San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-28
The STATE PLATFORM.

THE STATE PLATFORM.
The San Antonio Express Of the 9th
instant, has this to say concerning the
republican platform adopted at Waco:
THE republicans holding state con-
vention Wednesday, failed to make any
denunCiatiOn of the anarchists or out
lawry by organizations OF any kind.
But anarchists and outlaws have votes
1t is exceedingly gratifying to find
that the inevitable attack upon the re-
publican state platform begins with
what it did not say. There are few doc
uments extant that cover everything.
The platform above referred TO does not
mention everything, but it would be
strange logic that wonld compel 1t to en-
dorse all that it does not specifically con-
denim. 1t certainly does not endorse the
democracy of Texas, and yet 1t says no
specific word cOndemning them. 1t
does not denounce anarchists and organ
lied outlawry, says the Express. Why
should if? Is not its record on this
point so plain that all who run may
read? Was not the republican party
largely brought into power for the very
and express purpose OF denouncing
anarchy, democratic outlawry in its at
tempt to thrust slavery into the terrific
ries, contrary to the spirit and letter Of
the constitution Did not the republic
can party make its unparalleled record
in successful wsr against organized
Outlawry and anarchy, when the dem
ocracy made its mad attempt to destroy
the very foundations of republican gov
eminent and set up an Olgarchy on the
ruins thereof? Declarations against
anarchy and organized Outlawry are in
order IN democratic platforms, and are
ever accepted as hopeful signs from
those who have champiOned the X. X.
X, terrorized the American colored citi-
zens and his white defenders until free
ballot was Il farce, and to-day virtually
excludes hundreds of thousands of free
voters from the polls. The record OF the
republican party is its declaration
against anarchy, its denunciation OF Or
ganized outlawry, and no words in any
platform of any state in all this broad
Nation with big NJ could add force to
that denunciation.
The platform Of the republican party
of Texas, taken as a whole, is a peoples
platform. In reaffirming its approval of
the national platform of 1884 1t afiirms
its denunciation OF democratic outlawry,
its hostility to the criminal acts Of that
party in its massacre Of free colored
citizens, and every other act of outlawry,
past, present, and to come. In reaffirm-
ing its allegiance to that national plat
form it plants itself squarely upon the
principle OF protection to American la
Dor and industries; calls for readjust-
ment Of the duty on foreign wool, in Or
der that American sheep-owners may
have adequate protection; demands a
national bureau Of labor and the eight
hour law; calls for the protection of
American citizens at home and abroad;
opposes the competition of citizen Ia
Dor with servile labor in all its forms,
and in every one of its declarations shows
itself the party Of the people. The plat
form of the state, in addition to these
declarations calls for repeal of all oc-
cupation taxes on trades and professions;
for repeal of the laws that tax mans
body for road purposes; for repeal of
the laws that shut out large bodies Of
land from actual settlement by the peo-
pie, by leasing them in large tracts.
1t approves heartily Of the national in
terest in education and endorses the
Blair bill, which sought to supplement
the educational work Of the state by
national aid, such aid apportioned on
the basis of illiteracy; that is, putting its
money where il would do most good.
The state platform calls for the oessa-
tion of all convict labor on the public
works OF the state; 1t denounces the
farming out of convicts and demands
their confinement within penitentiary
far as practicable their competition
with free labor; 1t calls for the strict en-
forcement Of the laws against foreign
contract labor, which laws are now
openly violated by the contractors Of
the Texas state house; 1t calls for the
restriction by law Of railroad pools and
all other forms OF monopoly that Cypress
the mercantile and industrial classes.
The platform is not complete as it now
stands; very important addition, call
ing for the establishment and maintain
ance Of state reformatory at some point
other than that at which our peniten-
tiaries are established, having been
adopted just prior to adjournment, and
Of which the full text will shortly be-
gin. The labor question be-
ing an important one in Texas
has been given prominence in the
state platform, but no more than is war
ranted by the declarations Of the repub-
Iia0n national ,latforn ~ 1904 ond Al