The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-11-30
HARVARD'S PRESIDENT.
He Explains why He Cannot Help
Being u Democrat.

OF singular impartialty. The presi
dents of both the political con
ventions in this state, the gen.
Ilemen who wrote both the plat
forms for the parties, and the gentle
men who head both the tickets of the
parties are graduates of Harvard
College. have heard a good deal
about the dire results to Harvard Col
il It's president joins the democratic
party. L am glad to say that the ben.
eiac'ors OF Harvard College belong to
Doth parties and every phase of relig-
ION. Moreover, the graduates of
harvard Col eye highly respect any
man VINO forms his opinion Intelli
@ehtiy, expresses that opinion with
moderation and has the courage of his
convictions. Indeed, if were called
upon TO indicate those qualities which
the graduates OF Harvard College gen.
orally condemn in public men, should
say they lack candor in dealing with
political creeds. These qualities the
graduates of Harvard College condemn
whether they observe them in their
own comrades or In others.
"But, gentlemen, | will present
case to you of more interest. | am an
independent III politics, aud | believe
what you, as practical politicians, de.
sire to know is, how to convert few
Thousand voters from the republican t.
me democratic party, and that is Just
what has been effected in my own case
say am an independent in politics
in sense. In the first place, there
may be 1900, 200 Americans who have,
or expect to have, public employment,
out there are $4,000, 900 who know thai
It they wanted public employment
they could not get it. Ibelong to those
or ,UOO,UUO. am an, independent II.
another respect. l will remain in d
party no longer than it stands for the
principles believe in. Now, the re.
publican party has great past. 1t war
formed for the carrying out of a greal
moral idea, and it did carry it forward
TO triumph. But il fell from its high
estate, and when L found that it no
longer stood for the principles | be-
iieved i'll, felt obliged to join the op
posite party. | believe that we should
all choose between the two great par
ties OF the country and that the ina,
VINO hangs between the two, now with
one aud now with another, Is polit-
lcally without convictions. But /
think my experience may be help 10
You III converting few thousand
republicans to the democratic party.
Let me tell you what public questions |
| had Ill my mind when L joined the |
democratic party. They are all na
tloHal issues. In the first place, be- |
heYe that i'll principle | was first d |
Whig aud then republican, and almos
a protectionist. L came TO believe that |
the protective policy was false one.
came to believe that the protective
duties, So called, protected capital, but
not labor, and that even this protection
to capital was undesirable in the long |
run. Now between the republican
policy, as regards taxes, and the dem
ocratlc policy, the Issues are sharply |
divided, and any man who holds to INV |
opinions on those issues must Join the |
democratic party.
81 believe that the reform of the civil |
service Is OF vital interest to this coun-
try ana that no government can endure |
the public shame of a corruption fund
derived from the salaries of the serv.
ants OF the government. Now, on that |
issue, what is the record of the republi |
can party as compared with the record |
OF the democratic party? Have we not |
seen the public service degenerating
more and more, and i'm these last series
OF years worse than all? Have we no,
seen the democratic administration of
the public service the best we have
ever hadI No intelligent man will be-
lIeve in relying upon the professions
OF party when its public acts betray
them. We must rely upon the public
acts OF the men in the party. Is there
no difference between the administra-
ton of Grover Cleveland and of Ben.
'amin Harrison on that issue2 And |
have another reason to give, which is
peculiar TO myself. | have not heard
il spoken of by any public men, nor
have L seen II mentioned in the news
papers. l am firm believer i'm the
ustness and expediency of pension
system, l believe in pensioning, not
only the soldiers and the sailors who
have served their country in the arm,
and the NV, ont III D. nsionIug all
public servants who drsei We well of
he country, and hold ii ir be a hid.
eous wrong Inflicted upon he public
hat the pension system, Instituted tor
he soldiers aud sailors hn served
heir country on the field of battle, mas
been prostituted to the worst purposes.
I on cannot Iell now whether a peu-
'loner was brave man or Il cowardly
ieserter. You cannot tell whether he q
'eceived an honorable wound or con-
racted catarrh 90 years after the
var was ended. Yon cannot tell
whether he is pauper who has foisted
upon the nation. 1t Is a crime
Igainst the country, and il is repub-
lean administration that has brought f
10 this condition. What administra. T.
ion has striven to stem this tide of t
that has tended to degrade C
he service of the country? 1t was v
IrOver Cleveland's. | would do eyery- (
hing in nv power to get chance to ii
Ote for Grover Cleveland for president :
# the United States, because he did o
Vhat he could TO restore the pension a
ystem TO an honorable standing. But a
hese are national issues, and we are g.
sked what they have to do with the o
tate campaign. think it very fool 0
IN question. 1t gave an excellent r.
pportunity for such debates as our t
andidate conducted year ago, and v
'hich he is about to conduct again IN fl
ne interests of the commonwealth, tC
81 have one thing to regret as presi- 8,
ent of Harvard College at the opening tt
this campaign. 1t is that a graduate t,
Harvard College should have de- &
lined public encounter, and | was "
,mewhat astonished at the reason a
lven for this refusal. 1t was stated O
lat this custom OF holding Joint de.
ates was a southern practice, and that fs
this account it must seem to the "
nople of Massachusetts undesirable,
was practice in the southern states. ]
is true, and it was a manly practice,
ut should think the republican man. g,
gers might have remembered the N
'eatest debate that ever occurred in N
lis Countrywide debate between Lin. n
I'm and Douglas-and | could have "
lshed that the representatives of the et
publicans could have considered the Il
iample of Abraham Lincoln good to
lough for them." 50
AL the conclusion of President EIiot's
marks the assemblage arose ana gave OF
G orator three cheers and a tiger. P
Hat INsIDU0Us PENSION FEVER. ell