Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-06
The Platform.

The platform adopted by the Republican
National Convention yesterday was
framed 10 catch votes. Its chief charae-
teristic is insincerity. 1t promises many
things, but, judging from the history oi
the party, there is no intention OF making
these promises good. 1t pledges the
partv to relieve the tax payers by re-
ducing the surplus revenue. How mueh
this pledge is worth is shown by the action
Of the party in the Forty
seventh Congress. There was then as
much necessity for reducing the
surplus revenue as there is now.
The slight reductions that were made at
that time were wrung frem the unwilling
Republicans by the persistency and deter
mipation Of the tariff reform Democrats.
Notwithstanding the efforts of the tariff
reformers. however, the interests o. the
protected monOpOlists were guarded with
such vigilance that 1t was Impossible 10
make them bear a fair share OF the lhslg-
nificant reduction that was made. Inc
platform demands protection Tor the
American laborer and condemns the
practice of bringing labOrers to this coun-
try under the contract system. 1t Is
we'll known fact that those guilty OF
this practice are the protected monopOllsts
If Pennsylvania. This contract system
has been in operation a long time. When
the Republicans had control of Congress
they made no effort 10 abolish it, and no
/ Republican in the present Congress mas
! proposed a law against it. The reason Is
plain. Those Who practice the system
are the friends and supporters of the Re
| publican party.
/ The platform demands the forfeiture of
I unearned land grants. A great change
must have Gene over the party. The
public demain was parceled out among
the railroads BY the Republican par
u, and that party has resisted
| every attempt to forfeit the
| unearned grants. With such rec
ord the country can hardly fail to ques-
ton the party's sincerity. But as re-
markable as the land grant plank is,
even more remarkable is the declaration
in favor of a law regulating interstate
commerce. When was the Republican
PARTY ever known to legislate against rich
and powerful corporations? For years
Congressman Reagan, of Texas, has been
trying to get a hearing for his Interstate
commerce bill. but he has received neither
sympathy nor encouragement from the
Republicans. If they really favor law
preventing determinations in rates on
Interstate roads why haven't they
done something towards passing such
law? The party occupies
a very different attitude when appealing
to the country for votes from what it does
when Iegislating in the halls of Congress
In its platform it speaks emphatically fol
further reform in the civil service. 1t i:
a notorious fact that it refused to carry
out one civil service law that it was forced
bv popular sentiment to pass, and that i
would refuse TO obey the present civil ser
vice law if it dared. 1t pretends to bt
alarmed at the lurking dangers o
official patronage, and yet no Othel
party ever made such cor
rupt uses of patronage. The platform
is sincere, however, in declaring for al
increase of the pension charges. The Re
, publican party stands ready to increas'
! the pension charges to the extent OF alb
sorbing the entire surplus revenue. TIT
control of the eX-sOldier vote is Of IA
more consequence to it than the relief o
D the taxpayers. The platform is a craftily
r drawn document and its purpose is t.
' deceive the masses. AS a declaration o
S principles it will have very little weigh
with thinking people.