The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-10-28
A.FOrmer Democrat Gives his
::ReasOns for Leaving
g. that Party.
His Eyes have been Opened by Indis.
putable Facts TO the Error Of his
Political Ways.

views and vote with the reverse party?
Critics always have it that he wants a
pension or an appointment to some
office. These statements are not always
true. They were not so, at least in my
case had always voted the Democrat
ticket up till '92, when began to weak
en- on the free trade policy. Although l
said but little, my sympathies were with
the Republican ticket in '93 and '94.
And when, in '96, Mr.. Bryan was chosen
by the Populist and free silver Demo.
Gratis, and the free and unlimited coin
age Of silver policy adopted, l had no
further use for them. And, made
bold to so express myself. This con
clusion was not reached for the pur
pose of luck or aggrandizement Neither
was it for the purpose of getting the
Post Office here-which would be an in.
cumbrance to me--or any other appoint.
ment as the critics would have it, but
from practical principles. And the evi
dence will bear me out in this respect
At the time expressed myself as op.
posed to Mr. Bryan and his financial
polic.l, everything was going Bryanward
1t was Just after he had been placed in
nomination and everything pointed to
his election. l also believed it. Lead
ing Republicans conceded that if the
people could not be made to see the
danger OF his financial policy, that
he would go in with whirl. Therefore
il does not stand to reason that | would
vote against man who would likely be
at the head OF the appointing power
with the expectation of being appointed
to some position No. l guess not. l
would be trying to have him elected, SO
that might stand in a favorable alti.
tude with his administration.
AS before stated, my opposition to
MIR. Bryan was based on political princi
Piles. 1t was plain to me that the Pop
ulists were trying to ride into power on
the shoulders of deluded Democrats
For was it not fact that the Populist
first began to herald the free silver doc.
trine? And is it not a fact that had
MIR, Bryan been elected, that a dispute
would have arisen as to whom the hon.
or was due? And furthermore, with
these probable things staring US in the
face. is it not further TACT, that had
Mr.. Bryan been elected one of the worst
panics would have swept over this coun.
try that it ever experienced instead OF
pf tho pou cottlo1 cop5itiop Uitb bu si.
ness revivipg Men of business would
be standing on the street corners and in
the market places discussing the prob.
able outcome OF the Bryanite policy.
With money at rest and business at
standstill, the laboring man would have
cursed the day when he voted for such
conditions.
When examined the Congressional
work of Mr.. Bryan, and read some of his
views as expressed on the floor of Con.
gress relative to the money question,
felt sure that he would not be safe man
at the head of this nation. He seemed |
to me to be dreamer, a man of vivid
inauguration, hasty in his utterances,
ready to build castles in the air and
make his followers think they would
stand. For instance, take his statement
made on the floor of the House of Rep
resentatives relating to the honest dol
lar, and see the visionary weakness of it.
He said that We had no such thing as an
honest dollar, for the reason that a dol
lar that would not buy as much one
year hence of the products OF the earth
as it does today would be a dishonest
dollar. That it should always buy as
much corn, wheat &c, one year with
another, regardless of an abundance or
scarcity. The law of an all wise God
cut no figure. Ii he sent US plenty, it
should take as much money to purchase
what We consumed as il a famine
had visited us. 1t is hardly necessary
TO comment on this childish statement
The only wonder to me is that all think
ing Democrats did not do as / did, ignore
both him and his policy. and come to
the front for that thinker and statesman,
VIM. Mckinley.
Last fall you could purchase four
bushels of potatoes for 81 90. This fall
you can only get two. Why? Because
the Republican party is in power and
our doilar dishonest? leave it for you
to answer. We were told from the Bry.
an stump, not once but often, that if
Mckinley should be elected, wheat
would 20 to 335c. per bushel, pork,
500 per hundred. When reminded
that shor'd VIC have failure in these sta
Piles, the price might 20 the other way,
the answer always was that it made no
difference 80 long as we had dear mon.
ey, the fuctuating conditions of the sea.
sons would amount to nothing How