Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-20
Tho Republican Platform.

from the r. i Independent
In regard to the tariff question, the Chica
80 Convention says:
, I'VE, therefore, demand that the imposition o
um,ics on foreign imports shall be made not fol
leVshne only but That, in raising the REQUISITE rt,
enues for the Government, such duties shall he g,
'eNled as to AFFORD security 10 our diversified in
uusirles ana protection 10 the rights aud wages o
thc lab0rer, 10 the end that active and inteiiiGep
aOor, as wei rs capital, may have It's iusi reward
prosperity"
This means that the Republican party Is
IN favor Of tariff for protection As well as
Tor revenue, and, if in power, Will so levy
duties as to secure both results There is re-
DOUBT about the attitude of the party in re-
gard II this vital question.
In regard to Civil Service Reform the
convention speaks as follows
| "1he reform of the civil Service "A isnciousIv
he begum uhacr republican administration, should
W roHpeted by the further extension OF the re-
nUr system, already established by law to all the
grades OF the service to which it is applicable The
81 in az aIu pnrPosc OF the reform should be obscrv-
variance with the OBJECTS Of eXstna reforme al
ieg,slaton should be repeale to the end that the
no nuser 10 ireo institutions, which turks in the
| effectively avoided" anu
| we say amen most heartily to this resolu:
! uoa ; and if the people want to have its
principles carried into practical effect, then
they should keep the Government in Repub
lican hands.
| The convention also declares "that it is
the duty of Congress to enact such laws as
shall promptly and effectualy suppress the
system OF poygamy within our Territory,
and divorce the political from the ccclesi-
astlcal power of the so-called Mormon church
and that the law, so enacted, should be rig
IDLY enforced by the civil authorities if pos
| slble, and by the military if need be-" This
sounds as if the convention meant business
on this subject Mormon polygamy is the
| common disgrace of the whole country, and
, 1t is high time that it was suppressed BY law
l enough effectualy to do the work.
! The platform of the Convention favois "a
wise and judicious system of general educa-
ton by adequate appropriation from the
national revenues wherever the same is
needed" We thoroughly approve of the
principle here announced. Education con-
tributes to make good citizens and intelligent
voters and there is no good reason why The
general Government should not cooperate
with the several states in furnishing ample
facilities for this purpose.
Such are some of the good points in the
hepubllcan platform adopted by the Chicago
Convention. We are sorry, however, to say
that there are some things in the platform
which are by no means as good. The man
ncr In which the Convention deals with the
silver question is upon its face q studious
evasion. The plank reads;
awe have always recommended the best money
1.-THE Greenbacker, in his cOnce, may consider this
sop TO himself known.to the civilized world ana
we urge mat an effort be made TO unite all COM
mercial nations III the establishment OF an inter-
national standard which shall fix for all the relative
value OF gold and silver coinage
n
silver coinage depends on the relative sup
ply of these metals. Compare the above
plank with the following one, which was
adopted by the New York Convention that
elected the four Edmunds dccgates.at-
large.
lrhe Republican party OF New York. declares its |
adherence to sound financial policy which die
iates me immediate suspension of the coinage of |
me standard silver dollar, the retirement Of the
trade dollar aud the inneXible adjustment OF the |
currency to the single standard Of gold'
The resolution on this subject is mere |
platitudc that meaps nothing, or rather any,
thing that one chooses to have it mean. 1t |
was not intended to formulate any doctrine
as to the coinage of silver dollars, but was
intended to be mere dodge, and, as such, q
simple bid for votes,
No one can mistake the design of what
the convention says in regard to the Chinese
question. The object is to via votes in the
Pacific States and for this purpose the con-
vcntion not only indorses the present anti.
Chinese laws, but pledges the party "to pro-
vide such further legislation as is necessary
10 carry out its purposes" The convention,
in word, makes the Republican party the
ndorser of wholly unnecessary, inexpc-
1ent, foolish and unjust law. and pledges
he party to make the law still worse, if
lecdful, to secure its end. We denouuce
very word of the utterance and hold the
whole of it in absolute contempt and abhor-
ence.
What the Convention says about "lhe
,ight-hour law" is the shccrcst buncombc to
,atch the votes of the so-callcd labor refor-
ners. The law was originally passed for
purely political purposes, and is now indors.
ID for the same reason.
Taken as n whole the platform is far too
ong and wordy. If it had used half the
words contained in it, emitting some things,
nd specifying others not mentioned, it
would have been II much better platform
With which to go before the people in the
'nnding campaign. Fortunately the Repub-
lean party, in it's history for the last twenty
I've years. is its own PLATFORM and will be
mainly judged by that.