The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-09-02
THE LATE JAMES NJ. TURNER ON
THE FINANCIAL POLICY OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THE FINANCIAL POLICY OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
OF the many distinguished Repub.
licans who promptly repudiated the
gold plank of the St. Louis platform,
none spoke with greater emphasis
and power than the Hon. James
NJ. Turner, of Michigan. Immediate.
ly after the "revolt" of the Detroit
Tribune Mr.. Turner wrote to that
able paper the following letter:
To the Editor: I believe that you
fairly expressed the sentiments o'
three-fourths of the republicans o.
the State OF Michigan i'll your able
editorial of this date on the fnancia
plank of the St. Louis platform, which
is the eliminating i,nfamy of this age
-Four years ago the party made i
platfoi IN at Minneapolis which was il
accord with all former platforms, and
told US ip effect to 80 forth and
preach the doctrine of bimetallism
and protection which has always been
taught by the republican party.
Now, in 1896, the men who ad-
hered to that doctrine are to be con-
sidered without the pale OF the party.
1t only goes to show that organized
selfshness and greed are in tue sad
die and with the aid OF foreign syndi-
Gates expect to run the country as il
has been run for the past four years,
only the troubles and distress of the
common people will, of course, be in
tensifed.
When Vanderbilt sent his hired
man, Depew, up to Detroit, to the
last state convention of the republi-
can party to instruct the party in
Michigan how Vanderbilt and bis
pIutocratic friends desired the party
platform to be formed, it BODIED no
good to the plain people, and I
noticed that when it came to the
selection of the delegates to the St.
Louis convention, with the one excep-
ton of one colored man, no one but
gentleman interested in banks were
permitted to 80 as delegates.
DISHONEST TO FARMERS.
Although in the past perhaps
one-half of the republican votes of
Michigan have come from the farmers,
not single farmer OF representa-
tive of the producers of Michigan was
permitted to go upon the delegation.
Even Cyrus G. Luce, whom the peo-
pie have delighted to honor and "the
greatest Roman of them ALL was
promptly turned down for pot-house
politician and banker in order that
no mistake in the programe could be
made at st. Louis.
Gentleman so intent upon adopt
ing the ever increasing gold standard
of value seem to lose sight of the fact
that whenever the money is put NJ
the property and all products are
correspondingly put down, and that
there is 42 times as much property
to go down rs there is money to go
up. It can readily be seen from this
which would promote the greatest
good to the greatest number. Mich
igan farmers believe in honest
money; they also believe in honest
prices, but they have seen little OF
the latter of late years.
They have been raising honest
wheat and corn and oats and potatoes,
but they have received dishonest
prices for them because they have
measured Of late by the gold standard
which is rapidly pauperizing the pro-
ducers of this country. An attempt
was made at St. Louis to convince
the people that the Mckinley idea
alone would restore prosperity; but
Michigan farmers will remember that
in the distress of the past few years
a great portion of the time the Nc
kinley bill was in full force, but with
out a circulating medium to do the
business Of the country it afforded
but little relief.
The reports Of our Secretary OF
State show that since the last report
tenant farmers have increased in the
south tier Of counties to the number
6,533. This indicates something OF
the process that is going on here in
Michigan. Republicans have charged
Cleveland and Carlisle with the res
possibility of this condition for their
Infamous financial policy, and the
arraignment at st. Louis of this ad-
ministration is most scatching, as it
should be; then the convention delib-
erately indorsed the financial policy
inaugurated by Cleveland and Car
Isle, of which we have been COM
planning.
I believe that the people generally
want protection, and all parties are
now convinced that certainly enough
revenue should be raised to pay the
expenses of the government; but will
lifelong Republicans vote their chill
dren into slavery for the purpose OF
insuring protection? That is a ques-
ton which each man must settle for
himself. I was born and bred a Re.
publican, and have been a Republi-
can all my life, and I shall preach the
doctrine that has been taught to me
by the party in the past and not the
new departure that was adopted at
St. Louis, which I believe if adhered
to would be destructive to the best
interests of humanity and would in