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"on The Fence"

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Parent Issue
Day
11
Month
August
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Some weeks sinco the Eveninj Pad jrinted an article showing how certain Jongressmen manage to represent nolody and no principio, while prutaiiding to work for the interests of intelligent ■initituencies. A direct application vas made to the case of Mr. Aaron F. Perry, the new member from the first Ohio district, whó, although in his seat luring tho first session of the Fortysecond Congress, studiously avoided voing upon any question relating to revenue reform. Mr. Perry's political friends put liira brward last year as a rovenue rofonner, and therefore, when this apparent ef'ort to sorve the monopolista by refusng to vote for tho abolition of the coal and salt duties was made known, they egan to inquire what were Mr. Pery's viows upon the general subject of evenue reform. Mr. Perry has at ast spoken. His speech is long, and s principal]}' devoted to " revonue reorm" and " civil service reform." We ïave read it, hoping to find Mr. Perrj' snpporting the sound principies in which moet of his constituents believe. But Mr. Perry ikils to spoak out. At ir.st he seema to advocate revenue reibrm ; next he favors incidental proteciou. He seems to believe that free :rade is correct in thoory ; but special nterests are too strong for him to witb.stand, and therefore ho is in favor of a mild application of protection in praoíice. As to civil service reform, Mr. Perry seems to be just as much in the fog. He thinks there are abuses, but that any chango might hurt some one, and destroy party organization. Ho would probably like to see the civil servioe reformed, but would prefer that some one elso should propose a plan, and thinks that some other party than his own should carry it out. ïhis is the sum of several columns of a carefully written speech. Mr. Perry has a good reputation as a citizen, and is probably an honest man. Uut ho is not a good Congressman. There are manv like him in Congress. They seem to think that they were eleoted to support a party without regard to political principios. The tune is nut distant, however, whcn they must vote lor or agaisst tho roi'orms which thoy have studiously avoided, or "dodge" tho voto, as Mr. Perry and othere did lat spring. Mr. l'crrv miglit have enlightenod liis constituents by telling them whethex hewould vote next winter to abolish the useless and corrupting imjiosts upon salt and coal, if no more, and tney would have understood him. Instead of this, lic tak(;s his place on the div iding line between the principies he acknowledges to be truo and the private interests lie ioars to hurt, and kindly tclls us that, lor the present, he is a moderate believer iu econoinical science, but opposed to applyiug it in practiee. Cannot the revenue refomers in Ohio find better candidatos than Mr. Pcrrv ?

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus