Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-10-12
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL PLAT
FORM REVIEWED. eti ?

D.
The, Republican platform, like the
party that proposes to stand on it, does
not square With fact or truth nor always
with atself. y 1890 ,,gu . 4, !oi i..ta4
Says tho platform: ..
e t(the Rebublican party suppressed
q gigantic rebellion" Did the Repub-
lican party do this? We're there no
"war Democrats. in the arny?" No
celebrated Democratic generals No
eelowed troops belonging to no party I?
Modest, is it NOT, these political mana
gers at Philadelphia saying our party
suppressed q gigantic rebellion2
a. A little further GA, these same men
claim that the. party has shown unparal-
lcled magnanimity;" it has c,iminally
punished no man for political offenses. u
So, then, the rebellion dwindles to a
political ofTense! If it was o fabellion,
then it isa crinie.to let the rebels go
unpunished. If it was a political Of
fen g, the n il is bcmbast AMI falsehood
to call it rel elLon. 10 -'''Fi '.'' y
The truth is that our late war was n
civil war between earnest, honest and
patriotic parties, who held different
opinions as to the reserved rights Of
States in the Union. The war, like all
other wars of men or roosters. has de-
cidcd which side is the stronger. And
SO these Philadelphia roosters crow. ..t
cit emancipated four millions of
slaves" Not SO. The President, as a
war measure, a military necessity, eman-
cipated the slaves. '.-
Established universal suffrage" !"
Not so again. Universal suffrage is not
enjoyed anywhere in the land. rr f..
The Pacific railroad and similar
great enterprises, have been generously
aided, and yet further along the plat
form soys: We are opposed to further
gratis of public lands to corporations
and dmonopolies." Not guhyMistin,e,
bm hop, he Wont do so again." said an
Irish jury once. @
"The recent amendments to the
National Constitution should be srs-
tainel-aecause they are right not
tolerated =, because they are law" A
better statement would have been: The
recent amendments. to the constitution
should bc respected, though ratified
against the will of the people, by some
States under military duress, by others
under party drill and tactics should
be respected nevertheless because they
are law.oH .aq4i3'u T. ta.t.. ~
= The less said the better about consti-
tutional amendments affected by po-
litical party accidentally in command
of victorious armies at the close of the
civil war. Such times are not good for
constitution making or mcnding. That
which was fixed by force or trickery
invites further trials OF force and trick
cry.
To tolerate existing amendments is
all thntmodest and generous men would
claim of their adversaries. But these
at Philadelphia insist that
men must approve "as right as we'll as
tolerate as law" Most law giyers are
content to exact obedience. But these.
spotless patriots would control opinion
and conscience. What next shall we
look for in the line of arrogance and
insolenee? - -. ~,
"s::Any system of civil service under
which subordinate positions of the Gov
ernment are considered rewards for.
party zeal is fatally .demoraiizing." A
man once climbed a tree to prune IL.
He sat down on a limb and commenced
to saw it off between him and the trunk,
Down he came. Hear these convention
men talk! The convention of party
that has controlled more patronage and
money for corrupt party uses, than oil
other parties and administrations put
together, from George Washington
down! This convention, itself the cra-
alton of a close-drilled party, managed
by office holders, enriched by Federal
treasure, and about to do the bidding
of it's master and reinstate itself and
them in power; this convention has
the face to say that its own usages and
organic law are fatally den,Oralizing. 'l;i
If these men mean what they say,
they condemn themselves, If they do
not mean what they say, they are hypo-
critics and swindlers. ''-i'''i ;. ''''4 p ''''' :
The game seems to be this: Lieuten-i
ant General Grant and the PLATFORM
proclaim honesty, virtue and civil sery-
ice reform, - It will win the votes Of
honest men. Meanwhile, we will run
the machine quietly in the old way, and
buy up the ambitious with Office, the
avaricious with cash. 4 5 e
The Republican party never has been,
is not now, and never will be o civil
reform party.
The platform administers spoonful
of sweetened froth to :" loyal women"
to g labor and " capital" to "soldiers
and sailors whose valor," etc.; hurrahs
for Ulysses s. Grant, and starts upon
" a new march to victory"
The few principles which it clearly
proclaims are unsound and pernicious:
it is a blowing Of battered bugles and
Haunting of flags after the battle is over
and the dead are buried. Compared
with the Cincinnati platform, or with
Horace Greeley's restatement of it, the
Philadelphia platform is bad English;
aud fov ,,aoernopimitv efafasmanShfD