The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-11
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
Its Full Text as Adopted by the
Chicago National Convention.

It's Full Text as Adopted by the
Chicago National Convention.
The Republicans of the United States as.
sembled by their delegates in National Con-
vention pause on the threshold Of their pro-
ceedings to honor the memory Of their first
great leader, the immortal champion of lib
erty and the rights Of the people-Abraham!
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,
Conkling. May their memories be faithfully
cherished! We also recall, with our greet
ings and with prayer for his safe recovery,
the name Of one Of our living heroes whose
memory will be treasured in the history both
Of Republicans and Of the Republic-the
name Of that noble soldier and favorite child
of victory, Philip Fl. Sheridan.
In the spirit Of those great leaders, and OF
our own devotion to human liberty, and with
that hostility to all forms Of depotism and
oppression which is the fundamental idea OF
the Republican party, we send fraternal con-
graduation to our fellow-Americans Of Bra
zil upon their great act OF emancipation,
which completed the abolition OF slavery
throughout the two American. continents.
We earnestly hope that we may soon con-
gratulate our fellow-citizens of Irish birth
upon the peaceful recovery Of home rule Tor
Ireland. ....s X
We reaffirm our unswerving devotion to
the national Constitution and to the lndisso-
luble 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 ballot duly counted. We hold
the free and honest popular ballot, and the
Just and equal representation OF all the peo-
pie to be the foundation Of our Republican
Government, and demand effective legisla-
tion to secure the integrity and purity OF
elections which are the fountains of all public
authority. We charge that the present Ad-
ministration and the Democratic majority
in Congress, owe their existence to the sup
pr ession Of the ballot by q criminal nullif1ca-
tion Of the Constitution and laws Of the
United States. s.., .s.,.-
We are uncompromisingl in favor of the
American system Of protection; we protest
against its destruction as proposed by the
President and his party. They serve the
interests of Europe: we will support the in
terests 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 general disaster to all in
terests except those Of the Treasurer and the
Sheriff. We denounce the Mills bid as de-
structive to the general business, the labor
and the farming interests Of the country, and
patriotic action Of the Republican repre-
sentaGives in Congress in opposing its pass
age. '-
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 adjusted 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 annoyance and burden to agriculture, and
the tax upon spirits used in the arts, land 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 peo-
Die, the production Of which gives employ
ment to our labor, and release from import
duties those articles Of foreign production
Except lu1uries) the like Of which cannot be
produced at home. II there shall still remain
a larger revenue than Is requisite for the
wants Of the Government, we favor the en-
tire repeal of internal taxes, rather than the
surrender Of any part Of our protective sys.
tenn at the joint behest of the whisky trusts
and the agents Of foreign manufacturers.
We declare our hostility to the introduc.
ton into this country of foreign contract
labor, and Of Chinese labor, alien to our
civilization and our Constitution; and we
demand the rigid enforcement OF the existing
laws against It, and favor such immediate
legislation as will exclude such labor from
ou- ehorpay .s aa..l.- .F tF..
We declare our opposition to all combina.
tions 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
oppress the people by undue charges on their
supplies, or by unjust rates for the trans
portation Of their products to market. We
approve the legislation by Congress to pre-
vent alike unjust burdens and unfair dis
elimination 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 1899 against the persistent op-
position Of the Democrats in Congress, and
which has brought our great Western do
main 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
Administration Of President Arthur should
be continued. We deny that the Democratic
party has ever restored one acre to the peo.
Die, but declare that by the joint action OF
Republicans and Democrats about %, OO0,euU
of acres of unearned lands originally granted
for the construction Of railroads have been
restore6to the public domain, in pursuance
of the conditions inserted by the Republican
party in the original grants. We charge the
Democratic Administration with failure tn
execute Jne laws securing 10 settlers titles to
their honnesteads, and with using appropria.
tions made forthat purpose to harrass in
nocent settlers with spies and prosecutions
under the false pretence 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 become States in the Union; there
fore, whenever the conditions of population,
material resources, public intelligence and
morality are such as to insure stable local
government therein, the people of such Ter
ritories should be permitted, as q right IN.
herent in them, the right to form for them.
selves constitutions and State Governments
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 ns--
kota should of right be immediatel.+ ad-
mitted as State in the Union, u7i,ier the
Constitu tion; framed and adopted by her peo-
ple, and we heartily endorse 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 favorahly consider these
bills. is a wilful violation Of the sacred Amer
lean 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 constitu-