Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-06-23
THE PLATFORM.

Convention said Mr.. Mckinley, 81 am
entrusted by the committee on resolu-
ton to report the following declaration
of principles
The Republicans of the United States
convention pause on the threshold of
their proceedings, to honor the memo
~ of the first great leader, the i'm
mortal champion of liberty and of
the rights of the people, Abra-
ham Lincoln, and to cover also with
wreaths of imperishable remembrance
and gratitude the heroic names of our
later leaders who have more recently
been called away from our councils
Grant, Garfield, Arthur, Logan and
Conkling. May their memories be
faithfully cherished. We also recall
with greetings and with prayer for his
recovery, the name of one of our living
heroes, whose name will be cherished in
the history 10th of Republicans and OF
the republic, the name of that noble
soldier and favorite child of victory,
Phil a.. Sheridan.
In the spirit of those great leaders
and of our own devotion to human lib
erty, and with that hostility to
all forms of ~despotism and oppression
which is the fundamental princi-
pie of the Republican party, we
send fraternal congratulations to
Our fellow Americans of Brazil,
upon the accomplishment of 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 IRE
land.
We reatfirm our answering devotion
to the national Constitution and to the
i~ndissoluble union of the states, the
autonomy reserved to the states under
the Constitution, to the personal rights
and liberties of the citizens in all states
and territories in the Union; especially
to the supreme and sovereign right of
every lawful citizen, rich or poor, native
or foreign, white or black, to cast a free
ballot in public elections, and to have
that ballot duly counted. We hold that
free and honest popular ballot, and the
just and equal representation OF ali the
people, is the foundation of Repub-
lican government, and demand executive
legislation to secure the integrity
and purity Of elections, which are
the foundations Of all public authority.
We charge that the present administra-
ton, and the Democratic majority in
congress, owe their existence to the
suppression of the ballot by the criminal
notification Of the Constitution and laws
CT the United States.
eve are uncompromisingly In favor of
the American system of protection. We
protest against the destruction las pro-
posed by the president and his party.
Thayr Snrva ~ tho iofaroGfa pf Er1-
ops we will support the inter
ests of Americans. We accept
the issue, and confidently appeal to the
people for their Judgment. The protect
i've system must be sustained. Its aban.
donment has always been followed by
general disaster to all interests, except
those of the usurer and the sheriff. We
denounce the Mills bill as destructive to
the general business, the labor and the
farming interests of the country, and we
heartily endorse the consistent and patri-
otto action of the Republican repre-
s%entatiyes in congress in oppos.
ing its passage. We condemn
the proposition of the Democratic party
to place wool on the free list, and we in
Bist that the duties thereon shall be adj
justed and maintained so as to furnish
full and adequate protection to that in
dustry.
The Republican party would effect all
needed reduction Of the national revenue
by repeating the taxes on Tobacco, which
are an annoyance and burden to agricul-
ture, and the tax upon spirits used in the
arts and for mechanical purposes, and by
such revision of the tariff laws as will
tend to check imports of such articles as
are produced by our people, the produc-
tion of which gives employment to our
labor, and release from import duties
those articles of foreign production, ex-
eept luxuries, the like of which can not be
produced at home. If there shall still re-
main q larger revenue than is requisite
for the wants of the government, we
favor the entire repeal of internal taxes
rather than surrender any part of our
protective system at the joint behest of
Che whisky ring and agents OF foreign
manufacturers.
We declare hostility to the intro
duction into this country Of foreign con-
tract labor and of Chinese labor alien to
Dur civilization and Dur Constitution, and
we demand the rigid enforcement of eS-
Sting laws against it and favor such I'M
mediate legislation as will exclude such
labor from our shores.
we declare our S0pposlllon 10 al com
b%inations of capital, Organized in trusts
or otherwise, to control arbitrarily the
condition of trade among III citizens,
and we recommend to congress and state
Legislatures in their respective jurisdic-
tions such legislation as will prevent the
execution of all schemes to Cypress the
people by undue charges on their sup
plies or by unjust rates for the transpor.
tation of their products to market.
We approve legislation by congress- to
prevent alike unjust burdens and insail
discrimination between states.
We reaft1rnn the policy Of ~appropri-
sting the public lands OF the United
States to be homesteads for American
citizens and settlers, net aliens, which
thu Repubhca n party established in 1885,
against the persistent opposition of the
Democrats in congress, which has
Il lrx -. ~.