Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-20

The republican party, In natibnat con |
vention assembled at the end ofNtWenty |
years since the federal government was |
first committed to its charge, submit to the |
people OF the United States this brief re-
port of its administration It suppressed |
a rebellion which had armed nearly q |
million men to subvert the national au-
thority. 1t reconstructed the union OF the |
states with freedom instead of slavery as its
cornerstone 1t transformed four million
humans beings from the hken esszo of things |
to the rank of citizens. It relieved con-
gress from the Infamous work of hunting
fugitive slaves and charged it 10 see that |
slavery does not exist 1t has raised the
value of our paper currency from thirty
lelght per cent. TO the par OF gold. II has
restored upon "a solid basis the payment IN
coin of all the rationale ligatiOns and has
given usa currency absolutely good and
equalln every part Of our extended country.
1t has lifted the credit Of our nation from
the point where per cent. bonds sold at st
to that where 4 per cent. bonds are eagerly
sought at a premium. Under Its admins
tration, railway have Increased from thirty
one thousand miles in 1860 more than
eighty thousand in 1879. Our foreign trade
has increased from $780, co 200 to l,5OO,-
COO 001sin the same time, and our exports,
which were $2O,C0o, O9o less tn than our IN
ports in 1850, were 1894, 100000 more than
our imports IN 1879. Without resortlng to
loans, it has, since the war closed, betrayed
the expenses of the government, besides
paying the accruing interest on the pubic
debt and discussed annually more than
| $50, 000,C00 for soldiers pensions. 1t has
paid 1888, 100000 of the public debt, and,
BY refunding the balance at lower rates,
has reduced the annual Interest charge
from nearly $l5l,0p0,0007 to 49, 100000.
All the Industries Of the country have re-
vived Laboris insdemand. Wages have
| increased, and throughout the entire coun-
try there is evidence OF coming prosperity
| greater than we have ever enjoyed. Upon
| this record the republican party asks for
| the continued confidence and support of
the people, and this convention submits for
their approval the following statement of
| the principles and purposes which will
| continue to guide and inspire its efforts:
| We affirm that the work of the last
! twenty-one years has been such as to com
mend itself to the favor of the nation, and
! that the fruits of the costly victories which
We have achieved through immense diff
culties should be preserv ed; that the peace
| regained should be cherished; that the dis
severed Union, now happily restored,
should be perpetrated, and that the liber-
| ties secured to this generation should be
transmitted undiminished to future gene
rations; that the order established and
| credit acquired should never be impaired;
| that the pensions promised should be paid;
| that the debt so much reduced should be
extinguished by the full pigment of every
| dollar thereof; that the reviving Industries
should be further promoted, and that the
commerce, already SO great, should be
| steadily encouraged,
2. The constitution Of the United States
is a supreme law and not q mere contract.
Out of confederate states il made soy
ereign nation. Some powers are denied to
the nation, while others are denied to the
states; but the boundary between the
powers delegated and those reserved is to
be determined by the national and not the
state tribunals.
8. The work of popular education is one
left to the care of the several stat s, but it
is the duty of the national government TO
aid that work to the extent of its constitu-
tional ability. The intelligence of the ma
ton is but the aggregate intelligence in the
several states, and the destiny ofthe nation
must be guided, not by the genius Of any
one state, but by the average genius of all.
4. The constitution wisely forbids con-
gress to make any law respecting an estab-
lisnment of religion, but it is idle to hope
that q nation can be protected against the
influence of gectarianism while each state
is exposed to its denomination. We,
ther efore, recommend that the eonst tuition
be so amended as today the same prOhibi-
ton on the legislature of each state, and to
forbid the appropriation of public funds to
the support OF sectaria1 schools -
8. We reaffirm the belief avowed in 1876,
shat the duties levied for the purpose of
revenue should so discriminate as TO favor
American labor; that no further grant of
the public domain should be made to any
railway or other corporation; that slavery,
Ehaving persisted in the states, It's twin
barbarity, polygany, must dieia the terri
, Etories; that everywhere the protection &C
corded to a eitzensof American birth must
be secured to citizens by American adop-
tieH; that we esteem it the dutyAof congress
Ito develop and Improve our water courses
rand harbors, but insist that further subsl-
dies to private persons or corporation
must cease; that the obligations of the re-
public to the men who preserved Its lnteg,
Tity in the day of battle are undimlnish ed
| BY the lapse Of fifteen years since their final
! victory. Their perpetual honor is, and
shall forever be, the grateful privilege and
sacred duty of heAmerican people.
: 6. Since the authority to. regulate immi'
1ogration and intercourse between the
limited States and foreign nations rests
with the congress Of the United States and
its treaty making powers, the republican
party, regarding the Unrestricted immigra-
ton of Chinese as an evil of great nagni-
tnde; invoke the exercise of that power tC
! restrain and limit that immigration by the
D enactment of such just, humane and rea
r sonable provisions Us wltgproduce that re-
| suit. s.,, ~.r.-. = -,.-.vez,, v,.,.s
Z: That The purity and patriotism which
! characEerizes the earlier career of Ruther
f ford B.9Hayes, in peace and war, anC
! which guided the thoughts Of our imme
y date predecessors to him for presiden
: tial candidate, have continued to inspire
f him in his career as chief executive, anC
: thal history will accord his administration
O the honors which are due to an efficient
r Just and courteous discharge of the public
9 business and will honor his interpositioI
: between the people and proposed partisan
II g. We charge upon the democratic part,
a the shabitual sacrifice of patriotism anC
: | justice to to supreme, and Unsuitable lus
q for Office and patronage; that to obtain pos
s session of the national and state govern
: ments, and the control of place, they hav
INSTRUCTED all efforts to promote the purlt.
: aid to conserve the suffrages; have devised
IL fraudulent certi6cations and returns; hav
n labored to unseat lawfully elected mem
bers of congress, to secure at all haz8rd
the vote of msjority of the states in tn
r house of Representatives; have endeavore'
to occupy by force and fraud the places O
t ust given to others by the people of Maine
which were rescued by the courage i
q action of Names patriotic sons; have b,
90 methods, vicious in principle and tyrannl
/, / cal in practice; attached partisan legisla
q ton to appropriation bills upon whose pas
p sage the very movement of the govern
:, ment depends; have crushed the rights c
Il individuals; have advocated the principle
3, and sought the favor. of rebellion agains
l. the nation, and have endesvored TO oblite
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