Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-14
TIE PLATFORM.
An Able and Interesting
Document.


Document.
PROTECTION, THE PLANK ON
WHICH WE STAND.
SQUARELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY-
REPEAL OF THE TOBACCO TAX
CLEVELAND's ADMINISTRATION
CONDEMNED.
CHICAGO, june 2l.-The following is the
platform as reported to the convention
and adopted by unanimous vote:
The Republicans of the United States
assembled by their delegates in the Ma
tional Convention pause on the threshold
of their proceedings TO honor the memory
Of their first great leader. immortal cham
pion of liberty and the rights of the peo-
pie, Abraham Lincoln, and cover also
with wreaths of imp0rishable remembran-
co and gratitude, the heroic names Of the
later leaders who have more recently been
called away from our councils, Grant,
Garfield, Arther, Logan, Conkling. May
their memories be faithfully cherished.
We also recall with our greetings and
prayer for his recovery the name of one
of our living berOes whose memory will
DO treasured in history, both of Republi-
cans and of the Republic, the name of that
noble soldier and favorite child of victory,
Philip II. Sheridan. In the spirit Of those
great leaders and Of our own devotion 10
human liberty and with that hostility to
all the forms OF despOtism and oppression
which is the fundamental idea OF the Re
publican party, we send lraternal cougrat-
ulations to our fellow Americans of Bra
I'll upon their great act Of the emancipa-
ton which completes the abolition OF
slavery throughout the two American
continents. We earnestly hope that we
may soon congratulate our fellow citizens
of Irish birth upon the peaceful recovery
of home rule for Ireland. We re-aiiirm
our answering devotion 10 the National
Constitution and the indissOlu6le Union
of States, TO autonomy reserved TO the
States under the constitution 10 the per
sonal rights and liberties of the citizens
in all States and Territories in the Union,
and especially to the supreme and soyer-
eign right of every lawful citizen, rich or
poor, native or foreign born, white or
black, TO cast one free ballot in the pubic
elections and TO have their ballot duly
counted. We hold that free trade and
honest and popular ballot and just aud
equal representation of all people to be
the foundation of our Republican govern
ment. and demand effective legislation TO
secure the integrity and surety Of the
elections which are the fountains OF all
public authority.
We charge that the present administra-
ton and the Democratic majority in Con-
gress owe their existence to the suppress
sion of the ballot by the criminal nulliii-
cation of the constitution and the laws OF
the United States.
We are uncompromisingly in favor Of
the American system Of protection. We
protest against its destruction as proposed
By the President and his party. They
serve the interests of America. We ac-
cept the issue and confidently appeal TO
the people for their Judgment. The pro-
tective system must be maintained. Its
abandonment has always been followed
by general disaster to all interests except
those of the Insurer and sheriff.
We denounce the Mills bill as destruc.
tive to the general business, labor and
farming interests OF the country and We
heartily endorse the consistent and patri-
otto action Of the Republican representa-
tives in Congress in opposing its passage ;
we condemn the proposition OF the Demo
cratic party TO place wool on the free list,
aud we insist that the duties thereon
shall be adjusted and maintained so as to
furnish full and adequate protection TO
that industry.
The Republican party would effect all
needed reduction Of the national revenue
by repeating the taxes upon tobacco,
which are an annoyance and burden to
agriculture, and tax on spirits used in the
arts and for mechanical purposes and by
such revision Of the tariff laws as will
tend 70 check the imports OF such articles
as are produced by our people, the produc-
ton of which gives employment to our
labor and reduce from import duties those
articles OF foreign production Except lux
uries) the like of which cannot be pIoduc-
Cd al home. If there shall still remain
larger revenue than is required for the
government, we favor the entire repeal Of
the internal revenue taxes rather than
the surrender of any part OF our protective
system at the joint behest Of whisky trusts
and agents Of foreign manufacturers. We
declare our hostility to the introduction
into this country OF foreign contract Ia
Dor ana Of Chinese labor, alien 70 our CIV
ilzatiOn and our constitution. and We de-
mand a rigid enforcement of existing laws
against il and favor such immediate leg
islation as will exclude such labor from
our shores
we declare our opposition 10 all combin-
atoms Of capital organized in trusts OF
otherwise to control arbitrarily the OOn-
ditiOn of trade among our citizens, and we
recommend 10 Congress and the state
Legislatures, in their respective iursdic-
tions, such legislation as will prevent the
execution of all schemes TO Cypress the
people by undue charges on their supplies
or by unjust rates for transportation Of
their products to market. We approve
the legislation by Congress to prevent
alike burdens and unfair determinations
between the States.
We re-affirm the policy Of appropriating
the public lands of the United States TO
be hOmesteads for American citizens and
settlers, not aliens, which the Republican
party established in 1852, against the per-
eisteut opposition of the Democrats in
Congress, and which has brought orr
Western domain into such magnificent
dsvelopement the restoration OF unearn-
ed railroad land grants 10 the public do
main for the use of settlers, which was
begun under the administration of PresI-
dent Arther should be continued. We
deny that that he Democratic party has
ever restored one acre to the people ; but
declare that by joint action Of the RepuD-
licans and Democrats about fifty millions
of acres of unearned ] nds, originally
granted for the construction Of railroads,
have been restored to the public domain
in pursuance of the conditions inserted
by the Republican party in the original
Erant2 We charge the Democratic adj
ministratiOn with failure 10 execute the
laws securing to the settlers their home
steads and with using the approximations
made for that purpose TO harrass innocent
settlers with spies and prosecutions, I'M
der the false pretense of reporting frauds
and vndcatng law. The Government
by Congress Of the Territories is based
upon necessity only to the end that they
may become states in Union therefore,
whenever the condition OF populations
material resources, public intelligence aud
morality, are such rs 10 insure stable
local government therein, the people Of
such Territories should Ice permitted as
right inherent in them, to form for them
selves constitutions and State govern
ments and be admitted into the Uai0n
pending preparation for statehood. All
officers thereof should be selected from
residents and cItiEens of the Territory
wherein they are 10 serve. South Dakota
should OF right be immediately admitted
as a State in the Union under the consti-
tuition formed and adopted by her people,
and We heartily endorse the act Of the
Rennhlican Senafn In frvicn .lnAainn hilla