Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-06-21

sion, which is the fundamental idea Of the Re-
publican party. we send fraternal congratula-
tions to our fellow Americans OF Brazil upon
their great act OF emancipation, which CON-
pletes the abolition of slavery throughout the
TWO American continents.
We earnestly hope that we may SOON con-
graduate our fellow citizens OF Irish birth upon
the peaceful recovery OF home rule for Ireland.
We reanirm our answering devotion TO the
National Constitution and to the indissoluble
Union of the States, TO the autonomy reserved
to the States under the Constitution, to the
personal rights and liberties OF citizens in all
the States and Territories in the Union, and
especially to the supreme and sovereign right
of every lawful citizen rich or poor, native or
foreign born, white or black, to cast one free
ballot in public elections and TO have that bal
lot duly counted.
We hold the free and honest popular ballot
and the Just and equal representation of all the
people TO be the foundation OF our republican
government, and demand effective legislation
to secure the integrity and purity Of elections,
which are the fountains Of all public authority.
We charge that the present Administration
and the Democratic majority in Congress owe
their existence to the suppression OF the ballot
by criminal notification of the Constitution
and laws of the United States
We are uncompromis'ngly in favor OF the
American system of protection. We protest
against its destruction as proposed by the Pres
ident and his party. They serve the interests
of Europe; we will support the interests OF
America. We accept the issue and confidently
appeal to the people for their judgment. The
protective system must be maintained. Its
abandonment has always been followed by gen.
eral 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 indorse the consistent and pa
triotic action of the Republican Representa-
tives in Congress in opposing its passage.
We condemn the proposition of the Demo-
cratic party to place wool on the free list and
we insist that the duties thereon shall be ad-
justed and maintained so as to furnish full and
adequate protection to that industry.
The Republican party would effect all needed
reduction of the National revenue by repeating
the taxes upon tobacco, which are an annoy
ance and burden to agriculture, 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 cheek imports Of such
articles as are produced by our people, the pro-
duction of which gives employment 10 our labor.
and release from import duties those articles OF
foreign production, except Injuries, the like of
which can not be produced at home.
If there shall still remain larger revenue
than is requisite for the wants Of the Govern
ment we favor the entire repeal OF internal
our excellent protective system at the Joint be-
hest of the whisky ring and the agents OF for
elgn manufacturers.
We declare our hostility to the ntroduc-
ton into this country OF foreign contract
labor and of Chinese labor, alien to our CIV
iliZation and our Constitution; and we de-
mand the rigid enforcement of the existing laws
against it and favor such immediate Legislation
as Will exclude such labor from our shores.
w 70 oil ~,
lions of capital organized in trusts or other
wise, to control arbitrarily the condition of
trade among our citizens: and we recommend
to Congress and the State Legislatures in their
respective jurisdictions such legislation as will
prevent the execution of all schemes to Cypress
the people by such charges on their supplies,
or by unjust rates for the tran portation OF thei
products 10 markets. We approve the lie gisla-
ton by Congress to prevent alike unjust bur-
dens and unfair discrimination between the
States.
We reanlrm JnU puICy OF approprlatlng the
public lands of the United States to be home
steads for American citizens and settlers, not
aliens, which the Republican party established
in 1862 against The persistent opposition OF the
Democrats in Congress, and which has brought
our great Western domain into such magnifi-
cent development. The restoration of unearned
railroad land grants to the public domain for
the use of actual settlers which was begun IN
der the administration of President Arthur
should be continued. We deny that
the Democratic party has ever re-
stored one acre to the people, but
declare that by the joint action of the Repub-
licans and Democrats about 500O,0OO of acres
of unearned lands originally granted for the
construction Of railroads have been restored to
the public domain, in pursuance OF the condi-
tions inserted by the Republican party IN the
original grants. We charge the Democratic Ad-
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 pretense OF
exposing frauds and vindicating 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 popuia
ton, material resources, public intelligence
and morality are such as TO insure stable local
Government therein. the people OF such Terri
tories should be permitted as right inherent
in them. to form for themselves Constitutions
and State Governments and be admitted into
the Union. Pending the preparation for State
hood all officers thereof should be selected from
the bona ide residents and citizens OF the Ter
ritory wherein they are to serve. South Dakota
should OF right be Immediately admitted A. o
State into 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 for parti-
san purposes to favorably consider these bills is
wilful violation Of the sacred American prn-
ciple OF local self-government and merits the
condemnation of all just men. The bills in the
Senate for acts to enable the people of Wash
fngton, North Dakota and Montana Territories
to form Constitutions and form State Govern
ments should be passed without unnecessary de-
lay. The Republican party pledges itself to do
all in its power to facilitate the admission of
the Territories of New Mexico, Wyoming,
Idaho and Arizona as States as soon as possible,
and the others as soon as they may become
qualified
The political power of the Mormon Church in
the Territories exercised in the past is q
menace to free institutions too dangerous
longer to be suffered Therefore we pledge the
Republican party to appropriate legislation as
sorting 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 wick
edness 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 demonetlze 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 exer ised except by the will OF the
people, 1t is important that the sovereign-the
people-should possess intelligence. The free
school is the promoter of that intelligence
which is to preserve US a free Nation; there |
fore 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 common |