The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-06-24
THE PLATFORM.
Adopted by the Republican
State Convention at
Nashville, June A6.


The republicans of Tennessee in
convention assembled at Nashville,
on June 16, 1886, resolve as follows;
/. That we take advantage OF this
occasion to ren W our allegiance to
the republican party and to reaffrm
our faith in the wisdom and patriot
ism 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 pros
perity, enlightment and power for
which nature and freedom have so
we'll fitted it, we believing that the
policies Of the democratic party, born
of states rights and other dead issues,
IRE utterly untitled for the proper
gEernment of great nation conse-
craed to freedom and equal rights.
2.GThat we charge upon the demo
cratic party all the financial and in
dustrial troubles now depressing our
people; that party has shown itself
the enemy OF the laboring man and
the friend Of ignorance and pauper-
ism; that party's rise to power has
cast a dark shadow over the homes Of
the people, in which shadow strikes,
riots and destruction of life and prop
srty have impoverished labor, paralyz-
cd capital and alarmed patriots; and
hut for the certainty that, with the
present administration, the democrat
ic party will be turned out OF power
for another long term OF years, the
stagnation of business, the suferings
of the poor the boarding of capital
and the dearth Of employment for la
Dor would be so greatly increased as to
threaten the very foundations Of gov
ernment, all OF which evils are palliat-
ed only by the universal belief that
two years from now the republican
party viii again be called on to save
our country from the dangers OF de-
| mocracy as in the dark days of 1861.
8. That the democratic policy OF
stationirg small armies OF convicts all
over the state to make war on free la
Dor is as great a crime against our
skilled laborer 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 la
Dor, to reduce wages, to throw honest
workmer out of employment and te
demoralize the communities where
the conyicts are employed; wherefore
we brand this democratic policy as
most wicked outrage upon the rights
| OF our free laboring men-preferre(
slave labor to free labor; and that W.
favor the employment of short-tern
conyicts on the public roads, and tina
| all long-term convicts be confined
within the walls of the penitentiary a
such work as will bring them int
| least competition with free skilled Ia
Dor and in fayoring the employment
of convict labor in making publ
roads, we demand the repeal OF tn
present "per capita" road tax law.
4. That whereas, free govern
ment based on universal suf,rag
makes universal education necessar
to its successful existence, we fave
liberal state and county aid to our fire
schools, and we especially hail wit
delight the bill now long pending
congress, known as the Blair bill, an
, we earnestly pray congress to speedil
pass the same. TO all the friends
. said bill we extend extend our heart
thanks, and we denounce the dem
cratic opposition to said bill as q big
/ crime against the poor children of Il
nation.
Al 5. That whereas, the protection
ones own national household snot o
\ Ily an impulse of human nature, but
! rule of the Christian religion, al
! whereas, those who are forced to col
: pete with ignorant paupers must so'
! become ignorant paupers themselv
! therefore we declare it to be hi
nlorsl and political duty for our gc
ernnlent to protect the educated
u boring men Of free America from
a manner Of hurtful competition wi
n the half-paid, haIf-fed, half-clothed a
u half-educated yaborers of despotic !
er rope, and chat in levied tariff dut
Il on European goods brought here
sale, congress should SO apporti
,e these imposts as to give the great
N possible protection to the Americ
m laboring man, and should tax high
e. those articles intended to graf
to pride and luxury, to the end that
n. iff duties may fall highest on the p
and heaviest Oh the rich, and
y therefore demand the earliest po
y BILE repeal of the entire internal re
4 4 new system.
" Thai labor being the source Oj