The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-30
THE PLATFORM.


The Republican party of Pennsyl-
vania, adhering to its historical record
and to its principles heretofore often
affirmed, declares:
!. That it is uncompromisingly op-
posed to free trade, in whatever dis
guise presented, unchangingly devoted
to home industry, and hereby avows
its special and direct hostility to the
Tariff bill now pending in Congress,
the same being in the interest of i'm
porters and foreign manufacturers and
in opposition to American labor.
2. That labor being the great source
of national wealth, the prosperity of
the nation must depend upon the ex-
tent to which labor is protected and
employed, and that our government,
being a government of the people,
should endeavor to promote, by all
proper means, the commercial and in
dustrial interests of the nation, that
labor and capital may both be profita-
bly, employed.
8. The American commerce should
be fostered, and home enterprise de-
veloped by the National Government,
to the end that our manufacturing,
mining, agricultural and industrial in
terests may flourish, our people find
employment, and the country be re-
stored to permanent prosperity.
4. That the public lands belong to
the people, and should be reserved ex-
clusively for actual settlers, so that the
industrious poor may be encouraged
and aided to enter upon and occupy
them.
5. That we are now as ever opposed
to the payment of claims from the Ma
tional Treasury to those lately engaged
in or sympathizing with the rebellion
no conqueror should be forced to pay
indemnity to the conquered, and the
presentation of bills demanding over
$500, 100000 at the present session of
Democratic House is warning to
the country of the cost and danger of
retaining in power party whose chief
aim is to make reprisals on the tax
payers for losses which the crime of
treason brought upon the Southern
people.
6. That we view with alarm the
growing depression of many of the
leading trade interests of the State and
country resulting largely, it is believed,
from unfair advantages ard discrim-
mating rates of freight and transpor.
tation privileges given by many of the
transportation companies of the State
and country to favored few to the
prejudice of our general producing in
terests, and this convention earnestly
recommend the enactment of such
laws by the State and National Legis-
latures as will correct this growing
evil.
7. That the Southern Republicans,
white and colored, have our earnest
sympathy in the unequal contest to
which they are subjected for civil lib
erty and the maintenance of their con-
stitutional privileges, and that in the
interests of their guaranteed rights we
demand from the general government
for them an equal and fair ballot, and
that equality before the law which
should be the boast of every govern
ment.
8. Resolved, That the administration
ofGovernor Hartranft meets the hearty
endorsements and unqualified approval
of the party that elected him and cog
tinues to honor him. He has proved
himself an able magistrate, true pat
riot and wise officer, and his party
tenders to him the praise due to per-
sonal uprightness, to political devotion
and to official rectitude.