Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-06-24
THE CONVENTIONS.
THE pLAT@RM
Adopted by the Republican a kte Conven-
tion at Nashville, JlE fGu. g.


casion to renew our allegiance TO the
Republican party and to reaffirm our
faith in the wisdom and patriotism of its
policies and principles, and to declare
our profound conviction that only
through and by means of those policies
and principles can our country attain that
degree of prosperity, enlightenment and
power for which nature and freedom
have so well fitted it, we, believing that
the policies of the Democratic party, born
of States rights and other dead issues.
are utterly untitled for the proper gov.
ernment of great nation consecrated 10
freedom and equal rights.
2. That we charge upon the Demo.
cratic party all the financial and indus. /
trial troubles now expressing our peopls;
that party has shown itself the enemy of
the laboring man and the friend of ignor
ance and pauperism; that partys rise to
power has cast dark shadow over the
homes of the people, in which shadow
strikes, riots and destruction of life and
property have impoverished labor, para.
lyzed capital and alarmed patriots; and
but for the certainty that, with the pres
ent administration, the Democratic party
will be turned out of power for another
long term Of years, the stagnation of
business, the sutferings Of the poor the
boarding of capital and the dearth of
employment for labor would be so great.
-ly increased as TO threaten the very
foundations Of government, all of which
evils are palliated only by the universal
belief that two years from now the Re-
publican party will again be called on
to save our country from the danger of
Democracy as in the dark DAYS of 1861.
3. That the Democratic policy of sta.
tioniLg small armies Of convicts all over
the State to make war on free labor is as
great crime against our skilled laboring
men as the stationing of small armies of
foreign soldiers all over our country
would be against the independence of
our nation, and the result of this policy
is to degrade labor, TO reduce wages, to
throw honest workmen out of employ
ment and to demoralizc the communities
where the convicts are employed; where.
fore, we brand this Democratic policy as
most wicked outrage upon the rights
of our free laboring men-preferred slave
labor to free labor; and that We favor the
employment Of short.term convcts on
the public roads and that all long term
convicts be confined within the walls of
the penitentiary at such work as will
bring them into least competition with
free skilled labor; and in fayoring the
employment of convict labor in making
public roads, we demand the repeal of
the present ''per capita road tax law
4. That, whereas, free government
based on universal suffrage makes uni
versal education necessary to its success
full existence, we favor liberal State and
county aid to our'free schools, and we
especially hail with delight the bill now
long pending in congress, known as the
Blair bill, and we earnestly pray congress
to speedily pass the same. To all the
friends of said bill we extend our hearty
thanks, and we denounce the Democratic
opposition to said bill as high crime
against the roor children of the nation.
8. That. whereas, the protection of ones
own national household is not only an
impulse of human nature, but rule of
the Christian religion, and whereas, those
who are forced to compete with ignorant
paupers must soon become ignorant pau.
pers themselves, therefore we declare it
to be high moral and political duty for
our government to protect the educated
laboring men Of free America from all
manner Of hurtful competition with the
halfpaid, half fed, half.clothed and half.
educated laborers of despotic Europe,
and that in levying tariff duties on Euro.
pean goods brought here for sale, cong.
ress should so apportion these imposts as
to give the greatest possible protection to
the American laboring man, and should
tax highest those articles intended to
crafty pride and luxury, to the end that
tariff duties may fall lightcst on the poor
and heaviest on the rich, and we there.
fore demand the earliest possible repeal
of the entire internal revenue system.
6. That labor being the source of all
wealth, we favor all such laws as will sc.
cure to our laborers the most favorable
opportunity to engage in work and all
reasonable security for the prompt pay
ment of their wages; we advocate the
passage of laws to compel corporations
and other employers to pay their EN-.
ployes in money and not In script or
merchandise, and to pay them weekly
when such payment demanded; we favor
a more efficient mechanics lien law; and,
also, all laws necessary for the greater
security of the life and health of those
who labor in mines, in building, manu-.
featuring and transportation, and in gen.
eral all such laws as labor shall reason.
ably require in order to secure il Just re-
ward.
z. That we sympathize with all peo.
pie who are struggling against tyranny,
and especially with the people of Ireland
in their patriotic efforts to obtain larger
share in the government Of their native
island, and we congratulate them on their
bright prospects of speedy deliverance
from the thralldom Of British despotism
and the triumph of the grand doctrine of
home rule by home men under home.
made laws.
:. That we ayow an honest ballot and
q fair count to be the basis of all the lib.
critics of the citizen, and we denounce in
unmeasured terms any effort by force or
fraud to deprive even the weakest or OBJ.
scurest citizen from the honest exercise
of the elective franchise.
0. That the people have the undoubted
right to altar, amend or abolish their con.
stitution and form of'government, none
will dispute; therefore be- 1t resolved.
that the republican party Of the state of
Tennessee recognize the right of the peo.
pie to have the submission amendment
voted upon at the ballot.box.
10. That we cordially invite all citi.
zens, without regard to former political
affiliations, who favor with us q protect.
i've tariff, national did TO education and
the abolition Of the penitentiary lease
system, to unite with us In voting and
battling for these common ends.
Bob Tayior's Boom.
Mr., Reeder, cx.representativc from
Knox county, tells good story ON the