The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-12
The Republican Platform.

of our readers we will consider a num-
Der of its sections at some length.
The treatment of the tariff question
is beautifully specious and misleading
1t is demanded
That the imposition of duties OH for
eign imports shall be made not ''fOr
revenue only" but that in raising the
requisite revenues for the government
such duties shall be so levied as to afford
security to our diversified industries
and protection to the rights and wages
of the laborer to the end that active
and intelligent labor as well as capital
may have its just reward and the labor
ing man his full share in the national
prosperity.
How would you like to have some
good republican interpret that para
graph for you? 1t will be noticed that
the laboring man can read it one way
and the capitalist another. But we
know what protection is and what it
has done. We see an unhealthy slim
illus to production, restricted market
and idle workmen. We have seen
wages steadily decrease during the past
twenty years, and we know that the la
borer has no part in the benefits to be
derived from protection. No part OF
the immense profit derived has gone
to increase his wages, and it is cheering
indeed to note the fact that he Is no
longer dupe Of the cry protection
protects and elevates labor" PrOtec-
ton is a fraud, "a painted harlot,"
and custom duties must be levied for
revenue, to the end that the neceSsarieS
of life may be made cheaper, the mark
cts of the world opened to America and
her laboring population benefited and
insured steady employment.
A conspicuous bait is thrown to the
wool growers, and then this paragraph:
We believe that everywhere the pro-
lection of citizen of American birth
must be secured to citizens by Amer1-
can adoption and we favor the settle
ment of national differences by interna-
tiOnal arbitration.
The foregoing is fraud. President
ARTHUR telegraphed to Minister Low
ELL to recognize O'DoNNELL as an
American citizen and to ask for re-
spite of few days. The English gov
eminent paid no attention to the re-
quest, and O'DoNNELL was hung at
the time appointed. And so it has been
in other cases. Twenty-four years OF
republican rule has produced such
sentiment against the country In the
minds of foreign nations, that an
American citizen, travelling in foreign
lands would sooner ask the protection of
the Spanish flag than that of his own
country. And the following piece of
humOr is perpetrated.
The Republican party having its
| birth in hatred of slave labor and
| desire that all men may be truly free
and equal. and opposed to placing our
workingmen in competition with any
form of servile labor whether at home
| or abroad, we denounce the lmpOrta-
ton of contract labor whether from
| Europe or Asia as an offenSe against
American institutions, and we pledge
ourselves to sustain the present law re-
stricting Chinese immigration and to
provide such further legislation as is
necessary to carry out its purposes.
1t is noteworthy fact that the mo-
nopolists of the East, the men who have
reaped all the benefits of a republican
tariff system, have been engaged for
years in importing the degraded labor
ers of Hungary, Italy and other cOun-
| tries by the thousands, and putting
them in mines, mills, factories and
shops. thus driving out American labor
and rendering ridiculous the boast that
''the republican party is the friend of
the workingmen.' If the power of the
republican party continues it will be
through the efforts and influence OF
these protected monopolists and man
ufacturers, who make it business to
import the servile classes of Europe and
place them in competition with the
American laborerS. Senator SABIN.
chairman of the republican national
committee. made his money by using
convict labor, and republican preSi-
dent vetoed the bill prohibiting the i'm
portation or immigration of Chinese
for period of twenty years. Republi,
can opposition cut the period of pro.
hibition down to ten years. Again
The public lands are the heritage OF
the people of the United States and
should be reserved as far as possible
for small holdings by actual settlers
We are opposed to the acquisition OF
large tracts of these lands by corpora.
tions, or Individuals, especially where
such holdings are in the hands of non.
resident aliens and we will endeavor tC
obtain such legislation as will tend tC
correct this evil.
We demand of Congress the speedy
recovery of land grants which have
lapsed by reason of noncompliance with
the acts of incorporation in all case:
where there has been no attempt IL
good faith to perform the condition OF
such grants.
The foregoing declarations are pitifu
in their hypocrisy. 1t has been the
, policy of the republican party to LEASE