The Present Position of the Independent Man.

Last evening in Sunders Theatre under the auspices of the Harvard Reform Club, Mr. Moorfield Storey defined the present position of the political independent to a large and appreciative audience.

After being introduced by D. Gray '92 president of the club, the speaker began with quotations from noted partisan politicians characterizing the independent in various uncomplimentary terms. Mr. Storey admitted the charges of disloyalty to party, rather glorying in them and at the same time setting forth the causes to which the independent did owe firm allegiance. These causes were, he said, four in number: civil service reform, honest money, tariff reform, and pure elections.

With regard to the political position of the independent at the present time the attitude of the two great parties toward the four issues in question should be clearly defined.

With absolute impartiality and marvellous clearness Mr. Storey then went on to sum up the position of the Republican party on the question of civil service reform. He read extracts from party platforms formulating sweeping pledges and then the statistics of the post office where thirty-two thousand fourth class post masters alone were removed under Mr. Wanamaker's regime. And this in spite of the declaration that Republican promises were to be fulfilled without regard to the attitude of Democratic administration. He praised Secretary Tracy's reform in the navy yards, but showed that it had not received President Harrison's approval. In conclusion he pointed out the flagrant abuses of civil service reform principles in the case of the demands for subscriptions upon office-holders made by the managers of the Ohio campaign and approved by McKinly, the eloquent upholder of civil service reform in Congress.

The Democratic party's record on this same question, he stated, was far from satisfactory, but he showed that it must be taken into consideration that President Cleveland went into office at the head of a party twenty-five years out of power and with no precedent to assist him in his efforts at reform. He stuck to his principles, however, although they cost him his re-election.

On the question of a good standard of coinage Mr. Story said that wings of both parties had sinned. The Democrats by compromising against the force bill in favor of free silver; the Republicans by passing the present infamous bill when they had majorities in both houses and a Republican president.

On the question of tariff reform the speaker concluded that the result of honest argument among the most honest and intelligent men of the country was to uphold the Democratic party.

On pure elections again neither party was blameless. The Southern Democracy had used revolutionary means of overthrowing the carpet-beg rule which could not be altogether justified, but on the other hand the national Republican committee had been in the hands of such men as Quay, and Dudley with the generally known results.

Mr. Storey then selecting representative States of the East and West, where an election for governor is to take place this fall, illustrated with an imaginary independent voter the influence which the local virtues or sins of either party should have upon the independent's vote. In Ohio and Pennsylvania he should oppose the McKinly and Quay rings, in Maryland and New York Gorman and Tammany should be overthrown.

This brought Mr. Storey to his final proposition namely the possibility of the vast number of the better class of both Democrats and Republicans, who agrees in the main of holding independent conventions to protest against the candidates of the party before country principle. Such action, he said, alone would defeat the nomination of insignificant and corrupt men in place of the men of ability and high principle. Unless some such action as this shall be taken in New York there is but little doubt but that the influence of Hillism and Tammany will defeat Mr. Cleveland's nomination in 1892.

After emphasizing the necessity of such joint action on the part of the liberal wings of either party, Mr. Storey ended his brilliant address.