Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-10-31
tween the States.

We reaffirm the policy of appropriatine
the public lands Of the United States to bt
homesteads for American citizens and set
tiers, not aliens, which the Republican
party established in 1862, against the
persistent opposition OF the Democrats in
Congress, and which has brought our great
Western domain into such magnificent
development. The restoration Of unearn.
ed land grants to the public domain for
the use Of actual settlers, which was begun
under the administration of President Ar.
thur, should be continued. We deny that
the democratic party has ever restored one
acre to the people, but declare that by the
Joint action of republicans aud democrats,
about fifty millions OF acres of unearned
lands originally granted for the conslIuc-
tion OF railroads have been restored to the
public domain, in pursuance Of the condi.
tlons inserted by the republican party in
the original grants We charge the dem
ocratic administration with failure to exc.
cute the laws securing to settlers titles to
their homesteads, and with using appro.
Tiations made for that purpose to harass
innocent settlers with spies and prosecu-
tIons under false pretence of exposing
frauds and vindicating the law.
The government by Congress Of the
Territories is based upon necessity only,
to the end that they may become States
IN the Union; therefore whenever the con.
ditions Of population, material resources,
public intelligence and morally are such
as to secure stable LEGAL government
therein, the people of such Territories
should be permitted, as rIs ht inherent jr
them, TO form for themselves constitution
and State government, and be admitted
into the Union. Pending tine pTepara.
ton for Statehood, all officers hereof
should be selected from the bona fde
residents and citizens OF the Territory
wherein they are to serve. South Dakota
should of right be Immediately admitted
as a State in the Union, under the con.
framed and adopted by the
people, and we heartily indoTse the action
Of the Republican Senate in twice
passing bills for her admission. The
refusal of the Democratic House of
Representatives, for partisan purposes, to
favorably consider these bills, a willful
of the sacred American principle
Of local self-government, and merits the
of all just men. The
pending bills in the Senate for acts to
enable the people of Washington, North
Dakota and Montana Territories to form
should be passed without
delay. The republican party
pledges itself to DO all in its power to IA.
cilitate the admission of the territories Of
New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Ari.
IONA to the enjoyment Of self government
as states, such of them as are now quail. |
led, as soon as possible, and the Others as
ioon as they may become so,
The political power of the Mormon
church in the territories, as experienced in
The past, is menace TO free institutions
90 dangerous to be long suffered. There
ore we pledge the republican party to ap.
lropnate legislation asserting the sGyer- |
,ignty of the nation in all territories
where the same Is questioned, and in
OF that end 10 place upon the |.
statute books legislation stringent enough |
20 divorce the political from the ecclesias-
.ical power, and thus stamp out the |
attendant wickedness of polygany.
The republican party is in favor Of the
use of both gold and silver as money, and |
condemns tine policy of the democratic
IN its efforts to demOnetize
silver.
We demand the reduction of letter
postage to l cent per ounce.
In a republic like ours. where The
.Itizen Is the sovereign and the official the
ervant, where no power is exercised |
Xcept by the will OF the people, it Is
important thar the sOvercign-the people
should pussess intelligence. The free
chool is the promoter Of that intelligence
which is to preserve us a free nation;
therefore,, the state or nation, or both
should support free institutions
II learning, sufficient to afford to every
hild growing up in the land the oppor-
umly OF a good common school edu-
alton.
We earnestly recommend that prompt
ction be taken by Congress in the en-.
ctment OF such legislation as will bet
ecure the rehabilitation of our American
merchant marine, and We protest against
he passage by Congress of free ship
III, as calculated to work injustice to
lbur by lesSening the wages of those
ngaged in preparing materials, as well
, those directly employed in our ship
ards, We demand appropriations for
he early .ehui,dIng of our navy; for the
Instruction OF coast Qualifications and
l1iern urdnruce, and other approved
rpJeru menus 1T defense Tor the protec.
'nu ut cur defeusele,s harburs and
,ue,; tor the payment of just pension,
10 eur Sutdl,Is; tor necessary works If
,3iuual importance IN lhe Improvement
I narbnrs AID The channels of internal
s,,twI,r. AMI foreign co1msrce; for the
It the shipping InieUe>;>
Z the \ uouiC Gulio..t 4 .,-,. So rs