The Detroit times., 1910-10-13
BUnM|Rs MAKES .
CAUsTIC REPLY
Us nesrss Sam Smith, His Opponent,
and says He IL the Real
"Flopper.'

HARTLAND, Mich. Oct. l3.--ln
speech here Wednesday night. Alva
N. Cummins. Democratic candidate
for congress in the sixth district. an
swered the speech OF Rep. Sam smith
~ Grand Blanc, Monday night, IN
which Smith charged him with nav
ing been . Prohibitionist and He
publican as well as Democrat.
Mr.. Cummins declared this charge
was absolutely false. and said:
mr.. Smith seems to entertain q
profound aversion for any man
has ever found occasion to change his
political afiliations. To have topped
IL TO him q heinous offense. Now,
want to say that deny most emphat-
ically the correctness. of his position
Whether Z change Of political PROBES
sion of faith within ones party, or
change of parties altogether. Is a
thing to be ashamed Of. or thing 10
be proud of. depends wholly on the
motive which inspires the change. /
hold that q mans whole duty Is done
when he follows the guidance OF MS
own reason and conscience. When ne
does that. whatever he does, whether
his conclusions ara In fAct correct, OF
In fact erroneous, II for him rfgnt
"on the other hand, for man 10
he = standpatter and q supporter Oh
Canuouism and Payne-Aldrichism 30
yong A they seem to be dominant,
aud then TO turn q double-somersauit
IN m efYort to land In the progress
Awe band wagon when the elections
and primaries show those forces 70
have lost their grip. IL not TO my mo-
ton the most enviable position man
could occupy.
carl Shurz repeatedly changed
hfs po,Itical Affiliations, and history
with ono accord proclaims him one OF
the great men of his time. Sam smith
trims his political sails to catch Ia
yorite breeze and his contemporaries
cav. IT is time to laugh and history
WON'T say anything about II at all.
but SO far as | am concerned. II
have neither honor to claim nor
shame to escape in the matter OF poll
tical iops.
II do not know who Mr.. Smiths In
formant may be, nor do care. but
whoever he may be, he IL an unmiti-
gated liar, and like Mr.. Roosevelt,
use the term in a descriptive and not
in = vindictive sense. Inasmuch as
Mr.. Smith says the voters will be
rlad to know what the facts are.
will give them as briefly as l can.
II was admitted to the bar In June,
1897, when was % years old. Pre-
yious TO that time had been a stu
dent In the literary department OF
Kalamazoo college, and OF law In the
once of Hon. S. l.. Kilbourne at Lam
sink. In the fall OF 1891 I opened q
law Office in Mason and In the follow
ing spring was for the first time In
q position to take any part whatever
in politics. supported the Demo
cratic ticket and was appointed city
attorney of Mason by Democratic
saayor and council when | was 70
years old. When I was "a years OLD
WIS elected prosecuting attorney Of
Inghams county on the Democratic
Ticket. AZ the end of my term 40
prosecutor I moved from Mason to
Lansing, and six years ago l was the
Democratic candidate for the legisla-
ture from the city of Lansing. A year
later was elected to the school board
OF Lansing as a Democrat and re-
elected three years ago. declined
4 denomination one year ago, and
this fall, against my protests, was
nominated at the primaries for con-
greasman. have supported the
Democratic party from the stump in
every campaign, beginning with that
Of 1892. when I was % years old,
though am free to admit that have
not been q hide-bound partisan, and
have, az occasion seemed to me to
require, voted for individuals upon
the Republican ticket.
There Ia not the slightest founda-
ton in fact for the claim that ever
supported any party but the Demo
cratic party, and I repeat that the
man, whoever he may be, who origin
atod that story is telling what he
knows to be untrue, and II Sam Smith
had desired to be sure of his ground
before uttering Islander on an op-
ponent, he could have verified, and
he can now verify, every fact which l
have stated, from the newspaper nles
OF my county"