Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-21

prompt action DO taken by Congress on
the enactment of such legislation as will
best secure the rehabilitation Ofour Amer
can merchant marine and We protest
against the passage by Congress OF the free
ship bill as calculated to work injustice
TO labor by lessening the wages of those
engaged in preparing the materials as " ell
as those directly employed in our ship
yards.
We demand appropriations for an early
rebuilding Of our navy; for the construc-
tion of coast Notifications and modern
ordinance and other improved modern
means of defence for the protection Of our
defenceless harbors and cities; for pay
ment of Just pensions 10 our soldiers : for
necessaiJ work of national importance on
the improvement of harbors and channels,
and of internal, of coast-wise and foreign
commerce fof the encourageme 1t Of the
shipp.lg int ,ests of the Atlantic, Gulf
and Pacific states as well as for the pay
ment Of the maturing public debt. This
policy will give employment TO our labor,
activity TO our various industries ; In
crease the security Of our country, pro-
mote trade, open new aud direct markets
for our produce and cheaper the cost of
transportation. We affirm this to be far
better for our country than the democratic
policy of loaning government money
without interest to pet banks" The
conduct of foreign affairs by the present
administration has been distinguished by
its inefficiency and its cOwardice. Having
withdrawn from the Senate all pending
treaties effected by the Republican admin
istration for Their emoval of foreign bur
dens and restrictions upon our commerce
and for its extension into better markets.
IL has neither effected nor proposed any
others in their stead, protesting adherence
TO the Monroe doctrine, it has seen with
idle cOmplacency the extension of foreign
influence in Central America and Of foreign
trade everywhere among our neIghbors.-
1t has refused to charter, sanction or en-
courage any American organization for
constructing the Nicaragua cana, "a work
of vital Importance to the maintenance
Of the Monroe doctrine and of our national
influence in Central and South America,
ard necessary for the development Of
trade with our Pacific territory, with
South America and with the islands and
luIIntI tOb5ln VI tuC AClllt OCtHH.
We arraigd the present Democratic adj
minstration for its weak and unpatriotic
treatment of the fisheries question and it's
pusillanimOus surrender of the essential
privileges to which our fishing vessels are
entitled to in Canadian ports under the
treaty Of 1918, reciprocal maritime legis-
lation of 1896, and the comfy of nations,
and which the Canadian fishing vessels
receive in ports of the United States.
We condemn the policy Of the present
administration and the Democratic ma
jority in Congress towards our fisheries az
unfriendly and cOnspiclously unpatrlotic
and as tending to destroy valuable
national industry, and indispensable re-
source of defence against foreign enemy.
The name of America applies alike to all
citizens of the republic and imposes upon
all alike the same obligation Of obedience
TO thes law at the same time that the citi.
zenship is and must be the panoply and
safeguard of him who wears 1t and pro.
tect him whether high or low, rich OF poor
in all his civil rights. 1t should and must
afford him protection at home and protect
him abroad in whatever land he may be
on a lawful errand. Tho men who
abandoned the Republican party In 1894,
and continue to adhere to the Democratic
party, have deserted not only the cause OF
honest government, of sound finance, oil
freedom, of purity of the ballot, but
especially have deserted the cause Of re-
form in the civil service. We will not fail
to keen our pledges because they have
broken theirs or because their candidate
has broken his. We therefore repeat our
declaration of 1884. to witt Reform OF
civil service auspiciously begun under the
Republican administration should be COM
pleted by further extension Of the reform
system already established by law to all
grades Of service to which 1t is applicable.
The spirit and purpose of reform should
be observed in all executive appointments,
and all laws at variance with the object
of existing reform legislation shoHld be
repealed to the end that dangers to free
institutions which Turk in power Of official
patronage may DO wisely and effectively
avoided.
The gratitude Of the nation 10 the de-
Tenders of the union cannot be measured
by laws. The legislation of Congress
should conform to the pledge made by the
loyal people and be 40 enlarged and ex-
tended as to provide against the posi-
bility that any men who honestly wore
the federal uniform shall become an in
mate of an aims house or dependent upon
private charity in the presence OF an over
flowing treasury. 1t would be o public
scandal to do less for those whose valorous
service preserved the government. We
denounoe the hostile spirit shown by
President Cleveland In his numerous
vetoes of measures for pension relief and
acton of the democratic representatives
in refusing even consideration of general
pension legislation,
In support Of the principles herewith
enumerated, we invite The cooperation of
patriotic men Of all parties and especially
of all workingmen whose prosperity Is
seriously threatened by the free trade
position of the present administration.
The first concern Of all good govern
ment is tho virtue and sobriety Of the
people and the purity of their homes
The Republican party cordially sympa-
thizes with all well directed efforts for the
promotion Of temperance and morality.