The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-09-01
Our Platform.

l0efe mas Uccu iuuCu tdih diiiOnS Inv r.
pers Of the State as to their respective lib
erality,"' each claiming thatit has pursued |
the most liberal and enlightened policy.
The STANDARD has not been loud in its pro-
LESSONS of liberality, yet we are are speak
ing but truth when we say that the plat
form of the STANDARD is the most liberal,
and the frankest, that has yet been adopted
by any paper We have seen.
Some days ago we stated our platform
for the benefit of the Norfolk Day Book and
the following is the view taken of it by the
Day Book:
In answer to an article which appeared in the
Day Books editorial columns last week, the Raj
eigh Standard, Gov. Holden's paper, lays down
the following platform, and asks us how we like
1t. In answer to this we admit that it comes
much nearer our views than We thought the
Standard ever could come and in justice to
that paper we are pleased to state that it is
ahead of all other radical sources in its liberal or
conservative concessions.
Those who have truly at heart the inter
ests of the people must speedily be able to meet
the Standard on its platform, the essential
planks of which are pretty much the same as
those of the "new movement" platform which
was framed by the Day Book, and which is now
so popular all over the South. We framed our
platform in opposition to radical republicanism
and radical Bourbonism or ocofocoism-radical
republicanism demanding test-oaths and disfran.
easements for the white man. and radical Bour-
bonism, under the organization of so-called
"white mans party" demanding that we resist
the reconstruction laws, and thereby continue in
anarchy and eventuate in worse, rather than &C.
cept negro suffrage.
Our view has been all along, that compromise
had to commence somewhere before we could
have restoration. and the best place that we
could see, where it would come in, would be for
us of the South to make some advances to the
successful party of our acceptance of the law,
and get them by way of compromise, to allow
US to rid ourselves of testoaths and disfranchise
ments and when we made the advances in
proper shape we were met by Congress and
President Grant, and what we sought was in
measure conceded to us.
In commenting upon the same subject the
Richmond Dispatch says:
"That's good enough for Us, and as it is good
enough for Governor Holden, in the name of all
that is just and wise who can object to it? That
platform generally adopted by people and gov
ernment, will Immediately restore harmony and
peace to this country. We believe it is adopted
by fivesixths of the people. The party that OPP
poses it must be doomed"
We give these opinions of the Virginia
papers simply that our people may see that
papers out of the State regard the course
of the STANDARD as fair and liberal.
In adopting the course we have adopted
we have only acted in accordance with our
ideas of right. We believe that justice
now demands the reimbursement of every
citizen, and we therefore oppose disfranchise-
ment and prescription.
In so doing we care not whom we please
or offend. We are doing that which is
right, and that is enough for us.
We are glad, however, to see that our
course is appreciated by other papers, for it
proves that we are not misconstrued by
ecery one
We believe our course to be for the
best interests of the people. -..
We believe that the people are sick of the
bitterness which has so long prevailed, and
which many so-called Democratic papers
are doing all in their power to keep up.
We believe that all the Republicans are
willing and anxious to pursue a moderate
| course.
We believe that every interest of the
South will be benefited by more moder-
ate tone in politics ..
Believing this we should be doing wrong
| if we did not advocate liberal and nom pro-
scriptive measures we did not do all in
our power to bring about that better state
of feeling which is so much needed in the
| South
We do this without sacrificing a single
Republican principle, for ours is practically,
and will be theoretically, the platform ofthe
Republican party throughout the country.
There are many men whom we should
not wish to welcome to our ranks, even when
relieved from their political disabilities, for
we could not trust them. But we wish to
see every man in the South, friend or foe,
enjoying all the rights of an American citizen.
| We do not wish to see American citizenship
a boon to be given or taken away at pleasure
If North Carolina, for instance, is in the
Union, all her citizens should have the same
privileges as are accorded to the citizens of
any other State Otherwise we should not
be in the Union according to the constitu-
ton of the United States.
We wish to see every man citizen and
in possession of all the rights of citizen.
When this is done, we have nothing more
to do with the men so enfranchised
If they are Republicans we will receive
them into the party, and the people can de-
termine whether they are men who can be
safely trusted.
If they are opposed to us we shall do all
in our power to keep them out of Office, and
to keep them from successfully advocating
doctrines we believe to be wrong.
In one word we want every political con-
test in the future to be a fair fight, and we
want the best men to win, and that will
surely be the Republicans.