The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-10-08
The REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
Adopted by the Republican Territorial Con.
vention at Butte, Sept. rs, 1886.
DEcLARArIoN OF pRINcIpLEs.

DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.
The Republicans of Montana, at the close
| of third of century since the organiza-
tion of the party, reviewing history, find in
the past career of their party abundant
| cause for congratulation. Organized to
protect and dignity labor and secure to the
present ard future generations the institu-
tions of liberty, and confronted by oppo-
sition and perils such as no party before
experienced, it bore itself nobly, and its
record is among the eternal splendors of
history. Every proposition of benefcence
which it brought forward was confronted by
Democratic opposition, and every such
proposition the people approved and made
secure. In the midst of career thus noble
it has been called upon to lay down for the
time being the responsibilities of power, and
the Democratic party reigns in its stead.
1. We cannot join the Democratic party
of Montana in its approval Of the admins
trstion of Grover Cleveland. Before his
Inauguration, when besought by bis political
friends TO consult with them before commit
ting himself in q raid upon silver, he
| obstinately refused their courteous request,
and rushed into print to depreciate so far
as lay in his power the value of q metal
which has been q measure of CONNER
value from the dawnings of history. His
administration since his Inauguration has
been so deftly conducted by him and his
conspirators that the value of silver during
that time had decreased with greater rapidi-
ty than it ever did before. Omitting no
action, personal or official, that would de-.
crease the value of this metal, his admins
tration has sought by every means in its
grasp to increase the cost of its production
in the United States, to the end that this
great industry might be within our limits
annihilated. They have sought for excuses
to endeavor TO set aside titles TO mining
property already granted; they have rem
dered difficult, if not impossible, the pro-
curement by the miner of wood, timber
and lumber necessary in the prosecution of
this industry, and they have thrown around
the production of the precious metal every
obstruction which lay in their power. To
this end obsolete laws have been resurrected;
violent and unjust interpretations have been
placed upon them; regulations annoying and
harassing to the miner have been adopted
in clear coDtrovention of any lawful author
ity, and this great resource of the United
States is threatened by this administration
with practical extinction, while at the time
OF Its organization the citizens of the United
States were encouraged by wise laws and
liberal interpretations of them, to give con-
sequence to their country by producing large
quantities If the precious Fetal, until it
promised to oe the great producer Of The
precious metals of the world.
2. AS. to the agricultural laws, the influ
ence Of the administration has been given TO
the repeal or amendment of those laws
whereby the settler could secure land and
home TO himself, and Commissioner Of the
General Land Office, renowned for his hos
tility to the people of the West for score of
years, assumed to suspend law of Congress
granting to the people of the West pre- emp
sion, homestead and desert entry rights, and
when thwarted by Republican Senate gave
as bis excuse that the people of the West
were securing these homes in great plumbers,
in the apprehension that the laws might
finally be repealed. For such crime as this
ministers have been impeached, States have
rebelled and monarchs have been behea AIDED.
Regulations justified by no authority of law
have been by him prescribed to harass and
annoy the farmer, the miner and the grazier.
Recognizing the corrupting influence of
public patronage, and trusting for continued
authority by Its unblushing use, he has
taken every tree and field of the public do
main into his possession to be farmed out to
favorites as the whim or caprice of persons
may dictate who are alien to our population
and without sympathy for their sacrifices
and tolls. Beyond this, he has filled the
country with spies, animated by his malice
and anxious for his approval, who prowl by
night and day around the homestead of the
citizen, the mill of the miner and the shop
of the mechanic, to find some circum stance
Of suspicion to report to his chief, and
thereby win his approval. A system of es-
pionage thus extensive and active and char
acterized by such malice has been unknown
until now since the dark ages.
5. The veterans ofthe armies of the United
States, survivors of their country's wars,
whom Congress has unanimously adjudged
to be worthy of support and has voted PEN
sions accordingly, are by the gross and rbald
veto messages of the President denied such
an expression of the public gratitude. Army
officers of approved valor who have added to
their country's renown are refused promo
ton because advancing years will soon place
heroes of hundreds of battles who led our
armies to victory are denied by arbitrary
orders the selection of their military fami-
lies. 1t has decreased the military force
among the various Indian tribes in the Ter
ritories, where it is liable at any time to be
needed.
/ 4. The administration has abolished many
postofices and diminished the mail service
of the Territory, and has turned over the
distribution of letters in many instances to
men wholly unfamiliar with the service and
utterly incompetent for the discharge of Its
duties, thus crippling the service where its
blessings are invaluable, that the money |
thereby saved might be squandered in polit- |
ically powerful communities of the east.
s. In defiance of the pledges and platform
on which the President was elected, he has |
chosen to disregard the civil service Law
has arbitrarily disobeyed the command Of
bis party that the Territories shall have
home rule; but has imported into them
strangers to their people and institutions to
continue the influences of disorganization
that have SO long been active. He has
assailed our ship-building interests, and for
partizan reasons pursued one of our citizens
whose reputation was world wide, to his
destruction until the products of his inge-
Duisy and skill are now sailing under foreign
flags. He refused to encourage American
commerce upon the high seas. employing
foreign merchant ships, sailing under foreign
flags 10 carry the United States mail, and by