The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-09-16
GEN. I. N. HARRIS,
OF Ritchie County, Father OF Hon,
j. 4. Harris, Private Secretary
to Senator ElkinS,
And an Old War Hero, Republican,
and dPensiOn Agent Under Grant,
Declares for Silver. Bryan. Watts
and the Whole Democratic Ticket.
A Christian. Soldier and Friend of
Lincoln and Grant.
Read whatHe HeSaysand PonderoverIt.
HARn1sy1DDE, w. VA,
Mnlter pendleton, Esq., Spencer, "

now living in Ritchie Co., that was
born here. am now in my S4th
year, and should live and keep my
health until after the election i will
then have voted 10 times for presi-
dent of the U. s. My father was a
whig, and as sons then, even more
than now, took their politics from their
fathers, 1 started in my political life,
as citizen, with that party. When
the war broke out, L cast in my lot
with the Republican, party, because L
accepted the principles of the Repub-
lican platform, and was loyal to the
union of the States. Later L became
a prohibition party man; because
believed in the prohibition of the liq-
uor traffic as the religious duty of the
nation; and because thought it prac-
ticable to build up aparty on that
issue that could wipe out this eVil.H
Observation and experience have con-
vInced me that in this have been
mistaken, and that it cannot be done
in. that way, because we have already
recruited all of the voters of the ma
tion whose conscientious convictions
on this subject are strong enough TO
control their votes, and so we can
only grow by awakening the national
conscience on this subject, and my
conviction is that this can be nccomp-
lished more successfully through 9th
er than partyagcncies. expect now
II live, to vote the democratic ticket
for the first time in my life, at the
coming election. / shall do this, be
cause, with Mr.. Bryan, 1 believe In
every word and syllable of the Chica-
90 platform. 1t would seem from the
above that / have made many chang
es in my party relations. All the eN-
planation / have to offer is, that
have always tried to inform myselfon
the issues of the day, and have always
followed the dictates of my Judgment
and my conscience. With me parties
are nothing but instruments ormeans
through which ends are to be attain
ed; and so, principles are everything,
political party organizations only sec
ondary-through all of these changes
have always been n democrat and
always IL republican according to the
genesis and true meaning OF these
terms; and so, being one of the com
mon people," | have always looked to
the welfare of the working masses,
who created the wealth of the coun-
try, and against the aristocratic class
es. who contrive SO to control legisla-
tion as to enable them to clutch from
its proper owners, without compensn-
tion the wealth they have created.
charge the Republican party with
having departed from the faith OF its
founders in it's policy of class legisla-
tion, dictated by the men of wealth,
and wealthy corporations, in their
own interest, and by which the rich
are rapidly becoming richer, and the
Door poorer. The fact that less than
one-fifth of our population owns one
half the wealth of the country cannot
be accounted for without the advan-
tages OF legislation thus secured.
This process of unjust transfer OF
wealth from the hands that produced
1t, to the pockets of those VINO never
produced n dollar was inaugurated by
legislation that the exigencies OF the
war seemed to justify; but the hold
thus obtained has never been relax
ed, but the grip has been made tight
er and tighter until now Lombard
street and Wall street have our gov
ernment by the throat, and assumes
to dictate its financial policy, policy
which, IL continued, must reduce the
toilers of our country to Il condition
of serfdom.
The Chicago platform is the result
of an uprising of the people to pre-
In
of our country is great thing, and
the people are right is seeking it;
but the preservation of the liberties
of our people through the perpetua-
tion of our republican form OF gov
ernlnent is a much greater thing, and
this is the very question involved in
our present contest. The Republican
nominee for Governor spoke here yes
terday, making an "ad captanduih
speech, in which there was not scin-
tilla of honest argument; but an utter
and reckless disregard of truth in very
many of his statements. In his con
tention that the alleged crime OF 10
had never been committed, he show
ed himself to be ignorant OF the his
tory OF that legislation, or willing TO
deceive his audience at the expense Oh
truth. In his treatment of the ques-
tion of free coinage he reiterated OBJ
iections that have been refuted
hundred times. In fact he did not
get down to the underlying principle
of any proposition that he discussed,
or rather pretended to discuss. 1t
must be admitted, in candor, i
should have said above, that the
Democratic party has made itself
equally guilty with the Republican
party, in that, when it was in power,
Il did not correct this tendency to "a