The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1884-06-11
OUR PLATFORM.

meets squarely the living issues OF the
day, and guided by its wise and patriotic
sentiments, it will be no trouble for the
"plumed knight to lead his willing
followers on to an overwhelming and
glorious victory. What man, unless he
be a rabid free trader, but will endorse
the following:
It is the first duty of a good govern
mentt to protect the rights II promote
the interests of its own people, The
largest diversity Of industry is most
productive of general prosperity, and of
the comfort and independence OF the
people. We therefore demand that the
imposition OF duties on foreign imports
shall be made, not for revenue only, but.
that in raising the requisite revenue for
the government such duties shall be SO
levied as to afford security to our diver
sified industries and protection to the
rights and wages Of the laborer, to the
end that active and intelligent labor as
we'll as capital, may have its just reward
and the laboring la his full share in
the national prosperity.
Against the so-called economic system
of the democratic party which would de-
grade our labor to the foreign standard,
| W. ShSSA WI ~ pAOO15p' AAo oSh1
ocratic party has failed completely to re-
lieve the people of the burden of un-
necessary taxation by a reduction of the
surplus. The republican party pledges
itself to correct the Irregularities of the
tariff and reduce the surplus, not by the
vicious and indiscriminate process Of a
horizontal reduction, but by such meth
DDS as will relieve the taxpayer without
injuring the laborer or the great pro-
ducing interests Of the country.
The eastern states will echo back the
cry from the Pacific states that 1.-The
Chinese must 60" and with them pau
per labor of all shades, whether it comes
from the Occident or Orient:
The republican party, having it's birth
in the hatred of slave labor and a desire
that all men may be truly free and equal
is unalterably opposed to placing our
working men into competition with any
form Of seryile labor, whether at home
or abroad. In this spirit we denounce
the importation or contract labor, Whe-
Their from Europe or Asia, as an offense
against the spirit of American institu-
tions, and We pledge ourselves to sustain
the present law restricting IChinese i'm
migration, and to provide such further
legislation as is necessary to carry out
its purpose.
We will not tolerate in this free coun-
try the introduction of the landed arts
tocracy of effete monarchies of Europe
and our party is determined that it
| shall not be if republicanism is triumph
ant:
The public lands are a 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
tons or individuals, especially where
such holdings are in the hands of nom
resident aliens, and shall try to obtain
such legislation as will tend to correct
this evil. We demand of congress the
speedy forfeiture of all land grants that
have lapsed by reason of Noncompliance
with the acts of incorporation, in all the
cases where there has been no attempt
in good faith to perform the conditions
of such grants.
We must have a free ballot in fact as
well as in name, in the southern as we'll
as in the northern states; bulldozing
and intimidation must cease, and all
citizens, black as we'll as white, be al
lowed equal rights at the ballot box.
The perpetulty of our institutions
rests upon the maintaining Of a free
ballot AND correct returns. We de-
nounce the fraud and violence practiced
by the democratic party in the southern
states, by which the will Of the voter is
locoofoI %nr n -, ~or an. fosfln uxyo
ton of free institutions. and we solemn
~ arraign the democratic party as being
the guilty recipient of the fruits of such
fraud and violence.
We extend to republicans of the south,
regardless of their former party affilia-
ton, u cordial sympathy, and pledge
to them our most earnest efforts to pro-
mote the passage of such legislation as
secure to every citizen of whatever race
and color, a full and complete recogni-
ton, possession and exercise Of all civil
and political rights.
Where is there a Montanian proud of
our vast territory, with it's great variety
of natural resources, who will not cry
away with foreign rulers and eastern
carpet baggers, and will second the reso-
luton:
Resolved, That appointments by the
president to offices in the territories
should be made from bona fde citizens
and residents of the territory wherein
they are to serve.
A growing western industry like the
sheep business must naturally look to
the republican party as their friend and
protector, for while the democrats in
congress are doing their best to destroy