The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-25
NEW YORK,s
Vacation Refieetians and Comparisons OF q
Lifeieng Republican.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: "A a
resident of the Empire State and a lifelong
Republican let me say a word as 70 our eltue-
ton politically. How indignant We have
felt OF hate as We have read Of peonage In GER
tain isolated locations IN the South ano no"
rejoiced we were In knowing that the courts
were taking action for Its suppression through
Just punishment OF the offenders, we ap-
plaudpd when sentence was pronounced on
those who had 30 offended against freedom
law, and perhaps had We worn the JUDICIAL
ermlne the sentence would nave been nehSter
and the punishment more severe. WHAT we
call peonage In the South has FOR soise years
been practised In our own State. but mere We
name 1t loyalty to party In the south IT'S
victims are few. In our great state they nre
many; they are indeed the great number VINO
by their votes have made possible our pres
sent deplorable situation. In the SCUM
peonage affected the body and controlled rs
acts. In our own case 10 has enslaveo the
mind DO that n has voiced but our MASTER
will. In the psonage camps OF tine south
the victims were restrained by lash ana pui-
let. We In our great free State nave peen
willing victims, our only chains those Of
Loyalty TO party
90 We have thought Of the glorious days gone
by-days made glorious by the large minded
men who then directed our State Affairs ana
who ftly represented US In the Senate at
Northumberland we felt that these evil days
which O come to us would shortly pass
away and we could soon again thank Goo
that we were indeed citizens OF no mean
State. We have been loyal: we have been
patient, though many Of US for come weery
months past cried, How long. o Lord! How
longi" s..
Perhaps we are not without excuse. those
of us who for q lifetime have been "loya].'
II Ia hard to sever old ties. and thenew ones
offered to us did not promise much. Then
the hope st1l remained that a change would
surely come when graspfng avarioe and
selfish, senile ambition would be overruled
and men Of honor again be at the helm as In
days gone by. OF how this hope has come
and gone. and come and gone again. 1t is need
less to speak. The same sordid ones are
still our overlords and stul manage tex
p~ressive word, that our State and national
affairs. They stand pat" and are seemingly
rooted to their places.
Are we then without hoper Ia there no
way Of escape from these our masters7 IL
there no one OF our own company who can
lead our people back to the old paths, none
70 raise up again the standard OF honesty and
purity In public life? Must we leave the
pleasant fields we have roamed In for 30 many
years, the old hearth which has sheltered us
80 long, and foregather with those we have
30 long counted as enemies OF the true feithy
Shall we be forced to company with them
whom we have so long regarded as aliens
and strangers?
We are thinking, just thinking, now. In
a few months we shall tell you our conclusions;
shall put them before you In concrete form;
we shall register them at the ballot box. Hope.
however, is not entirely dead. even yet; and
30. for just a little longer we shall be thinking,
Just thinking. W. A. j.
SUGAR HILL. N. H.. August IS.