Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-01-06

| Cypress the people by undue charges on their
supplies by unjust rates for the transporta-
| tion of their products to market. We approve
the legislation by Congress to prevent alike
unjust burdens and unfair Determinations be-
| tween the states.
We reaftirm the policy of appropriating the
public lands of the United States to be home
steads for American ciGiZens and settlers, not
/ aliens. which the Republican party established
In 1882 against the persistent opposition OF the
Democrats in Congress, and which has brought
our great western domain into such magnif-
cent development The restoration of I'M
earned railroad land grants to the public do
main for the use of actual settlers which was
begun under the administration 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 Republicans and Democrats about
fifty millions of acres of unearned lands Orig1-
nally 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 grants. We
charge the Democratic Administration with
failure to execute the laws securing to settlers
titles to their hOmeSteadS and with using Ap
propriations made for that purpose to harrass
innocent settlers with spies and prosecutions
under the false pretenSe of exposing frauds and
vindicating the law.
The government by Congress of TIE Terrific
res Is oased upon neeessty ohi ~ 70 me emu
therefore, whenever the condition of popula-
ton. material resources. public Intelligence
and morality are such as to insure stable To-
Cal government therein, the people of such
Territories should be permitted, as a right in
herent in them, to form for themselves consti-
buttons and State governments and be admitted
into the Union. Pending the propagation for
Statehood ali officers thereof should be selected
from The bonahde residents and citiZeps of the
territory wherein they are to serve. South
Dakota should of right be Immediately adj
m1tted State In the Union, under the con-
stitution framed and adopted by her people,
and we heartily endorse the action Of the Re
publican Senate in twice passing bills Tor her
admission. The refusal of the Democratic
House of Representatives, for partisan pur-
poses, to tavorably consider these bills, is a
willful violation of the sacred American prin-
ciple of local self government and merits the
condemn nation of all just men. The pending
bills In the Senate for acts to enable the peo-
pie OF Washington, North Dakota and Montana
Territories to form constitutions and establish
State governments should be passed without
pledges itself to do all in it's power to facilitate
the admission of the Territories of New Mexico,
of self-government as States; such of them as
are now qualified,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
menace to free institutions too dangerous
longer to be suffered. Therefore we pledge the
Republican party to appropriate legislation
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
a the Ps ont the se
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 efforts to demonetize silver.
We demand the reduction of letter postage to
one cent per ounce.
In Republic like ours where the citizen is
the sovereign and the official the servant,
where no power is exercised except by the will
of the people, 1t is important that the sover-
eign-the people-should possess intelligence.
The free school is the promoter of that 1ntelli-
gence which is to preserve us a free Nation
therefore. the State or Nation, or both COM
bined, should support free institutions Of
learning, sufficient to afford to every child
growing up in the land the opportunity of
good common school education.
We earnestly recommend that prompt action
be taken by Congress i'll the enactment of such
legislation as will best secure the rehabilitation
protest against the passage by Congress of a
free ship bill, as calculated to work injustice
to labor by lessening the wages of those en-
gagged in preparing materials, as well as those
directly employed in our shipyards. We de-
nand annronriat the early rebuilding