The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-12
The Platform.


Mr.. Pierrepont, in reporting the
resolutions, said; 81 need hardly
say that, in committee composed of
one from each State in the Union,
from each territory and the District
of Columbia, there is great diversi.
ty of opinion about the resolutions
to be brought before the Convention.
Early in the Convention it became
apparent that we would have a suffi-
cient number of exciting topics to
keep us active and awake. and we
have endeavored in the resolutions
which we present to have nothing
on which we could not ourselves
agree, and nothing that would tend
to disturb the harmony of this Con-
vention or awaken angry debate or
long delav. l have now the honor
of presenting the resolutions which
the committee has agreed upon"
The Republican party. in national
convention, assembled at the end of
twenty years since the federal gov
eminent was first committed to its
charge, submits to the people of the
United States this brief report of its
administration. 1t suppressed re-
bellion which had armed nearly a
million men to subvert the national
authority. 1t reconstructed the
union of the States with freedom, in
stead of slavery, as its corner. stone.
Applause. 1t transformed four mill
lion human beings from the likeness
Of things to the rank of citizens. 1t
relieved Congress from the infamous
work of hunting fugitive slaves and
changed it to see that slavery does
not exist. 1t has raised the value of
our paper currency from 80 per cent.
to the par of gold. 1t has restored
upon a solid basis payment in coin
for all the national obligations, and
has given US currency absolutely
good and equal in every part of our
extended country. 1t has lifted the
credit of the nation from the point
where 6 per cent. bonds sold at Sc, to
Iiiot WHCIS I pei SCht' alO CaSCLiJ
sought at a premium. Under it's ad-
ministration railways have increased
from 81 900 miles in 1859 to more
than $4,000 miles in 1879. Our for
eign trade has increased from $780,
600, 900 to 81. loo, 100000 in the same
time, and our exports, which were
500, 900, 900 less than our imports in
1860, were S264. O00,O more than our
imports in 1879. Without resorting
to loans, has since the war closed de.
frayed the ordinary expenses of gov
eminent. besides the accruing inter-
est on the public debt, and dlsbursed
annually more than S30,000,000 for
soldiers pensions. 1t has paid $685.
100000 on the public d ,et, and by re-
funding the balance at lower rates,
has reduced the annual interest
f thgs gan fgsgoB5b6 sAl fhH e 9 fnaus,
tries of the country have revived !;
labor is in demand; wages have i'll
creased, and throughout the entire
country there is evidence of COM
ing prosperity greater than we have
ever enjoyed. Upon this record the
Republican party ask for the con-
tinued confidence and support of the
people, and this Convention submits
for their approval the following
statements of the principles and pur-
poses which will continue to guide
and inspire its efforts:
1. We affirm that the work of the
last twenty-one years has been such
as to commend itself to the favor of
the nation. and that the fruits of the
costly victories which we have
achieved through immense difficult
ties should be preserved, after that
the peace regained should be cher
ished that the discovered Union,
now happily restored, should be per-
petuated, and that the liberty Sc
cured to this generation shall be
transmitted undiminished to future
generations that the order estab-
lished and the credit acquired should
never be impaired; that the pensions
promised should be extinguished by
the full payment of eyerv dollar
thereof; that the reviyng industries
should be further promoted, and that
the commerce already so great should
be encouraged,
9. The Constitution of the United
States is a supreme law, and not
mere contract of confederated States;
it made sovereign nation. Some
powers are denied, while the others
are denied to the States; but the
boundary between the powers dele
gated and those reserved are to be
determined by the nation, and not
by the State tribunal. [Applause.
3. The work of popular education
is one left to the care of the several
States but it is the duty of the ma
tional government to aid that work
to the extent of It's constitutional
duty. The intelligence of the nation
is but the aggregate of the intelli-
gence in the several States, and the
destiny of the nation must be guard
ed not by the genius of one State,
but by the average genius of all.
4. The Constitution wisely forbids
Congress to make any law respecting
an establishment of religion but it