Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-25
THE PLATFORM.
DECLARATION OF REPUBLICAN
PRINCIPLES.
Proclaimed by the Republican Party
of California, at Los Angeles,
August 90, 1886.

happlness-and its mission will not be fully
accomplished until the laws are SO con-
strued and administered that an invasion of
these inalienable rights, even as against
the humblest person, shall become impos-
sible. 1t points with pride to the fact that
it has engrafted these principles upon the
national Constitution, thereby giving to
every one the protection which the power
of GO. OOO, 600 of freemen affords. Guided
by a firm faith in these great principles IT
has, during its long and eventful history,
done nothing for which it has to apollo
gize. When it took the Government from
the Democratic party it found a country
disturbed by dissensions; States seced-
ing and threatening secession the Treas
ury empty and the public credit impaired
the a~rsenals plundered and the fortresses
invested; a hostile Government, whose
foundation was human slavery, fully armed
in our midst; with open foes at the South
and secret enemies at the North. When
called upon to surrender its great trust, it
delivered to its successors a united country,
a free people, an OVERLOOKING treasury,
public credi. higher than that of any other
nation on earth, arsenals and the Govern
ment works intact, the flag of the Union
floating in peace over a great, prosperous,
happy nation, commanding the admiration
and respect of mankind. The Democratic
administration of Cleveland has failed to
keep the pledges upon which it came into
power. 1t promised retrenchment and
economy, but has been the most extrava-
CANT ever known. 1t promised to uphold
the dignity and honor of the republic and
protect American citizens and their rights
of person and property, both at home and
abroad, but has proved incapable OF secur-
ing an honorable adjustment of the fish
cries question, and has, with seeming in
difference, subjected the United States to
the humiliation of seeing our flag insulted,
our seamen seized and vessels of our citi-
zens confiscated by the authorities OF Can
ada, while, with rash haste and blunder-
ing, it has involved us in unjustifiable
complications with our friendly %neighbor,
the sister republic of Mexico. a fact which
seriously calls attention to the Republican
national platform in its enunciation of the
doctrine of international arbitration for in
ternational differences, and to the import
ance of the recent Act of the Senate OF the
United States in unanimously passing a
bill for a Congress of American nations in
the interest of peace and commerce. 1t
promised civil service reform, but has made
that phrase odious bynot only removing,
but attempting TO blacken the character OF
thousands of our best citizens, many of
them old soldiers, who have been removed
from official positions upon the cowardly
subterfuge of offensive ~partisanship."
We reaffirm that to the Union soldiers and
sailors in the late war we owe a debt which
cannot be computed. and it IS the duty of
the Government to grant pensions and es-
t1L1.-T lA.,nc Gov oil pV,ah nc ara ItSat.laA
or in want; and with equal earnestness we
condemn the heartless and wholesale vetoes
by President Cleveland of the private pen
sion bills recently passed oy this Congress.
R%eaffirming the principles enunciated in
the national platform adopted at Chicago
in 1854, and the State platform adopted at
Sacramento in the same year, in SO far as
now applicable, the Republican party of
California makes the following additional
declaration OF principles:
Labor.
Labor is honorable, and the laborer in
every walk of life should be honored. Upon
free, intelligent labor and its wise direction
depends the prosperity of the nation.
Everything which is useful and valuable
to man is the result of labor in some form,
and its careful protection should be the first
consideration of the statesman. The value
of labor must depend upon its producing
capacity, and this must be measured by the
intelligence of the laborer. The liberal
education of the laborer, therefore, is the
first step towards the greatest, the wisest
and the most profitable development OF the
resources of the country and the elevation
OF its workmen. To accomplish this the
public school system should be preserved,
protected and extended, until its ~ennobliDg
influence penetrates to every hearthstone
and increases the usefulness of every per-
son. The Republican party declares its
firm belief that cooperation among labor
ers is for the best interests of society that
while capital is entitled to all safeguards
necessary TO induce its generous invest
ment, and while assaults upon social order
proceeding from persons falsely represent
ing themselves as friends of labor must be
sternly repressed, the Republican party
will never sanction any legislation which
would restrict wage-earners from cooper
ating and organizing for their general pro-
lection and advancement, but, on the con-
trary, will enact liberal laws fostering and
encouraging cooperation.
Resolved, That all law-abiding citizens of
the United States, be they native or foreign
born, are equally entitled to the protection
of our laws, and we are opposed to the I'M
migration of all persons not in sympathy
with this Government and the principles
on which it is founded.
Resolved That we are ~irrevocably in favor
of immediate action OF the part OF Con-
gress and the President to secure the abro-
CATION of the Burlingame treaty, to be fol-
lowed by such legislation as will prohibit
the further immigration of Chinese.
1t points with Just pride to the fact that
the Republican Senate of the United States,
by unanimous vote, has passed a bill Tor
the restriction of Chinese Immigration, and
denounces the action of the Democratic
House of Representatives for refusing its
concurrence in a measure universally de-
manded by the people of this coast, and
which is necessary for the protection and
elevation of free labor.
RESOLVED, That the interests OF free labor
demand that the employment and patron
age of Chinese should be discouraged by
all lawful means, and to this end we ear
nestly solicit the hearty cooperation OF
every citizen of this State.
Resolued, That we are in favor of the pro-
lection and elevation of American labor,
and opposed to any legislation which tends
to degrade or cheaper it, and we recon-
mend the employment of convict labor in
such pursuits as will not bring the same
into injurious competition with free labor.
U.-IRRIGATIoN.
One of the most important questions
soon to be considered by the people of Cal
ifornia is the proper utilization of its water
courses for the purpose of irrigation, and
when this great work is accomplished our
State will support per acre q greater popu-
lation than any other State in the Union,
and f~ertilize and fill with prosperity vast
domains otherwise dedicated to perpetual
barrenness. The Republican party APP
proaches this great question with a careful
deliberation, not less grave than that which
it has debated and happily determined
other momentous subjects. in the confident
expectation, that Entrusted with the power
so to do, it will enact such laws as will
secure and receive the approval of the peo-
pie, and it here affirms as follows:
First-It is in favor of the immediate
passage of a law declaring that henceforth
no rights to water shall be acquired which
will in any name obstruct the State in
the control thereof whenever it shall see
proper to exercise such control.
Second-It is in fayor of the passage of
laws which will prevent the monopolizing
of the waters Of the State and promote
their utilization TO the greatest extent pos
sible.
Third-In the passage of any laws upon
this subject individual rights must be pro-
tected. but if those rights are found to
interfere with calculating a just distribu-
ton of water and its utilization by the pee
Me imam eoual terms, then such rights