The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-30
THE PLATFORM.

THE PLATFORM.
Resolved, That the right of every
qualified voter to cast a ballot and
have it honestly counted is a funda-
mental principle of Republican gov
eminent which must be maintained
by law and impartially enforced.
The majority thus determined must
rule and the minority must submit.
Second.-Free schools must be
maintained and universal education
secured as the basis of national secur
ity and prosperity.
Third.-American industries and
labor should be protected against the
unjust competition of the product of
cheap foreign labor by a protective
tariff.
Fourth.-American shipping and
shipbuilding should be encouraged by
the modification of our navigation
laws so as to discriminate in favor
of and not against our shipping in
terest and by such other assistance as
the Government may properly render
a great national interest. We protest
against the persistent efforts of the
friends of free trade or misnamed
"%revenue reform to grant American
registry to foreign built ships as GER
tain to destroy our ship-building in
dustry.
Fifth.-The only full legal tender
money authorized by the constitution
to be coined or issued in time of
peace is gold and silver. The dol
lar of the one should be coined so as
to possess the same intrinsic value
as the dollar of the other, and all pa
per currency should be redeemable
in the one or the other. We depre-
cate the efforts made to overthrow
the present banking system of the
nation, securing as it does to the peo-
pie a currency convenient, uniform,
elastic in volume, of equal value in
all States, and absolutely safe from
loss in the hands of the holder.
Sixth-The rapid payment of our
war debt while the debts Of other
nations are increasing affords on
elusive proof Of the wisdom of our
financial measures, and calls for a
continuance of the same policy until
every dollar of this debt shall be paid.
Seventh.-We are unalterably OPP
posed t o the abolition OF reduction of
the internal revenue tax on liquors,
and demand all possible reduction of
taxation shall be made on necessaries,
and not on luxuries.
Eighth.-While we insist on the
strictest economy in the public ex-
penditures, we favor liberal pensions
and bounties to the Union soldiers
and sailors of the late war, their
widows and orphan children, in token
of Jul recognition of the priceless
services rendered.
Ninth.-That we refer with conf
dence and pride to the general record
of the Republican party in support
of the policy of prohibiting the traffic
in intoxicating liquors, the wisdom
and efficiency Of which legislation in
promoting the moral and material in
terests of Maine have been demon
strated through the practical annihi-
lation of that traffic in large portions
o fthe State, and we favor such legis-
lation and such enforcement of the
law as will secure to every portion of
our territory, freedom from that
traffic. WE further recommend sub
mission to the people of a constitu-
tional p%rohibitory amendment.
Tenth.-As an independent non
partisan judiciary is the palladium of
justice and liberty, we emphatically
condemn the attempt Of Gov. Plaisted
to supercede and thus punish Asso-
ciate Justice Libby for rendering such
opinions in the counting out proceed
ings of 1878 and 1880 as commended
themselves to his judgment and con-
science, although not in accord with
the policy of the party with which he
was then and now is connected. We
heartily approve the course of the ex-