The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-28
THE CHICAGO PLATFORM.
VIGOROUS DEMAND FOR A FREE
BALLOT AND A FAIR COUNT.

Free Trade and the Mills Tariff Bill Are
Observation-Disclosures Arraignment
of the Present Administration.
CHICAGO, June 2l.-Following is the
full report Of the committee OH resolu.
tiOns:
The Republicans of the United States
assembled by their delegates in national
convention pause on the threshold of
their proceedings 10 honor the memory
of their first great leader, the immortal
champion of liberty and the rights of
the people-Abraham Lincoln; and to
cover also with wreaths of immortal
rememb ance and gratitude the heroic
names of our later leaders who haye
more recently been called away from
our councils-Grant. Garfield, Arthur,
Logan and Conkling. May their mem
ories be faithfully cherished. We also
recall with our greeting and with pray.
er for his recovery tue name Of one Of
our living heroes whose memory will be
| treasured in the history, both of Repub-
licans and the repubic-the name of
that noble soldier and favorite child of
victory, Phillip II. Sheridan.
In the spirit Of those great leaders and
of our own devotion to human liberty,
and with that hostility to all forms of
despOtism and oppression which is the
fundamental idea of the Republican
party. we send fraternal congratulations
to our fellow Americans of Brazil upon
their great act of emancipation, which
completed the abolition of slavery
throughout the two American conti-
nents. We earnestly hope that we may
soon congratulate our fellow cit lens OF
Irish birth upon the peaceful recovery
of home rule for Ireland.
We reatiirm our answering devotion
to the national constitution and to the
Indissoluble union of the states; to the
autonomy reserved to the states under
the constitution; to the personal rights
and liberties 1T citizens in all states and
territories in the United States, and es-
peGially TO the supreme and sovereign
right Of every lawful citizen, rich or
poor. native or foreign. born, white or
black to cast one free ballot in public
Elections and To have that ballot duly
counted. We mold the free and honest
popular ballot and the just and equal
representation of all the people to be the
foundation of our republican govern
ment, am demand effective legislation
to secure the integrity and purity of
elections. We charge that the present
administration and the Democratic ma
jority in Congress owe their existence
to the suppression of the ballot by a
criminal notification of the constitution
and laws of the United States.
We are uncompromisingly in favor of
the American system of protection; we
protest against its destruction as pro-
posed by the President and his party.
They serve in the interests of Europe
we will support the interests of Amer
lea. We accept the issue and conf
IDENTIFY appeal TO the people for their
Judgment. The protective system must
be maintained. Its abandonment has
always been followed by general disas-
ter to all interests except those of the
usurer and the sheriff.
We denounce the Mills bill as destruc-
tive to the general business, the labor
and the farming interests of the country
and we heartily endorse the consistent
and patriotic action of the Republican
Representative in Congress in oppos-
ing its passage.
We condemn the proposition Of the
Democratic party to place wool on the
free list, and we insist that the duties
thereon shall be adjusted and main.
tanned so as to furnish full and adequate
protection to that industry.
The Republican party would effect all
needed reduction of the national reve.
nue. by repeating the taxes on tobacco
which are an annoyance and burden tC