Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-08-03

tions between the states.
We reaffirm the policy of appropriating
the public lands of the United States to be
homesteads for American citizens and set
tiers, not aliens, which the Republican party
established in 1862, against the persistent OPP
position of the Democrats in congress, and
which has brought our great western domain
into such magnificent development. The
restoration Of unearned railroad land grants
to the public domain for the use of actual
settlers, which was begun under the admin
i%stration of President Arthur, 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 the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis about so, 1000, 900 Of acres of unearned
lands originally granted for the construction
of railroads have been restored to the public
domain, in pursuance of the conditions in
serted by the Republican party in the origi-
nal grants. We charge the Democratic adj
ministration with failure to execute the laws
securing to settlers title to their homesteads,
and with using appropriations made for that
purpose to harass innocent settlers with
spies and prosecutions under the false pre-
tense of exposing frauds and indicating the
law.
The government by congress of the terri
tories is based upon necessity only, to the
end that they may become states in the
Union; therefore, whenever the conditions Of
population, material resources, public intel
ligence and morality are such as to insure a
stable local government therein, the people
of such territories should be permitted, as a
right inherent to them, the right to form for
themselves constitutions and state govern
ments, and be admitted into the Union.
Pending the preparation for statehood, all
officers thereof should be selected from the
bona fide residents and citizens of the terri
tory wherein they are to serve.
South Dakota should of right be immedi-
ately admitted as a state in the Union,
under the constitution framed and adopted
by her people, and we heartily indorse 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, is a willful violation of the sacred
American principle 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 Washington, North Da-
kota and Montana territories to form consti-
tutions and establish state governments
should be passed without unnecessary delay.
The Republican party pledges itself to do all
in its owe to facilitate the admission of the
territories of New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho
and Arizona to the enjoyment of self govern
ment as states, such of them as are now quail
flied, as soon as possible, and the others 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 institutions, a danger no
longer to be suffered. Therefore we pledge
tla Pa,n111ica,, a,t 10 o,,.,A-,;.4o I'LL
ton asserting the sovereignty of the nation in
all territories where the same is questioned,
and in furtherance of that end to place upon
the statute books legislation 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 effo1ts to delnonetize
silver.
We demand the reduction of letter postage
to one cent per ounce.
In a republic like ours, where the citizen is
the sovereign aud the official the servant.
where no power is exercised except by the
will of the people, it is important that the
so~vereign-the ~people-should possess intelli-
gence. The free school is the promoter Of
that intelligence which is to preserve us q
free nation; therefore the state of nation, or
both combined, should support free institu-
lions of learning sufficient to afford to every
child growing up in the land the opportunity
OF a good common school education.
We earnestly recommend that prompt
action be taken by congress in the enactment
of such legislation as will best secure the re-
Mobilization of our American merchant ma
ripa and wa prptast anaipSt Tho -
congress of a free ship bill, as calculated to
work injustice to labor by lessening the
wages of those engaged in preparing ma
terials as well as those directly employed in
our ship yards. We demand appropriations
for the early rebuilding of our navy; for the
construction of coast Notifications and
modern ordnance, and other approved mod
ern means of defense for the protection of
our defenseless harbors and cities: for the
payment of just pensions to our soldiers: for
the necessary works of national Importance
in the improvement of harbors and the chan
nels of internal, coastwise and foreign COM
merce; for the encouragement of the ship
ping interests of the Atlantic, Gulf and Pa
cific states, as well as for the payment of the
maturing public debt. This policy will give
employment to our labor, activity to our
various industries, increase the security of
our country, promote trade, open new and
direct markets for our produce and cheaper
the cost of transportation. We affirm this
to be far better for our country than the
Democratic policy of loaning the govern
ment's money without interest to ''pet
banks"
The conduct Of foreign affairs by the pres.
ent administration has been distinguished by
its ineficiency and its cowardice. Having
withdrawn from the senate all pending trea-
ties effected by Republican administrations
for the removal of foreign burdens and re-
strictions upon our commerce and for its ex-
tension 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 foreign trade everywhere
among our neighbors, 1t has refused to
charter, sanction or encourage any American
organization for constructing the Nicaragua
canal, a work of vital Importance to the
maintenance of the Monroe doctrine, and Of
our national influence in Central and South