Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-14
The Platform.

V0ntlOn aSS6LQpl0O ab LILO Gnu VI bWOHsJ |
years since the federal government was
frst committed to its charge, submit to the
people of the United States this brief re-
port Of its administration ;. It suppressed
q rebellion which had armed nearly
million men to subvert the national au-
thority. It reconstructed the union OF the
states with freedom instead of slavery as Its
human beings from the likeness OF things
to the rank of citizens It relieved con-
gress from the infamous work Of hunting
fugitive slaves and charged it to see that
slavery does not exist. II has raised the
value of our paper currency from thirty
eight per cent. to the par of gold. 1t has
restored upon solid basis the payment In |
coin of all the national obligations and has
given US currency absolutely good ana
equal in every part of our extended country. |
1t has lifted the credit of our nation from
the point where per cent. bonds sold at 90 |
to that where per cent. bonds are eagerly
sought at premium. Under its admins
tration, railways have increased from thlr'y-
one thousand miles in 1860 to m pre- tnan
eighty thousand in 1879. Our foreign TRACE
has increased from $7OO 90 1000 to $1,5Oo,-
co., 900 in the same time and our exports
which were $20,00O,0O0 less than our I'M
ports in 1860, were 1854, 900, oOO more than
our imports in 1879. Without res0rahg 70
loans, it has, since the war closed, oelrsyeo
the expenses of the government, Desiues
paying the sccruing interest on the puplic
debit and disbursed annually more than
S3O,0O0,CO0 for soldiers pensions. IL mas
paid 1888, 100000 of the public debt, and
| bv refunding the balance at lower rates,
| has reduced the annual interest," charge
| from nearly $l51, 100000 to So9UUO,oOO.
| Ali the industries of the country nave re-
vived. Labor is IN demsno; Tages nare
| increased, and throughout the entire coun-
/ trv there is evidence Of coming prosperity
greater than We have ever enjoyed. Upon
thia 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
twentv-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 preserved; that the peace
reoained 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 payment 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 supreme law and not mere contract.
Out of confederate states 1t made a 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 AID not the
state tribunals.
8. The work of popular education is one
left to the care of the several stats, but ii
is the duty of the national government to
aid that work to the extent Of its constitu-
tional ability. The intelligence Iof the ma
ton is but the aggregate intelligence in the
: several states. and the destiny of the nation
| must be guided, not by the genius of any
one state, but by the average genius of all.
4. The constitution wisely forblds con-
gress to make any law respecting Ill estab-
} lisnment of religion, but it is idle to hope
that nation can be protected against the
influence of sectarianism while each state
is exposed to it's denomination. We
therefore, recommend that the const tuition
be so amended as to lay the same prohibi.
ton on the legislature of each state, and tc
) forbid the appropriation of public funds tc
the support of sectaria1 schools.
s. We reatfirm the belief avowed in 1876
that the duties levied for the purpose Of
revenue should SO discriminate as to favor
American labor; that no further grant oil
the public domain should be made to any
railway or other corporation; that slavery,
having persisted in the states, its twin
barbarity, pOlygamy, must die IN the terri
tories; that every where the protection &C.
corded to citizen of American birth must
be secured to citizens by American adop'
, ton; that we esteem it the duty of congress-
t to develop and improve our water courses
and harbors, but insist that further subsi.
3 dies to private persons or corporation:
must cease; that the obligations of the re-
D public to the men who preserved its integ.
rity in the day of battle are undiminisheC
by the lapse of fifteen years since their fna
victory. Their perpetual honor is, anC
shall forever be, the grateful privilege auc
1 sacred duty Of the American people.
r g. Since the authority to regulate immi
g grafton and intercourse between the
I United States and foreign nations rest
| with the congress of the United States anC
its treaty-making powers, the republican
party, regarding the Unrestricted immigra
ton of Chinese as an evil of great magni-
q tude, invoke the exercise of that power t
, restrain and limit that immigration by thu
. enactment Of such just, humane and rea
d sonable provisions as will produce that re-
a suit.
+. Z. That the purity and patriotism which
i characterizes the earlier career of Ruther
}, ford b. Hayes, In peace and war, anc
which guided the thoughts of our imme
> diate predecessors to him for presiden
: tial candidate have continued to inspir,
- him in his career as chief executive, anc
that history will accord his administration
. the honors which are due to an efficient
l. just and courteous discharge of the public
business, and will honor his Interpolation
between the people and proposed partisan
u laws.
:. 8. We charge upon the democratic party
IL the habitual sacrifice of patriotism an(
j. justice to to a supreme and Unsuitable lus
& for Office and patronage; that to obtain pos
session of the national and state govern
10 ments, and the control of place, they hav
d and to conserve the suffrages; have devised
n fraudulent certifcations and returns hav
labored to unseat lawfully elected mem
. bers Of congress, to secure at all hazerd
- the vote of maj ority of the states in tn
IL house of representatives; have endeavore,
II to occupy by force and fraud the places @
u teust given to others by the people of Maine
which were rescued by the courage il
J. action Of Names patriotic sons; have b.
h methods, vicious in principle and tyranni
# cal in practice; attached partisan legisls
o. ton to appropriation bills upon whose pas
Q sage the very movement of the govern
ment depends; have crushed the rights c
individuals; have advocated the principle
and sought the favor of rebellion agsini
the nation, and have endeavored to oblite
r. ate the sacred memories of the war an
to overcome the inestimably valuable r.
suits Of nationality, personal freedom an
a individual equality The equal, steady an