The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-26
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

l, That we take advantage of this
occasion 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 de-
clare our profound conviction that on
ly through and by means of these pol
icies and principles can our country
attain that degree Of prosperity, en-
lightenment and power for which ma
ture and freedom have so well fitted
it, and believing that the policies of
the democratic party, born of states
rights and other dead issues, are utter
ly untitled for the proper government
of great nation consecrated to free
dom and equal rights.
2. That 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 labnring 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 props
erty have impoverished labor, par.
alyzed capital and alarmed patriots,
and but for the certainty that with
the present administration the demo-
cratic party will be turned out of
power fer another long term of years,
the stagnation of business, the suffers
ing of the poor, the boarding of capt.
tai and the dearth of employment for
labor would be so greatly increased as
to threaten the very foundations of
government, all of which evils are
paliated only by the universal belief
that two years from now the republic
can party will again be called on to
save our country from the dangers of
democracy as in the dark days Of 1851.
3. That the democratic policy of
statiOning small armies of convicts all
over the state to make war on free
labor is as great crime against our
skilled lahoring men as the stationing
of small armies of foreign soldiers all
over the 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
workmen out of employment and to
demoralize the communities where
the convicts are employed; wherefore,
we brand this democratic policy as a
most wicked outrage upon the rights
of our free labOring men, and that we
favor the employment of short term
convicts 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 lar
Dor, and in tavoring the employment
of convict labor in working public
roads we demand the repeal Of the
present per capita road tax law.
4. That, whereas, a free govern.
eminent, based on universal suffrage,
making universal education necessary
to its successful existence, we favor
liberal state and county aid to our
free schools; and we especially hail
with delight the bill now long-pend-
ing 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
thanks, and we denounce the demo,
cratic opposition to said bill as high
crime against the poor children of the
nation.
5. That, whereas, the protection Of
One'SOwn household is not only an
impulse of human nature, but a rule
of the Christian religion, and, where
as, those who are forced to compete
with Ignorant paupers themselves
therefore we declare it to be high
moral and political duty for our gov
eminent to protect the educated la.
boring men of America from all man
ner of hurtful competition with the
half'paid, half fed, half-clothed and
half>educated laborers of despotic Eu
rope; and that in levying tariff duties
on European goods brought here fol
sale congress should so apportior
these imposts as to give the creates
possible protection to the American
labOring man and should tax highe
those articles Intended to crafty prid,
and luxury, to the end that tariff du
ties may fall lightest on the poor ant
heaviest on the rich; and we therefor,
demand the earliest possible repeal o
the internal revenue system.
6. That labor, being the source o
all wealth, we favor all such laws n
will secure to our laburers the mos
favorable opportunity to engage il
work, and all reasonable security 70
the prompt payment of their wages