Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-26
THE PLATFORM.
An Able and Interesting
Document.

OOCOAAl4OAAO "
PROTECTION. THE PLANK ON
WHICH WE STAND.
SOUARELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLE-
REPEAL OF THE TOBACCO TAN
CLEVELAND's ADMINISTRATION
CONDEMNED.
CHICAGO, June 2l.-Ths following is the
platform as reported 10 the convention
and adopted by unanimous vote:
The Republicans of the United States
assembled by their delegates in the Ma
tiOnal Convention pause on the threshold
of ,heir proceedings to honor the memory
of their FIRST gTaat leader. immortal cham
pion of liberty and the rights of the peo-
pie, Abraham Lincoln, and cover also
with wrsaths of imperishable remembran-
CO and gratitude, the heroic names OF the
later leaders who have more recently been
called away from our councils, Grant,
Garfield, Arthcr, Logan, Conklng. May
their memories be faithfully cherished.
We also recall with our greetings and
prayer for his recovery the name OF one
Of our living beroes whose memory VIII
be treasured in history, both Of Repubh-
cans and Of the Republic, the name OF that
noble soldier and favorite child of victory,
Phiiip II. Sheridan. In the spirit Of those
great leaders and Of our own devotion to
human liberty and with that hostility TO
all the forms of despotism and oppression
which is the fundamental idea OF the ke-
publican party, we send iraternal congrat-
nlatiops to our fellow Americans OF Bra
I'll upon their great act of the emancipa-
ton which completes the abolition OF
slavery throughout the two American
continents We earnestly hope that we
NAV soon congratulate our fellow citizens
of Irish birth upon the peaceful recovery
of home rule for Ireland. We re affirm
our answering devotion to the National
Constitution and the indissoluble Union
of States. to autonomy reserved to the
States under the constitution to the per
sopal rights and liberties of the citizens
| in all States and Territories in the Union,
and especially to the supreme and Soyer-
eign right of every lawful citizen, rlch OF
moor. native or foreign born, white or
] K.
citations and to have their ballot duly
counted. We hold that free trade ana
honest and popular ballot and Just ana
equal representation of all people to be
the foundation of our Republican govern
ment. aud demand effective legislation TO
secure the integrity and surety OF the
elections which are the fountains oil ali
public authority.
We charge that the present adminlstra-
tion and the Democratic majority IN Con-
gress owe their existence to the suppress
sion of the ballot by the criminal Rulllii-
cation of the constitution and the laws oil
the United States.
We are uncompromisDgly in favor OF
the American system of protection. we
protest against ITS destruction as proposed
nv the President and his party. They
serve the interests of America. We ac-
cent the issue and confidently appeal TO
the people for their Judgment. The pro-
tective system must be maintained. Its
Abandonment has always been followed
by general disaster to all interests except
those of the usurer and sherln.
We denounce the Mills bill "a destruc-
tive to the general business, labor and
farming interests of the country and We
heartily endorse the consistent and patrl-
otio action of the Republican representa-
tives in Congress in opposing IT'S passage
we condemn the proposition oil the Demo
cratic party to place wool on the Tree hst'
and we insist that the duties thereon
shall be adjusted and maintained so as TO
furnish full aud 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 ana hurden 10
aqriculture, and tax on spirits used IN the
arts and for mechanical purposes and by
sncb revision Of the tariff laws as Will
tend 70 check the imports of such articles
as are produced by our people, the produc-
tion of which gives employment 10 our
labor and reduce from import duties those
articles of foreign production Except lux
uries) the like of which cannot be produc-
ed at home. If there shall still remain a
Larger revenue than is required for the
Government, we favor the entire repeal OF
the internal revenue taxes rather than
the surrender Of any part OF our protective
= ,stem az the Joint behest Of whisky trusts
and agents of foreign manufacturers. We
declare our hostility to the introduction
into this country Of foreign contract la
bor ana of Chinese labor, alien to our CIV
ilization and our constitution, and we de-
mapd a rigid enforcement OF existing laws
against it and favor such Immediate leg
isiation AZ will exclude such labor from
our shores
We declare our opposition to all combin-
atoms Of capital organized IN trusts OF
otherwise to control arbitrarily the con
dition Of trade among our citizens, ana we
recommend TO Congress and the state
Legislatures, in their respective JursdIc-
tions. such legislation as will prevent the
execution of all schemes to Cypress the
people by undue charges on their supplies
or by unjust rates for transportation OF
their products to market. We approve
the legislation by Congress to prevent
alike burdens and unfair determinations
between the States.
We re-afirm the policy Of apprOpriatng
the public lands Of the United States 10
be homesteads for American citizens ana
settlers, not aliens which the Kepuolicah
party established in 1862 against the per
sistent opposition Of the Democrats IN
Congress, and which has brought our
Western domain into such magnificent
dsvelopement; the restoration OF unearn
ed railroad land grants to the public do
main for the use of settlers, which was
begun under the administration of Preei-
dent Arther, should be continued. We
DENY that that the Democratic party has
ever restored one acre to the people ; but
declare that by joint action of the RepuO-
lIcans and Democrats about fifty millions
of acres of uDearned ! a d 4, originally
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 adj
ministration with a failure to execute the
laws securing to the settlers their nome
steads and with using the approximations
made for that purpose to harTass innocent
settlers with spies and prosecutions, I'M
der the false pretense Of reporting frauds
and yindicating Jaw. The Government
by Congress Of the Territories, is based
u1on necessity only to the end that they
NAV become States in Il Union . therefore
whenever the condition Of population
material resources public Intelligence aud
, morality, are such as 10 insure stable
, local government therein, the people Of
such Territories should be permitted as q
right inherent IN them, 10 form for them
selves constitutions and state govern
merits and be adm'tte into the UalOr
nep,ing areuaratiOu for statehood. Al