Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-09-27
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

the threshold OF their proceedings 10 honor the
memory of their first great leader, the immortal
champion of liberty 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 eouneil-Grant,
Garfield, Arthur, Logan, Conkling. May their
memories be faithfully cherished. We also recall
with greetings and with prayer for his recovery
the name of one of our living heroes whose memory
will be treasured in the history both of the Repub-
lieans and the republic-the name of that noble
soldier and fayorite child of victory, Philip IL.
Sheridan.
In the spirit of those great leaders, and of our
own devotion to human liberty, with that hostility
to all form of deSpOtiSm and oppression which is
the fundamental idea of the Republican party, we
send fraternal congratulations to our fellow Amer
leans of Brazil upon their great act of emancipa-
ton, which completed the abolition of slavery
~ - ~ =. M lN'il w
earnestly hope that we may soon congratulate our
fellOwctiZenS of Irish birth upon the peaceful re-
cOvery of home rule for Ireland.
We reatfm our answering devotion to the Ma
tiOna Constitution and 70 the indiSsOuble 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
of the Union, and especially to the supreme ard
sovereign right of every lawful citizen, rich or
poor native or foreign bOrn white 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 representa-
ton OF all the people. To be the foundation of our
republican government, and demand effective legiS-
aOn 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 exis-
tenee to the suppression of the ballot by criminal
notification Of the Constitution and laws of the
United States.
We are uneompromsingly in favor of the Ameri-
can 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 interests of America. We accept the
issue, and confidently appeal to the people for their
Iar
tanned. Its abandonment has always been follow
ed by general disaster to all interests except those
OF the uSurer and the sheriff. We denOunce the
Mills bill as destructive to the general interests of
the country, and heartily indOrse the consistent
and patriotic action Of the Republican Representa-
tiveS in Congress in opposing its passage.
We condemn the proposition Of the Democratic
party to place wool on the free list and we insist
that the duties thereon shall be adjusted and main
tanned so as to furnish full and adequate prOtec-
tiOn to that industry.
The Republican party would effect all needed re-
ductiOn 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 and for mechanical purposes; and
by such revision of the tariff laws as viii tend to
check imports of such articles as are produced by
our people, the production of which gives employ
ment to our labor and releases from import duties
tnOSe articles OF foreign production Except lux
urieS), the like of which cannot be produced at
home. If there shall still remain a larger revenue
than IS requisite for the wants of the Government
we 1ayor the entire repeal of internal taxes rather
than the surrender of any part of the protective
system at the joint beheSt of the whisky trusts and
the agents OF foreign manufacturers.
We declare our hostility to the introduction into |
this country of foreign contract labor, and of |
Chinese labor alientO our civilization and our Con-
Sututlon, and we demand the rigid enforcement of
the existing laws against it, and favar such iIp- |
mediate legislation as Will exclude such labor from
our shores.
We declare our opposition to all combinations of
capital, organized in trusts otherwise to control
arbitrarily the condition of trade among 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 0ppresS the people by undue charges |
on thelr SupplleSO or by unjust rates for the tranSpOr
tation of their products to market. We approve |
the legislation by Congress to prevent like unjust
States.
We reafirm the policy of appropriating the public
lands OF the United States to be hOmesteadS for |
American citizens and settlers, not Aliens which |
the Republican party established in 1862 against |
tne persistent opposition of the Democrats in Con-
greSS, and which has brought our great Western /
domain into such magnificent development. The |
restoration of unearned railroad land grants to the
public domain for the of actual settlers, which
was tsglln under the Administration 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 Re
publcans and Democrats about fifty millions of
acres OF unearned lands originally granted for the
construction of railroads have been restored to the
public domain in pursuance of the conditions in
serted by the Republican party in the original
grants, We charge the Democratic Administers
ton with failure to execute the laws securing to /
ItltS 10 IIelf 0OUeSIeauS, ana Win
made for that purpose to harass in
nocent settlers with spies and prosecutions under
the false pretense of exposing frauds and yindcat
ing the law.
The Government by Congress of the Territories is
based upon necessity only to the end that they may
become States In the Union; therefore, whenever |
the condition of population, material resources,
public intelligence and morality are such as to in
sure stable local government therein, the people
OIL Such territories should be permitted as right
inherent in them to form for themselves COnstitu-
TONS and State governments, and be admitted into
the Union Pending the preparation for Statehood
all officers thereof should be selected from the bona
tide residents and citizens of the Territory wherein
they are to serve. South Dakota should of right
be Immediately admmitted as a State in 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
Ihe refusal of the Democratic House
Of Representatives, Tor partisan purposes, to favor
ably consider these bills is willful violation of the
American principle of local selfgOyernment, and
merits the condemnation OF all just men. The pen
ling bills In the Senate for acts to enable the people
Df Washington, North Dakota and Montana Ter
ritOrleS to form Constitutions and establish State
governments, should be passed without unneces-
,ary delay. The Republican party pledges Itself to
10 all in its power to facilitate the admission of the
territories of New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and
Arizona to the enjoyment of selfgOvernment as
states; such OF them are Row qualified, as
possible, and the others as soon they become So
The political power of the Mormon Church in the
Territories as exercised in the past Is menace to
rec institutions too dangerous longer to be suffer-
I'll. Therefore we pledge the Republican party to
appropriate legislation asserting the sovereignty
II the Nation in all Territories where the same is |
IueStioned and in frtheranee of that end to place
lpOn the statute book legislation stringent enough
o divorce the political from the eeeesiaStie power,
md thus stamp out the attendant wickedness Of
)Olygamy.
The Republican party is in favor of the use of
10Th gold and silver as money, and condemns the
,Olicy OF the Democratic Administration in its ef-
OrtS to demOnetlZe silver.
We demand the reduction Of letter postage to
ne cent per ounce.
In Republic like ours, where the citizen Is the
pirDa nd ha aia 10 fha vba..a
Ower is exercised except by the will of the people,
/ is important that the sOyeregn-the people,
hOuld possess Intelligence The free school IS the
of that intelligence which is to preserve
S free Nation; therefore, the State or Nation, or
9th combined, should support free institutions of
earning, sufficient to afford to every child growing
p in the land the opportunity OF a good common
chool education.
We earnestly recommend that prompt action be
lken by Congress in the enactment of such legiSla
ion as will best secure the rehabilitation OF our
american merchant marine, and we protest against =
he passage by Congress of free ship bill, as cal
uated to work injustice to labor by lessening the
ages of those engaged in preparing materials, as
ell as those directly employed in our shipyards.
We demand appropriations for the early rebuild
lg OF our navy for the construction OF coast forti
atiOns and modern ordnance and other approved
lOdern means Of defense for the protection OF our
efenSeleSs haTbOrS and cities; for the payment of
lst pensions 10 our soldiers; for necessary works
national Importance in the Improvement OF har-
OrS and channels of internal, cOaStwiSe and for
ign commerce; for the encouragement of the
iipping interests of the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific
taleS, as wen as Tor the payment OF the maturing
ublo debt, This policy will give employment TO
nr labor, activity to our various industries, in
reaSe the security of our country, promote trade.
pen new and direct markets for our produce anG
leapen the cost of transportation We affirm this
be far better for our country than the Demo-
'atlc policy of lOaning the Governments money
ithOut interest TO pet banks"
The conduct Of foreign affairs by the present Ad-
Illustration has been distinguished by its inef-
cheney and its cOwartlice. Having withdrawn
ON the Senate all pending treaties effected by u
epubllcan administration Tor the removal OF Tor
gn burdens and restrictions upon our commerce
nd for its extension into better markets, IL has
either effected nor proposed any others In their
cad. Processing adherence 10 the MCnroe doc
Inc, Il has seen, with lille eOmplacency, the eX-
nSion of foreign influence In Central America and
foreign trade everywhere among our ncighborS
has refused to charter, sanction or encourage
ny American organization for constructing the
icaragua Canal, u work OF vital Importance to the
aintenance Of the Monroe doctrine and our ma ~
Dnal influence In Central ana South America, and M m
aceSSNrN for the deyelOpmpnt of trade with our =,