Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-05-07
A DEMOCRATS OPINIONS.
Captain e J. Harding on Silver and
The Tariff Oueation.

The Tariff Question.
Capt. f. J. Harding was In the
Indian wars of 1855 at the bead Of
company A, and in the war Of the Re
bellion, and he was ct the head Of COM
pany B., first Oregon Calvary. He
paid S7S7 taxes this year and came
within about tweny five votes of being
elected county judge in 1892. He wss
clerk Of courts for eight years and for
six years held the office of clerk of the
q. s. district court, first judicial district
comprising all the Willamette valley.
The first judge was o. c. Pratt; next
came Judge ThOa Nelson; next Geo.
H. Williams; next R z. Boise, all
u1der the territorial government.
Coming to Oregon in 1850 and now
owning and farming about two thou
sand acres, and always Democrat,
Mr. Harding's opinions are of some
interest upon public questions. He was
seen by JOURNAL writer in the city
the other day aud responded to various
inquiries as follows:
"I am not taking any hand in
politics this year. state, county or
national. The Cleveland administra-
lion seems to haye no use for Oregon
Democrats since its experience with
appointments during the term before
Harrison.
II think the tariff question is good
deal Of q humbug. We don't get our
supplies as farmers any cheaper with
the tariff on or the tariff off. Wool at
ten cents pound docs not give yeu
yard of cloth cent cheaper than when
wool was four bits pound. The man
who buys the manufactured product
never experiences the benefit of cheap
raw material. The way to benefit him
is to let manufactured goods come in
free. II we are 20 have free trade In
wool give US free trade In woolens also.
''Silver fiuctuates too much to ever
be a stable national currency. An
ounce is worth q dollar today, so cents
tomorrow, and no free coinage arrange
billty fatal to security.
"If wool was 25 or 80 cents pound
aud wheat dollar bushel we would
all have all the money we want and
there would be some scarcity OF farm
labor in place of unemployed armies
about our state platforms, l do not
know what is in them. They don't
amount to anything, and no one reads
them for information as to what men
or parties are going to do when elected.
ave do not need constitutional
convention. There is plenty of con-
stitution on hand already made, IL it
was lived up to, to last for many years
to come. We need some way to stop
officials taking double their constitu-
tional salaries, or fees that amount to
the same. There is very little atten-
ton paid 10 a constitution except to
take advantage of it for purpose of
gain"
''The counties and the state all vio-
late the limit set by the constitution
about going in debt"
al have heard and read of the initia-
tive and referendum. There is moth
ing in it. The people have altogether
too much voting to do now. You can
not right abuses by voting. You must
overcome the tricksters and schemers
who are behind the abuses before You
can reforLn them. Political tricksters
will control the voter just as they do
now. AS farmer l have no confidence
In the referendum. Not a particle.
The people will get no relief from any
new parties. They have got to get
right down and dig for reforms If they |
get any"