San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-22


party has ever restored one acre to
the people, but declare that by the
Joint action of republicans and demo-
Gratis about SO, 600, 900 acres of unearned
lands originally granted for the con-
struction of railroads have been re-
stored to the public domain in pursu-
ance of conditions inserted by the re-
publican party in the original grant.
We charge the democratic administra-
ton with failure to execute the laws
securing to settlers the title to their
homesteads, and with using appro-
priations made for that purpose to har-
rass innocent settlers with spies and
prosecutions under the false pretense
of exposing frauds and indicating
the law.
Government by congress of the ter
ritOries is based upon necessity only,
to the end that they may become
states in the Union; therefore, when
ever the conditions of population,
material resources and public intelli-
gence and morality are such as to in
sure stable local government therein,
the people of such territories should be
permitted as right inherent in them
to form for themselves constitutions
and state governments and be Cd
mitted into the Union. Pending pre-
paration for statehood, all officers
thereof should be selected from bona
fide residents and citizens of the ter
ritories wherein they are to serve.
South Dakota should of right be
Immediately admitted as a state in
the Union under the constitution
framed and adopted by the people,
and we heartily endorse the action of
the republican senate in twice passing
bills for her admission. The refusal of
the democratic house of represents
tives for partisan purposes to favor
ably consider these bills is wilful
violation of the sacred American pr'n-
ciple of local self-government, and
merits the condemnation of all just
men. The pending bills in the senate
for acts TO enable the people of Wash
ington, North Dakota and Montana
territories to form constitutions and
establish state governments should be
passed without unnecessary delay.
The republican party pledges itself to
do all in it's power to facilitate the adj
mission of the territories of New
Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona
to the enjoyment of self-government
as states-such of them as are now
qualified as soon as possible, and 9TH
ers as soon as they may become so.
The political power of the Mormon
church IN the territories as exercised
in the past is a menace to free inStitu-
tons too dangerous longer to be suf
fered; therefore we pledge the republic
can party to appropriate legislation
asserting the sovereignty Ofthe nation
in all territories where the same is
questioned, and in furtherance of that
end to place upon the statute book
legislation stringent enough to di-
vOrce the political from the ecClesias
teal 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 it's
efforts to demonetize silver.
We demand the reduction of letter
postage to one cent per ounce.
In republic like ours, where the
citizen is sovereign and the official a
servant, where no power is exercised
except by the will of the people, it is
important that the sovereign people
should possess intelligence. The free
school is a promoter of that intelli-
gence which is to preserve us a free
nation; therefore the state or nation,
or both combined, should support free
institutions of learning sufficient to
afford to every child growing up in the
land the opportunity of a 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 rehabilitation of our
American merchant marine, and we
protest against the passage by con-
gress of the free ship bill as calculated
to work injustice to labor by lessening
the wages of those engaged in prepar-
ing materials as well as those direct
~ employed in our shipyards.
We demand appropriations for the
early rebuilding of our navy, for the
construction of coast Qualifications,
and modern ordnance and other APP
proved means of defense for the pro-
lection of our defenseless harbOrs and
cities; for the payment Ofjust pensions
to our soldiers; for necessary works
of national Importance in the improve
ment of harbOrs and channels Ofinter-
nal, coastwise and foreign commerce;
for the encouragement of the shipping
interests of the Atlantic, Gulf and
Pacific states, as well as for the pay
ment of the maturing debt. This
policy will give employment to our
laborers, activity to our various in
dustries, increase the security of our
country, promote trade, open new