Sharp County record., 1890-10-16
mh. cAMERoHs LETTER.
IN. oe yirgfnia's Ex-Governo.s Tells Why
He Has Ler the Republican Party.

He Has Lefs the Kepublcan fssJ'
The following IS Ex-Governor Will |
IAN e Canerun's letter announcing |
MS Determination to leave the Repub- !
lean ranks.
To W : DAsHIzLI- Esq, Richmond, Va
Dg1- Sir. have been taught 5Y the events OF
,f-htseu months past that men OF our ante
,rfsu-s sad Convictions can no longer Win I
Prospect. lend our voices, our votes or even
The uegatfvs support Of silence TO the Eepun-
icau party as it ts eXpounded bg the organlza-
ion in this State OF az it IS administered o7
the present executive and legislative depart
r,erts q the United States Government
TIE Republican party preserves 10 longer
the semhlanee Of speaking for the entire
country. but bases It's claim TO supremacy on
sectional preIUdices and sectional interests,
cure guG simple Not only so, but the alrecI-
srs RI t5s policy have not hesitated IN the at
taiuueut Ct tter ends TO prostitute The plight
81 faith Of the party IN sight OF al the Wor!d
and q. rgrouuce in their Congressional enact
ueu-s The promises soIem1lY made TO the chi
caru platform. They stand sefeonVlCted not
cuL7 Of false preteuse and puntc taItn, OUT OF
mathematical ualignancY IN seeking TO retain
uCwer By awakening the war sentiment az tns
North and West and By resurrectlng al the
stock phrases Of fauaticlsm aud sectlouaLsm
which could stir the South into resentment and
retorI. This object was and IS to force tne
fighting as between solid North and sold
south. and at the same time TO use the small
contingent Of Southern Republicans IL Con-
grsss 20 minimize the power Of the South og
such political abominatiOns as the Lodge OIL,
and By so framing tariff law under pretextof OF
protection to American labor and American
rrofrcts} a. TO increase every burden Of the
customs upon the weaker section, and IS TO
leave in force in all its shameless inequality
the revenue tax upon the tobacco Of virginia,
Carolina Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri,
Maryland and Florida
The utterances Of Mr. Mckinley on the floor
Of the House, he the patron Of the Chicago plat
form and the leader Of the House Of Representa-
ttves and the chairman Of the committee which
framed the tariff bill. and the action Of the Sen
ate in regard to the tobacco clause constitutes
IN open declaration Of war against Southern
deveIopuenr. and We must realize that this
action apart from it's inherent injustice is a de-
.iberate, wanton and absolute Justification Of
/ solemn promise given to the tobacco States BY
the National convention
The record on the Blair bill is 70 better, and
the tariff act, with It's so-calIed revision and
equalization o. import duties, bristles with
determinations against the South and those
industries and products in which Southern Re
pubEcaus have the same interest as Southern
Democrats. The Lodge bill Is misealled the
force bill because in operation it would be
| impossible Of enforcement to the ends pre-
teudedIy sought. To enact II would be TO par
aIyze the commercial progress Of the entire
country and to set back Southern de7elop-
meuE, in which Northern capital is large
/ IL engaged half century. But the
main sufferer would be the negro who,
by this vicious effort 10 neutraliZe in
evitabIe conditions, would be deprived Of
all the safeguards which now surround
| him. Personally and politically he would be-
come the scape goat in a local strife in which
/ Mr.. Lodge and Mr.. Reed would have no concern
sud no influence. The passage Of this act into
law would be . public calamity. Its passage by
| the majority Of the House Of Representatives
/ fixes the responsibility on the Republican par.
| ty. The call for halt by Senator Quay in the
| Senate only voices the protest Of frightened
| financial and commercial North, and only
proves that Mr.. Quay is afraid to risk this cam.
| paigu on on issue which one section would re
| gard as q bIunder and the other as a crime
| see no reason to believe that the Presiden:
has not been in active sympathy with all that
] his party has done and left undOhs in Congress-
| His own performances have not however, been
one whit in advance OF the legislative depart
ment. He has done nothing south Of Mason's
and Dixou's line since his Inauguration, except
to recognize with reluctance that any such
country existed. His appointments with Just
few enough honorable variations TO prove the
rule, have been Of men not representative in
character, influence or capacity He has shown
utter lnaptltude TO square his actions with his
| utterances, his performances with his prom
ises, his principles with his preiudices, or his
status with his statue. He has been the instru-
meut, willing or unwilling OF the machine ele
ments Of his party, and for want Of bold and
brave and catholic action he has made himself
responsible for the fact that in the North and
West there is a divided Republican party and
that IN the South there is none worthy Of the
name.
After less than two years Of his administra-
ton, Mr.. Harrison has removed the last vestige
with which we had hoped that the Republican
party, by fostering an American policy, by sub
ordlnating the past TO the present, by equal
consideration for all sections, by removal Of un
| necessary burdens OF taxation, might prove it.
self the restorer Of the Union as well as the
presesver Of the Federal Government
1t is not worth while for one man or one
thousand men to seek TO stay the current Of
partisanry which has swept RepubHcauism
from its legitimate moorings. But one thing
remains In my Judgment for US to do-for men
who recognize higher duty than that which
can be expressed by party name-and that
Is TO free ourselves tlom all part and lot with o
party which has no faith too sacred for viola.
tton and recognizes no pledge as too solemn
TO be broken. l eau not lend myself to the Cd.
preston Of my people, and II there is no polit.
ical organization which meets the full measure
OF our approval we can at least leave that
which violates our every idea Of right and senti.
ment.
Not presuming TO set up for any other man
or Set OF men standard OF duty, and willing to
concSde 10 every one else that freedom OF
thought and action have always claimed for
myself my resolve, founded on desire 10 be
true to myself and my country, Is to refuse all
sympathy or cooperation with the Republican
party In the crusade against this section which
II now espouses and under the leadership to
which II submits. Sincerely your friend,
WILLIAM f. CAMERON,
CONGRESSIONAL LYING.