Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-22
The Platform.

The republican party, in national con-
vention assembled at the end of twenty
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 1t suppressed
q rebellion which had armed nearly
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
human beings from the likeness OF things
to the rank of citizens. It relieved con-
gress from the infamous work of hunting
fugitive aves and charged it to see that
slavery does not exist. 1t has raised the
value OF our paper currency from thirty
eight per cent to the par of gold. 1t has
restored upon a solid basis the payment in
coin of all the national obligations and has
given US a currency absolutely good and
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 S6
to that where per cent. bonds are eagerly
sought at premium. Under its admins
tration, railways have increased from thir y
one thousand miles in 1860 to m ore than
eighty thousand in 1879. Our foreign trade
has increased from $70O, 90 600 to $l ,500,-
100, O00 in the same time. and our exports,
which were $50, COO 900 less than our i'm
ports in 1850. were $Z64, 000, 600 more than
our imports in 1879. Without resorting to
loans, it has. since the war closed, betrayed
the expenses of the government, besides
paying the accruing interest on the public
debt aud disbursed annually more than
! 80, 00O.Ct0 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 $l51, ,0O,0jO to $89, COO 900.
All the industries of the country have re-
vived. Labor is in demand Wages have
increased, and throughout the entire coun-
try there is evi1ence 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 dill
| culties should be preserved; that the peace
| regained should be cherished; that the dis
severed Union, now happily restored,
| should be perpetrated, and that the Hber-
ties secured to this generation should be
transmitted undlminished to future gene
rations; that the order established and
| CIOois aS4oh0u SuOulu u0V6r De 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, t'' = t'a
! 2 The constitution of the United States
is a supreme law and not mere contrSct.
| Out of confederate states it made q 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 aud not the
state tribunals. -
8. The work of popular education is one
left to the care of the several stat 6, but ii
ls the duty of the national government to
aid that work to the extent of its constitu-
tlonal ability. The intelligence iof the ma
tion is but the aggregate intelligence in the
| several states and the destiny Of the nation