The Russellville Democrat., 1888-06-28

inss to honor the memory of their first great leader, the immortal champion of liberty and of the rights of the people. Abraham Lincoln and to cover also with wreaths of tmperishabie remembrance and gratitude the heroic names of our later leaders who have more recently been called away from our counciis-Grant Garfield. Arthur, Logan and 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 name will be cherished in the history, both of Republicans and of the Rcpub- lie tho name of that noble soldier and fayorite child of victory, Philip H. Sheridan. In the spirit of those great leaders and of our own de- votion to human liberty and political hostility to all forms of dcspotism, we send fraternal congratulations to our fellow Americans of Brazil upon the accomplishment of the abolition of slavery throughout The two American continents. We earnestly hope that we may soon congratulate our feiiow-citizens of Irish birth upon the peaceful recovery of home rule for Ireland.
 We reaf'rm our unswerving devotion to the National Constitution and to the indissoiuble Union Of the States; to the autonomy reserved to the States under the Constitutions 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 foreign-b born, white or black, to cast free bal lot in public elections and to have that ballot duly counted. We hold that free and honest popular ballot. and the just and equal rcpreseu- taton of all the people, is the foundation Of our republican government, and demand execu- tive legislation to secure the integrity and purity of elections, which are the foundations Of all public authority. We charge that the present Administrations and the Democratic majority in Congress owe their existence to the suppression of the ballot by a criminal nullification of the Constitution and laws of the United States.
 We are uncompromisingly 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 interests Of Amer. ica. 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 interests except those of the usurer and the sheriff. We denounce the Mills bill as destructive to the general brsi- ness, the labor and the farming interests of the country, and we heartily indorse the consistent and patriotic action of the Republican representatives in Congress in oppos- Ing its passage. We condemn the propo- sition of the Democratic party to place wool on the free list and we insist that the duties thereon shall be adjusted and main tained SO as to furnish full and adequate pro lection to that industry.
 The Republican party would effect all needed reduction of the National reyenue by repeating the taxes upon tobacco, which are an annoy snce and burden to agric ulture, and the tax upon spirits used in the arts, and for mechanical purposes; and by such re- fsion of the tarin laws as will tend to .heck imports of such articles as are produced by our people, the production oi which give empoyment to our labor, and re- lease from import duties those articles of for cign production except luxuries) the like of which can not be produced at home. If there still shall remain larger revenue than is req usite for the wants of the Gov erument we favor the entire re. peal of internal taxes, rather than the surrender of any part of our protective system at the joint behest of the Whisky Trust and the agents Of foreign manufacturers.
 We declare our hostility to the introduction into this country Of foreign contract labor and of Chinese labor alien to our civilization and to our Constitution: and we demand the rigid en- forcement of existing laws against it, and favor such immediate legislation as will exclude such tabor from our shores.
 We declare our opposition to all com oinationi Of capital organized in trusts or otherwise ts control arbitrarily the condition of trade amonI our citizens; and we recommend to Congress and the State Legislatures, in their respective Jurisdictions to enact such Legislation as will prevent the execution of all schemes to oppresi the people by undue charges on their supple: Or by unjust rates for the transportation o their products to market
 We approve the legislation by Congress tS prevent alike unjust burdens and unfair dis eriminations between the States.
 We reaifirm the policy of appropriating the public lands of tho United States to be home steads for American citizens and settlers, not aliens, which the Republican party established in 1862 against the persistent opposition of the Democratic party in Congress, and which has brought our great Western domain into such magnificent development The restoration o unearned railroad land grants to the public do- main for the use of actual settlers, which wal begun under the administration Of President Arthur, should be continued.
 We deny that the Democratic party has evel restored one acre to the people, but declare that by the icint action Of Republicans ant Democrats in Congress about fifty millions O acres of unearned lands originally granted for the construction O railroads, have been restored tc the public domain in pursuance of condition, inserted by the Republican party in the orig inal grant.
 We charge the Democratic Administration 
 settlers title 10 their homesteads, and witi 1sing appropriations made for that purpose tt harass innocent settlers with spies and prose cutons under the false pretence of exposing frauds and vindicatng the law.
 The Government by Congress of the Territorie! IS based upon necessity only to the end that thel may become States in the Union; therefore whenever the conditions of population, mate rial resources, public intelligence and morality are such as to insure stable local government therein, the people of such Territories shoul( be permitted, a right inherent in them, t form for themselves constitutions and Stat, governments, and be admitted into tn, Union. Pending the preparation fol statehood all officers thereof should be selected from the bona fde residents and citizens of the Territory wherein they ar, to serve. South Dakota should of right oe i'm mediately admitted as a State into the Union under the Constitution framed and adopted bJ her people, and we heartily indorse the action of the Republican Senate in twice passing bills for her admission. The re fusal of the Democratic House O Representatives, for partisan purposes, tC favorably consider these bills, Is willful vio lation of the sacred American principle of looa self-government and merits the condemnation Of all just men. The pending bills in the Sen ate to enable the people of Washington, North Dakota and Montana Territories to form con stitutons and establish State governments should be passed without unnecessary delay.
 The Republican party pledges itself to do all in it's power to facilitate the admission of the Territories of New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona to the enjoyment of self govern ment as States, such of them as arc now quail fled, as soon as possible, and the others as soor as they may become so.
 The political power of the Mormon Church ir the Territories as exercised in the past is 8 mensce to free institutions, too dsngerou: longer to be suffered Therefore, we pledge tho Republican party to appropriate Legislation as sertng the sovereignty Of the Nation in all Ter rtories where the same is questioned, and ir furtheranoe of that end, to place upon ths statute books legislation stringent enough tc divorce the political from the ecclesiastica power and thus stamp out the attendant wick edhess Of polyRamy.
 The Republican party IS in favor of the use o both gold and silver as money, and condemns the policy Of the Democratic Administration in its efforts to demonetize silver.
 We demand the reduction ofletter postage to one cent per ounce.