The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-09-07
Renounces Democracy.

Frank L. WEIGH:
The time has, believe, arrived at which
should give expression to some OF the opinions I
have long entertained concerning public ques-
tions and you as q true and tried friend have
long been cognizant of my position and convic-
tions Of and concerning political questions as
we'll as parties have for some months been
convinced that my duty as man and as citi-
zen required that cast away my political afhli-
atoms and assume new ones more in accord
with my convictions of what will constitute
good government and an honest administration
of our governmental affairs.
1 fully realize that in so doing my motives will
be questioned and my action criticised; be this
as II may, 1 claim the full rights of an American
citizen the right to act in accordance with the
dictates Of my own conscientious convictions of
what is right and proper for me to do In the
premises. Every man in this great country Is,
thank God, the keeper Of his ownconscience and
the guardian of his own free political action.
This right claim for myself. 1t may not be out
of place for me at this time to state some of the
reasons upon which base my refusal to longer
obey the lash of the democratic party.
In my humble judgment the ex-Union soldier
is entitled to the highest gratitude and consid-
| Grafton of the American people: for by reason
of their valor and patriotism, free government
| is, with us, no longer theory, it is an estab-
! lished fact. For these brave men have always
| entertained the warmest and most sincere affec-
| ton. 1 can support no man or measure or de-
| fend any political party that traduces the good
| name and honorable service of the ex-Union
soldier, or that trifes with the just right of the
! soldier or that attempts to nullify the obliga
| tions of the American people toward the old
veterans. soldiers pension, deliberately
| granted by this government should stand as q
final judgment against the government, and
should be respected and treated as such by the
| government, and the pension paid the bene-
| fciary thereof, until the government Is able to
| disapprove the soldiers right under the law to
his pension. Upon what principle Of justice
| can the authorities at Washington, upon the
| slightest suspicion that fraud or improper
| practice existed or was resorted to in procuring
pension, without proof or hearing, impeach its
own deliberate judgment, suspend the old vet
| GRAMS pension and cast upon him the burden of
again establishing his right to his pension9
This perniciOus practice was unheard of until
! Hoke Smith was made secretary of the interior,
This nefarious practice in the administration of
| our pension laws is ut war with reason and COM
mon honesty and justly merits the condemna-
ton OF the American people. "a -
The democratic party came into power the
protested friend of silver; they had placed 1t in
their platform and said to the people, 1--WE hold
to the use of both gold and silver as the stand.
ard money OF the country, and the coinage of
both gold land silver without discrimination
against either metal or charge OF mintage."
The people understood this as declaration in
favor Of liberal legislation in favor of silver and
entrusted them. with power. They were no
sooner in power than this solemn pledge was Vi.
olated The Sherman law was at once repealed
| Though bad enough, this was better than no law
at all on the subject for the reason that il
operated to expand the money Of the country
to the extent of the monthly purchases of silver
The party in power have not only destroyed
what silver legislation they found on the,statute
books, but have refused to enact free coinage
law to take the place of the Sherman law, or to
enact silver legislation of any kind not even for
the coinage of the segniorage now in the treas
ury. I ever have been.and now am a believer
in the free coinage of silver, at least the product
of our own mines. Thus has the party in power
placed its disapproval on all silver legislation
and "by their fruits we shall know them" and
hold them to be enemies of silver.
After long months of contention, during which
party in power passed tariff law that is so full
OF errors and imperfectons that many special
acts are required to render it intellgable-a law
which at its best is a miserable makeshift rep
resenting nobody's opinion of honest and just
tariff legislation; law that will not in the least
better the conditions of American people; a law
that is sectional and almost destructive of many
Of the great industries of the country; law
| tbot ind
sheriff and sugar trust; law which the demo
cratic president has declared to be tainted with
corruption and peridy. Let those defend this
measure who can find satisfactory reasons fol
so doing; for myself can find no reasons why
should defend measure which represents
fraudulent, corrupt bargain with the sugar
trust.
Upon what principle can the American farmer
be compelled to sell the product Of his flock il
competition with the nations of the earth ant
the next month or year by force of the same Law
be compelled to purchase the same wool wher
made into cloth or q garment, with tariff duty
added. This seems to illustrate the inequality
of this so-called reform tariff law
The fundamental law of the land provide.
that the congress shall have power to levy ant
collect taxes, duties, impost and excuses" etc
and it is under this clause of the constitution
that all tariff legislation finds it's support in the
fundamental law OF the country 1t is by means
of tariff, t. c., duties levied on foreign imports
that the American people, from the foundation
OF the government, have sought, and in fact
have raised the principal part OF their nationa
revenue. This method, early established an(
so long practiced, will doubtless continue as az
established doctrine in American politics. 1t il
upon the method of assessing these duties tina
contention arises something like four hundred
million dollars must be raised each year b.
means of these duties, and the question, as
view 1t, becomes q practical one of how best L
adjust these duties, so as to raise the needed
revenue and at the same time bear as lightly a,
possible on our own people, and deal as justl,
as we can by all classes and conditions of tn,
people,
There are, believe, at least three theories
by which tariff duties may be adjusted. Tn,
method contended for by o large per cent of on
political economists IS that all tariff dutie,
shall be levied upon imported goods of genera
necessity, and upon such articles as are not pro
duced in this country at all. This method lay
the whole burden upon the necessaries of tn,