
party may possibly be Influential
with others.
have always been independent In
politics In two senses In the first
place there may perhaps be 100000
Of Americans who have some expecta'
tions Of public office, or vague desire
for public employment; but there are
5S,00000O who have no such expecta
tion or desire, and who know that !
they wanted public employment thel
could not get 1t. belong, gentlemen
to those 5S,000,0O0. And lam indepen'
dent in politics In another sense.
win stay in political party only s.
long as that party stands for the polit
ical principles which believe In.
In the first place, though brought uI
first Whig, then a Republican, an'
almost protectionist, have come Il
believe that the protectionist principle
Is false and delusive, and that the In
dustries of the United States are Grip
pied and their. natural development
prevented by the taxes, maintained
under the name of protection. Th
protective duties, so-called, proteC
capital perhaps, but not labor and
believe that this protection for capiti
Is unnatural and undesirable in th
longer run.
Secondly, | believe that the reforI
of the civil service Is q vital issue !
this country, that the perpetuation
free institutions depends upon that ~
form; for no government can long OF
dure the public unreproved applies
ton of the sum total of all the goverl
: ment salaries as bribery and CORFU
ton fund. This is precisely what I'll
: spoils system means. On the con
plete destruction Of that system d
I pends, as | believe, the permanonc
, and success of our free institution
( On that issue what is the record OF u
l Republican party as compared viii
that of the Democratic party? Ha'
we not seen the public service dege
I Grating more and more as priva
!, property under successive Republics
Administrations-the last Of the seri
/; being the worst of all in this respect
!, And have we not seen the single Del
8 ocratic Administration Of the 28 yea
a past the best of all American Admi
D istrations during that period, in th
a respect I
!, have still another reason for pI
J, ferring the Democratic party, which
perhaps, peculiar to myself-at least
: do not see 1t referred to in the pub
i prints. | am a firm believer in t
J justice and expedieney of a pensi
/ system, particularly under Republic
n institutions where public office shou
+, be open alike to the poor and to Z
}, rich. | believe In pensions, not on
for soldiers and sailors, but for judg
!, teachers, firemen, policemen, aud
Il public servants who have deserv
well of the country. Therefore he
4 Il to BIO hidoous wrong infli
o ed upon the Republic that I
> pension system instituted for the bel
l. fit of the soldiers and sailors Of |
+ United States has been prostituted a
70 degraded by the whole series of Repl
d lican Administrations. As thir
10 are, gentlemen, one cannot tell whetf
r. a pensioner of the United States wa
q brave soldier or sailor, or a cowart
4, deserter. One cannot tell whethel
10 pensioner Of the United States receiv
" an honorable wound In battle, or ct
70 tracted a chronic catarrh twei
lr years after the close Of the W
One cannot tell whether pensloner
the United States Is disabled s
!. dier or sailor or q perjured paup
| say that To have nut the DensiOu 4