Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-28


render any part OF our protective system ar the
joint beheSt of the whisky trusts and the aoents
of foreign manufacturers
We declare our hostility to the Introduction into
this country of foreign contract labor and of Chi
nese labor as alien - our civilization and oIlr con-
StisUtion, and we demand rigid enforcement of
existing laws against it and favor such Immediate
legislation as will exclude such labor from our
shores.
We declare our opposition to all combinations
of capital organized as trusts or otherwise to con-
troll arbitrarily the condition of trade among our
citizens, and we recommend to congress and the
state legislatures in their respective Jurisdictions
such legislation as viii prevent the execution of
all schemes TO Cypress the people by undue
charges on their supplies or by unjust rates for
the transportation OF their property 10 market.
We approve legislation by congress to prevent
ankle UNJUST burdens and unfair determinations
between states.
We reaff1rEn the policy of appropriating the
public lands of the United States TO be home
steads for American citizens and settlers not
aliens, which The republican party established in
IN 1867 against the persistent opposition Of the
democrats IN congress.
The reservation of the unearned railroad land
grants to the public domain for the use of actual
settlers, which was begun under the administra-
ton or PRESIDENT Arthur, should be continued.
We Geny that the democratic party has ever re-
stored one acre to the people, but declare that by
the joint action OF the republicans and democrats
ABOUT %, oOoOo0 acres Of unearned lands, origin
ally granted for the construction of railroads
have been restored to the public domain in pursI-
ance of the conditions inserted by the republican
party in the original grants.
We Sugmatize the democratic adminiStr alton
with failure TO execute laws securing to settlers
the title to their homesteads, and with using the
appropriations made Tor that purpose to haraSS
innocent persons with spies and prosecutions I'M
der the false pretenSe of exposing frauds and
indicating the law.
Government by congress of the territories is
based upon necessity, only to the end that they
may become states i'll the union; therefore. when
ever the conditions of population, material re-
sources, public intelligence and morality are such
as to insure a stable local government therein,
the people OF such territories should be permitted
as q right inherent. to form for themselves con
Stitutions and state governments, and to be adj
mitted into the union. Pending preparation for
statehood all officers thereof should be selected
from bona tide residents and citizens of the ter
rItory wherein they are to serve. South Dakota
should of right be Immediately admitted as a
state in the union under the constitution framed
ana ADOPTED by her people; and we heartily In
dOrSe the action of the republican senate in twice
passing bill for her admission. The refusal of
the democratic house of representatives, for par
tlsan purposes, to favOrably consider these bills
IS Wlllful violation of the sacred American
principle Of local salf-government, and merits
The condemnation of all just men.
The pending bills in the senate for acts of ena-
BILE the people of Washington, North Dakota and
Montana territories to form constitutions and es-
tablish state governments should be passed with
out unnecessary delay. The republican party
pledged itself to do all in its power to facilitate
the admission of the territories of New Mexico.
Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona to the enjoyment
OF selt-government as StateS-Such of them as are
now qualified as soon as possible, and the Others
as soon as they may become qualified.
The political power of the A1ormons in the ter
ritorieS as exercised in the past is q menace to
free Institutions and too dangerous to be long suf
fered; therefore we pledge the republican party
to appropriate legislation asserting the sover-
eighty OF the nation in all the territories where
the same is questioned, and in furtherance Of
that end to place upon the statute books legisla,
ton stringent enough to divorce the political
from the ecclesiastical power and thus stamp
out the attendant wickedness of polygamy.
The republican party is IN favor of the use of
both gold and silver as money, and condemns the
policy of the democratic administration in its eff
forts to demonetize silver.
We demand reduction of the letter postage to
one cent per ounce.
In a republic like ours, where the citizen is SOW
ereign and the official q servant, where no power
is eXerted except by the people. it is important
that the sovereign, the people, should possess in
telGgence. The free school is the promoter of
that intelligence, which is to preserve us as free
nation; therefore. the state or nation, or both
combined, should support free institutions of
learning sufficient to afford to every enid grow
ing up in the land the opportunity of good COM
mon school education.
We earnestly recommend that prompt action
be taken by congress in the enactment of such
Legislation as will best secure the rehabilitation
Of our American merchant marine, and we pro-
test against the passage by congress of the free
ship bill as calculated to work injustice to labor
by leSSening the wages of those engaged in pre-
pairing materials, as we'll as those directly
ployed in our ship yards
We demand appropriations for the early re-
coast Notifications and modern ordnance and
other approved modern defense for the protection
of our defenselesS harbOrS and cities; for the
payment OF just pensions to our soldiers; for nee
essary works of national Importance in the i'm
provement of harborS and the channels of
internal waterways; for the encouragement OF
the shipping interests Of the Atlantic, Gulf and
Pacific states, as well as for the payment OF the
maturing public debt. This policy will give en-
ployment to our labor, activity to our various in
dustries, increase the security of our country,
promote trade. open new and direct markets for
our produce and cheaper the cost of transporta-
ton. We affirm this to be far better for our
country than the democratic policy of lOaning
the governments money without interest to pet
banks
The conduct of our foreign affairs by the pres
ent administration has been distinguished by in
efficiency and cowardice Having withdrawn
from the senate all pending treaties effected by
the republican administration for the removal of
foreign burdens and restrictions upon our com
merce and for it's extension into better markets,
it has neither effected nor proposed any others IN
their stead.
Processing adherence to the Monroe doctrine, it
has seen with idle complacency the extension of
foreign influence in Central America and of for
eign trade everywhere among our neighborS. 1t
has refused to charter sanction or encourage any
American organization for constructing the NC
araugua canal a work of vital Importance TO the
maintenance of the Monroe doctrine and Of our
national influence in Central and South America,
and necessary for the development of trade with
Pacific territory, with South America and
with the islands and further coasts of the Pacific
ocean.
We arraiga the present democratic administra-
ton for its weak and unpatriotic treatment of
the fisheries question and its pusillanimous sur
render of the essential privileges to which orr
fishing vessels are entitled III Canadian ports
under the treaty of 1875 the reciprocal maritime
legislation of 1889, and the courtesy of nations
which the Canadian vessels receive IN the ports
of the United States. We condemn the policy OF
the present administration and the democratic
majority in congress toward our fisheries as un-
friendly and conspicuOusly Unpatrotic and as
tending to destroy valuable national industry
and indispensable resource OF defense against d
foreign enemy.
Thr name American applies alike to all citi
zans of the republic and imposes upon all alike
the same obligation of obedience TO the laws; at
the same time citizenship is and must be the pan
opIy and the safeguard of him who wears it. and
protect him whether high or low. rich or poor, IN
all mis- civil rights. 1t should and must afford
him protection at home, and follow and protect
him abroad. in whatever land he may be on law
full errand.
The men who abandoned the republican party
liz 1884. and continue to adhere TO the democratic
party, have deserted, not only the cause OF honest
government, of sound finance, of the freedom
and purity of the ballot, but especially have they
deserted the cause of reform in the civil service
We will aot fail to keep our pledges because they
have broken theirs. or because Their CANDIDATE
aration of 1884, to-wit: The reform OF the civil
service SO auspiciously begun under republican
administration should be completed by the fur-
ther extension of the reform system already
established by law to all grades of the service to
which it IS applicable. The spirit and purposeof-
reform should be observed in all executive ap-
pontmentS and all laws at variance with the OBJ
ject of the existing reform legislation should be
repealed. to the end that the dangers to free
institutions which lurk in the power OF official
patronage may be wisely and effectively
avoided.
The gratitude of the nation to the defenders OF
the union cannot be measured by laws. The leg !
isation of congress should conform to the pledges
made by the loyal people and be so enlarged and
extended to provide against the possibility that
any man who honorably wore the federal UNIFORM |
shall become an inmate of an aims house, or de- |
pendent upon private charity. In the presence |
of an oyerhowlng treasury it would be public |
scandal tC do less for those whose ValorouS ser