Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-08-13
a CHANGE OF POLITICS.

Kx-ConKressman Harrison Kelley Joins the
Peoples Party-His Explanation
ToPEKA. Kan, Aug. "A letter from
Harrison Kelley, ex-congressman from
this district, in VIII ch he renounces the
republican party and declares that in
the future he will be found fighting
with PETER, Polk and Simpson. has
created more talk in political circles
than any event of the past few months.
Mr.. Kelley's letter was in response to .
communication from Mai Hudson, edit
or of the Topeka Capital. requesting
him to deny a statement published in
peoples party paper concerning his po-
litical faith.
Mr.. Kelley says: Permit me to say
that have never voted any other than
the straight republican ticket. when
such a ticket was in the field, for ma
tional. state or local officers; was
republican of the strictest sect, and be-
cause it was the party of liberty, the
party of progress, the party of the
people, the party that favored and stood
for equal rights. the party of the
masses and against the classes, the
party that printed on its banners and
Incorporated in its platform the princi-
piles of free and fair ballot to every
legal voter, the party that pledged
its most sacred honor in the Chicago
platform of 1855, that if the people re-
stored it to power in all the branches of
the national government. it would en-
act laws, and enforce them. that would
protect the voters everywhere under
the flag from the murderous violence
and assassinations that had been prac-
ticed upon the republican voters in
several of the southern states by the
democratic party until the leaders were
in their bloody graves or exiled, and a
licau party there.
1.-The hope of seeing the pledge re-
deemed caused many repu bhcans in the
south to hold aloft the banner of re-
publicanism at the cost of their lives,
and many of them went down in death
and others went out in Punishment for
the success of the cause. The republic
an party was successful; it took pos
session of the government in all its
branches; no law whatever was made
or enacted to give protection to voters
in the south; the peace of the grave
yard reigns there in five states.
the pledge of the Republican
party is unredeemed, and in
mockery and derision it is written on
the tombstones Of the republican vic
Tins by their democratic assassins
The fond hope that this sacred pledge
would be redeemed caused my unfalter-
ing adherence to the republican party
until the adjournment of the last con-
gress. when the hope vanished, as the
republican opportunity to enact it into
law had forever passed
For years past have not been UNI
aware of abuses growing up in the re-
publican organization, as well as in the
democratic party. 1 have done my ut
most to help correct those abuses with
in the party lines
Il have done my best to encourage
the organization of the Farmers Alli-
ance for the last two years, advising
them to operate within the old party line
as the best method of securing redress:
they thought otherwise and cut loose
from the old parties I now see their
vision was clearer than mine, their wis
dom greater. I have advocated in the
halls of congress and else every
thing embodied in the platform of the
peoples party except the sub-treasury
and land loan schemes. These 1 do
not indorse, but believe the govern
ment should increase by the free coin
age of silver and issue of paper cur
rency the volume of money in the coun-
try to double what it is now, gradually,
in the next three years.
''Favoring these measures and be-
lieving their enactment into law would
result in great benefit to the American
people. and both the old parties having
rejected them. the logical thing for me
to do is to support the party that favors
them, the peoples party. which do "