Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-07-07

Oui 1OhStltuJiVHs anu VIC dSiittht
the rigid enforcement of the existing
laws against it, and favor such imme
diate legislation as will exclude such
labor from our shores.
We declare our opposition to all
combinations of capital, organized in
trusts or otherwise, to control arbi-
traily the condition of trade among
our citizens; and we recommend to
Congress and the state legislatures,
in their respective jurisdictions, such
legislation as viii prevent the execu-
ton of al schemes to Cypress the
people by undue charges on their
supplies, or by unjust rates for the
transportation of their products to
market. We approve the legislation
by Congress to prevent alike unjust
burdens and unfair determinations
between the states,
HoMEsTEADs FOR AMERICANS.
We affirm the policy Of appropria-
ting the public lands of the United
States to be homesteads for Ameri-
can citizens and settlers, not aliens,
which the Republican party estab-
lished in 1862, against the persistent
opposition of the Democrats in Con-
gress, and which has brought our
great Western domain into such
magnificent development. The res
toration of unearned railroad land
grants TO the public domain for the
use of actual settlers, which has be-
gun under the administration of Pres
ident 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 50,000,000 of acres of unearn-
ed lands originally granted for the
construction of railroads have been
restored to the public domain, in pur-
suance of the conditions inserted by
the Republican party in the original
grants. We charge the Democratic
administration with failure to exc
cute the laws securing to settlers I'll
tie to their homesteads, and with us
ing appropriations made for that pur-
pose TO harrass innocent settlers with
spies and prosecutions under the
false pretense of exposing frauds and
indicating the law.
The government by Congress of
the territories is based upon necessi-
ty only, to the end that they may be-
come states in the Union therefore
whenever the conditions of popula-
ton, material resources, public intel
igence and morality are such as to
insure stable local government
therein, the people of such territor-
les should be permitted, as a right
inherent in them, the right to form
| for themselves constitutions and
state governments and be admitted
into the Union. Pending the prepa-
ration for statehood, all officers there
of should be selected from the bona
fine residents and citizens of the ter
ritory wherein they are to serve.
South Dakota should Of right be inn
mediately admitted as state in the
Union, under the constitution franz
ed and adopted by her 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 Repre-
sentatives, for partisan purposes, to
favorably consider these bills, is a
wilful violation of the sacred Ameri-
can 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 Dakota and
Montana territories to form consti-
tutions and establish state govern
ments should be passed without I'M
necessary delay. The Republican
party pledges itself to do all in its
power to facilitate the admission of
| the territories of New Mexico, Wyo-
ming, Idaho and Arizona, TO the en-
| joyment of selfgoyernment, as states,
such of them as are now qualified, as
soon as possible, and the others as
soon as they may become 50.
The political power Of the Mormon
Church in the territories, as exercis-
ed in the past, is menace to free
institutions, a danger no longer to be
suffered. Therefore, we pledge the
Republican party to appropriate leg
lation, asserting sovereignty of the
nation in all territories where the
same is questioned, and, in further
ance 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.