The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-05-03
HE Is 4 DEMOCRAT.
PRESIDENT ELIOT. OF HARVARD Uni
vERsITN. 50 DECLARES HIasEIF.
a Powerful st.tsmset Of I'll. Palitic al
Prfneipl~.-

| A Powerful statsmest OF His Politiea
Prineipi~.-
| National Democrat, issL oS, l>ss n
l.before a great company ASSEMBLED
at the regular dinner Of the Ba,
State Club in Boston On Saturda,
evening last, President Eliot, of Har
ward University, announced that b,
had Joined the Democratic party
We give his remarks:
"As president of Harvard Univer
sity, | tind myself in this campaign
IN position of singular parriality
Laughter.) The Presidents of both
political conventions, the gentlemen
who wrote both platforms, and both
candidates for the governorship ar,
graduates of Harvard College
daughter and applause.) | hav,
received lately good deal of gratu.
ltous advice through the public
prints as TO the dire consequences
which might befall Harvard Univer-
slty if Its president should publicly
JOIN the Democratic party, but am
happy to say that the benefactors
and supporters of Harvard College
belong TO both parties and 90 all re-
liglons. (Prolonged applause.
Moreover, the graduates of Harvard
College respect any man, no matter
to what party he belongs, who forms
his opinions intelligently, expresses
them with moderation and has the
courage Of his convictions. Great
.pplause.l
''lf | were called upon to indicate
those qualities which the graduates
Of Harvard generally condemn in
public men, | should say they were
lack of candor in the expression of
political opinions and political COW
ardice. tremendous applause
These faults, believe, the vast ma.
jority of the graduates of Harvard
College emphatically condemn Zap,
planse) whether they observe them
in their own comrades or in others
"But ! present myself to you, gen,
tlemen, as case of some interest tc
practical politicians. | believe that
as practical politicians, what you de.
sire and need is to convert few
thousand voters in Massachusetts
and in few of the other States
from the Republican to the Demo
cratic party. (Laughter.) Now thai
is just what has been effected in my
case (appIause) and my reasons fol
changing my party may possibly bt
influential with others.
HIS REASONS FOR CHANGING.
81 have always been independent
in politics in two senses: In the frs
place there may perhaps be 1000,
900 of Americans who have some ex
pectations of public Office, or vagu,
desire for public employment; bu
there are 100000 who have no sucl
expectation or desire, aud who know
that if they wanted public employ
ment they could not get it. QLaugh
ter.) | belong, gentlemen, to thos,
|5S,00O,000. daughter and applause.
And | am independent in politics il
another sense. l will stay in a poll
tical party only SO long as that part,
stands for the political principle
which | believe in. Great applause.
"Now, the Republican party has
great past. 1t was formed for tn,
advancement of great moral idea
and 1t did advance that idea, ant
carried it to triumph. And SO last
ing is the force of sound mora
purpose, that thousands still cling t,
that party because of its past history
Ialthough its actual leaders have for
gotten its noble birth, abandoned it
disinteresued principles aud deserted
the standards of it, founders. Whel
| found that the Republican part
no longer stood for the politica
principles in which | believe, | fel
obliged to join the opposite party
Great applause.)
"No intelligent man will place an
reliance upon the professions of
party when Its public performance
necessarily contradict them. CAR
plause.) We must rely upon the pull
lie acts of the men who represent til
respective parties,
"But the Issues on which ! chang
are national ones, and we al
frequently asked in the pull
lie press what have these thins
to do with a State election. Th,
, seems to me to be very foolish il
a quiry. daughter and applause.)
e State election is a marshalling of tt
: forces, and it affords an excellent o.
\ portunity for public debate Qaugl
i ter and applause), for such debate
> our candidate for governor conduc
ed year ago, and is about to col
duet again, in the presence of tt
: people of the Commonwealth"
y The above clipping from the n
. tional Democrat has been sent us
!. a lifelong Democrat with reque
/ to publish. We don't know b
= object, but we are indeed glad
e publish it. It is just the dootri
that The CAUCASIAN is preschin
L Notice that President Eliot says th
1t the Republican party has gre
r past, hut that it had deserted t
= y great principles Of Lincoln and th
e therefore he left it. He said he wou
n not stay in any political party a
- : longer than it represented
v principles he believed in. He shou
1a poxx, loo vo Tho nor,ooro&.a ~o-l