Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-09
The Congressional Convention.

The Republican Convention for the
nomination of Representative in Con-
gress for the Second Congressional
District OF Wisconsin, met in the AS
sembly Chamber at Madison on the
lst inst. Ex-Gov. James T. Lewis,
of Columbia, was chosen chairman, and
j. II. Keyes, Of Jefferson, and R. NJ.
Sauk, were selected as Secretaries. A
full delegation was reported from each
OF the four counties in the district.
Mr.. Hutchinson, from the Commit
tee on Resolutions. read the following
which were received with frequent ap-
lause, especially upon the resolution
relative to the transportation questions
and on motion CT Mr.. Gill, they were
adopted unanimously:
We, the Republicans of the Second Dis
trict of Wisconsin in convention assem- bled.
hereby declare our abiding faith in the Re-
publican Earty. Its history has shown and
its opponents have tardily recognized it to
be pre-eminently the party of progress and
reform. 1t has extended liberty and equali-
ty throughout the Union, and raised our
country from the verge of ruin to the first
IN rank among the nations, and brought it
to such condition of peace and prosperity
that no one is now reckless enough to assaI
the leading measures of the party, and can
only urge against it those minor imperfec-
tions of administration which have been in
cident to partial rule in every administra-
tion since the government was framed.
Proud of the past record of the party, we
are confident of it further. Its mission has
not been fulfilled. The fruits of Its patriot
ic toll cannot be trusted in the hands of
those who at every stage of its eventful ca
reer have been the implacable foes of its
principles. We do not rest content upon
the past record of the party, but delare it
to be its duty and purpose to improve and,
as far as possible, perfect in every detail
the machinery ofthe government which it
has saved, reforme and strengthened. For
the past we do not claim infallibility, but
we refer proudly to the fact that all its
measures have been salutary, that the
wrongs and errors for which it is eld re-
sponsble and which now furnish the only
arguments now urged against it, have been
the mistakes snd misdeeds of individuals
and not of the organization. We affirm it
to be the steadfast determination to the par
ty.
l. To continue to maintain the integri-
ty OF the Union, to secure perpetually to
every class and condition the full protec-
ton of their rights of person and property
and to seek to remove all the bitterness
md cor al hoot 20 IL
2. To eradicate every known abuse in
the administration of the government, to
guard against every evil tendency and in
its simplicity, purity and efficiency to reach
the grand ideal of its founders.
81 To favor, as far as can be done by
government policy, state and national, such
measures as shall tend to diversity the pur-
suits OF industry, harmonic each with the
other, and secure to each its Just rewards.
To that end we favor the improvement, at
the expense of the general government of
the Fox and Wisconsin and all other navi-
gable inland lakes and rivers, and we in
sist that the great railway and other cor
poratlons engaged in the transportation of
the products Of the country shall not be
permitted, by unjust determinations and
unreasonable exactions, to interfere with
the natural operation Of the laws of trade
the commerce in each of the states should
be wisely and carefully regulated so that
justice may be done to producer, carrier
and consumer We affirm that there can
be no surrender of the right of legislative
control over corporations. There must be
no authority higher than the constitution.
and the laws and none to defy the power
that created them. We hold this power
in sacred reserve to prevent extortlon, a
shield and not sword. Under it we will
DO no Injustice, but the Republican party
does forbid the invasion of legislative halls,
resistance to the laws, the attempt to in
tlmldate or corrupt officials, to suborn or
shackle the press, and, at the same moment
invites the cooperation of all railroad COM
panies to frame legislation to ensure these
ends and secure fair and liberal return upon
honest investments and to revive these vast
and bene6ciens enterprises to the end that
justice may be done to the people and them
selves.
4. The system of currency founded by
the Republican party, having proved safe,
sound and convenient and we'll adapted to
the ends OF commerce, we believe it should
not be radically changed land we are in favor
of making all forms of currency whether of
national banknotes or greenbacks, equiva-
lent in value to value in specie at the ear
liest practicable day, and we believe that if
our revenue shall continue to be kept in
excess of expenditures, that fact alone, will
in reasonable time, bring our circulating
medium at par with gold. We also declare
that if ii be necessary to contract our VOL
ume of currency to secure a resumption of
specie payment, we demand that the con-
traction shall take place in the national
currency, leaving the volume of non-inter-
est bearing greenbacks unimpaired, and if
it be necessary to increase the volume of
currency to meet the requirements of COM
merce and trade, we demand that the in.
crease shall be made in the form of green
backs or through the medium of free ma
tional banking system under laws so franz
ed as to provide careful supervision, equita.
able distribution, and the utmost security
Of circulation and deposits-such system to
provide suitable guards,to prevent combina-
tions of capital from disturbing the national
course of circulation in order to make un-
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