Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-08-01

burdens aud unfair discrimination
between the States.
We reaffirm the policy of appro-
priating the public lands of the Unit
ed States for homesteads for Ameri-
can citizens and settlers, not aliens,
which the Republican party establish
cd in 1862 against the persistent op-
position of Democrats in Congress,
and which has brought our great
Western domain into such magni6-
cent development.
The restoration of unearned rail-
road land grants to the public do
main for the use of actual settlers,
which was begun under the admins
tration Of President 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 Republi.
cans and Democrats about fifty mil
lions of unearned lands, originally
granted for the construction Of rail
roads, have been restored to the pub
lie domain, in pursuance Of the con.
ditions inserted by the Republican
party in the original grants.
We charge the Democratic Admin
istration with failure to execute the
laws securing to settlers their titles
to homesteads, and with using ap-
preparations made for that purpose
to harass innocent settlers with spies
and prosecutions under the false
pretense OF exposing frauds and vim.
d,cating the law.
The government by Congress of the
Territories is based upon necessity
only, to the end that they may be-
come States in the Union; therefore,
whenever the conditions of popula-
ton, material resources, public intel
Hgence and morality are such as to
insure stable local government there
in, the people of such. Territories
should be permitted, as q right in
herent 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 fide residents
and citizens of the Territory wherein
they are to serve. South Dakota
should OF right be Immediately ad.
mitted as State in the Union, under
the Constitution framed and adopted
by her people, and we heartily en-
dorse the action of the Republican
Senate in twice passing bills for her
admission. The refusal of the Dem
ooratic House of Representatives, for
partisan purposes, to consider these
bills, is willful violation CT the
sacred American principle of local
self. government, and merits the con-
demnation of all just men. The
pending bills in the Senate for acts to
enable the people of Washington,
North Dakota and Montana Terri
tories to form Constitutions and es
tablisn State governments should be
passed without unnecessary delay
The Republican party pledges itsel
to do all in its power to facilitate the
admission of the Territories of New
Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizo
ma to the enjoyment of self-govern'
ment as States; such of them as are
now qualified as soon as possible, anG
the others as soon as they may become
so. The political power Of the Nor
mon Church in the Territories as ex
ercised in the past, is menace to free
institutions and dangerous to be long
suffered; therefore we pledge thu
Republican party to appropriate legis
lation asserting the sovereignty O
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 te
divorce the political from the eccles
iastical power, and thus stamp out the
attendant wickedness of polygamy.
The Republican party is in favor O
the use of both gold and silver a.
money, and condemns the policy o.
the Democratic administration in it.
| efforts to uemonetIZe silver.
We demand a reduction of letter
postage to one cent.
In republic like ours, where the
citizens is the sovereign and the off
cial the servant, where no power il
exercised except by the will of the
people, it is important that the sover
eighty, the people, should possess in
telligence. The free school is the
promoter of that intelligence which il
to preserve US a free nation; there
fore, the State or nation, or both com
bined, should support free institu
tions of learning, sufficient to afford
to every child growing up in the lane
the opportunity of a good common
school education.
We earnestly recommend thai
prompt action be taken by Congress
in the enactment of such Legislation
as will best secure the rehabilitation
of our American merchant marine