The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-10-09
RENOUNcES THE g. o. p.
One Of virginia's Ex Governors Tells Why
lie HISS Left the Republican, Party.


One Of virginia's Ex Governors Tells why
lie HISS Left tho Republican Party.
The following il Ex-Governor Will
lam L Cameron's letter announcing
his determination to leave the Repub-
iican ranks:
To w. s. DAsHIEIJ. ESQ. Richmond, Va
Dear Sir: I have been taught BY the events Of
eighteen months past that men Of our ante
,cdents and convictions can no longer. with
sclfrcspect lend our voices our votes or even
the negative support Of silence to the Repub-
tican party as 1t Is expounded by the organiza-
tion in this State or rs II Is administered by
the present executive and legislative depart
nents Of the United States Government.
The Republican party preserves no longer
the semblance OF speaking for the entire
country, but bases its claim to supremacy on
sectional prejudices and sectional interests,
pure and simple. Not only So but the direct
Drs Of its policy have not hesitated In the at
tainment OF their ends to prostitute the plight
ed faith Of the party in sight Of all the world
and 10 renOunce in their Congressional enact
ments the promises solemnly made to the Chi
cago platform. They stand selfconyiCted. not
only Of false pretense and punic faith, but Of
mathematical malignancy In seeking to retain
rower by awakening the war sentiment at the
North and West. and by resurrecting all the
stock phrases Of fansticism and sectionalism
which could stir the South into resentment and
retort. This object was and Is to force the
lighting as between solid North and solid
South. and at the same time to use the small
contingent Of Southern Republicans in Con
gress to minimize the power Of the South by
such political denominations as the Lodge bill,
and by so framing q tariff law under prctext Of
protection to American labor and American
products) - to. increase every burden OF the
customs upon the weaker section, and rs 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 Gtterancos 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-
tivVs and the chairman Of the committee which
framed the tarin bill, and the action Of the Sen
ate In regard to the tobacco clause, constitutes
an open declaration Of war against Southern
development, and We must realize that this
action apart from its inherent injustice IL . de
liberite, wanton and absolute falsification Of q
solemn promise given to the tobacco States by
the National convention.
The record on the Blair bill is no better. and
the tariff act. with its so-called revision and
equalization OF import duties. bristles with
determinations against the South and those
industries and products in which Southern Re
publcans have the same interest as Southern
Democrats. The Lodge bill IS miscalled the
force BILL" because in operation It would be
impossible Of enforcement to the ends pre-
tendedly sought. To enact 1t would be to par
alyze the commercial progress Of the entire
country and to set back Southern develop
ment. in which Northern capital is large
iy engaged, half century But the
main sufferer would be the negro. who
by this vicious effort to neutralize in
evitable conditions, would be deprived o
all the safeguards which now surround
him. Personally and politically he would be
come the scape goat in a local strife In whicl
Mr.. Lodge and Mr. Reed would have no coneerl
and no infiuesce. The passage Of this act int
law would be public calamity. Its passage b.
the majority OF the House OF Representative
fixes the responsibility on the Republican par
| ty. The call for . halt by Senator Quay in tn,
Senate only voices the protest Of a frightene'
| financial and commercial North and onl
proves that Mr. Quay is afraid to risk this cam
| paign on an issue which one section would re
| gard as y blunder and the other as = crime.
see no reason to believe that the Presiden
has not been IN active sympathy with all tina
| his party has done and left undone in Congress
| His own performances have not. however, beel
| one whit in advance Of the legislative depart
/ ment He has done nothing south Of Mason
and Dixon's line since his inauguration excep
to recognise with reluctance that any sue
country existed. His appointments with jus
i a few enough honorable variations to prove tn,
rule, have been Of men not representative i
character, influence or capacity He has show
| utter inaptitude to square his actions with hi
utteranccs. his performances with his prom
ses his principles with his prcjudices, or hi
status with his statue He has been the instr,
| mcnt. willing or unwilling. Of the machine els
ments Of his party, and for want Of bold an
| brave and catholic action he has made himscl
| responsible for the fact that in the North an
West there is a divided Republican party an
that in the South there is none worthy Of tn
| name.
After less than two years Of his administrs
| tion. Mr. Harrison has removed the last vestig
with which we had hoped that the Republica
party by fostering an American policy, by sui
ordinating the past to the present, by elua
| consideration for all sections, by removal Of III
necessary burdens Of taxation, might prove i
| self the rcstorer Of the Union as well rs tn
prcserver OF the Federal Government
II is not worth while for one man or on
thousand men to seek to stay the current {
| partisanry which has swept Republicanisl
from its legitimate mOorings. But one thin
| remains in my Judgment for Us to dO-fOr me
who recognize q higher duty than that whic
| can be expressed by party name-and this
is to free ourselves from all part and lot with
| party which has no faith too sacred for yiol;
tion and recognizes no pledge rs too solem
to be broken. can not lend myself to the ol
| preston Of my people, and II there Is no poll
ical organization which meets the full measul
OF our approval We can ~ least leave tn,
which violates our every idea OF right and sent
| ment
Not presuming to set up for any other ma
or set OF men a standard Of duty. and willing
concedc to every one else that freedom
thought and action have always claimed I,
myself. my resolve, founded on . desire to /
true to myself and my country. is to refuse a
sympathy or cooperation with the Republics
party In the crusade against this section whil
1t now espouscs and under the leadership
which II submits. Sincerely your friend
WILLIAM f. CAMERON.