Wichita eagle., 1888-08-05
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

~A~~>SA AN's'A HSSSAS-
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
Adopted by the National Republican Con-
vention ut Chicago. June II. 1883.
The Republicans of the United States, as
sembled by their delegates in national con-
vention, pause on the threshold of their pro-
ceedings to honor the memory Of their first
great leader, the immortal champion of
liberty and the rights of the people-Abra-
ham 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 councils-Grant, Garfield, Arthur, Lo-
gan, Conkling. May their memories be
faithfully cherished. We also recall with
our greetings, and with prayer for his recov-
cry, the name of one Of our living heroes,
whose memory will be treasured in the his
tory both of Republicans and Of the Republic
the name of that noble soldier and favorite
child of victory, Philip II. Sheridan.
In the spirit Of those great leaders, and OF
our own devotion to human liberty, and with
that hostility to all forms of despotiSm and
oppression which is the fundamental idea OF
the Republican party, We send fraternal con-
graduation to our fellow Americans of Brazil
upon their great act of emancipation, which
completed the abolition of slavery through
out the two American continents. We ear
nestly hope that we may soon congratulate
our fellow citizeus of Irish birth upon the
peaceful recovery of home rule for Ireland.
We reafiirm our answering devotion to
the national constitution and to the indiS-
soluble union of states; to che autonomy re-
served to the states under the constitution; 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 every lawful citizen, rich Or poor,
native or foreign born, white or 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 representation of all the people to
be the foundation of our republican govern
Inent, and demand effective legislation to Sc
cure the integrity and purity of elections,
which are the fountains of ali public author
ity. We charge that the present administra-
ton and the Democratic majority i'll con-
gress owe their existence to the suppression
of the ballot by q criminal notification OF
the constitution and laws of the United
States.
We are uncompromisingay in favor of the
American system of protection; we protest
against its destruction as proposed by the
president and his party. They serve the in
ests of Europe; we will support the inter-
terests of America. We accept the issue and
confidently appeal to the people for their
Judgment. The protective system must be
m ni a JneI abandonment hoc
been followed by general disaster to all in
tereStS except those of the usurer and the
sheriff. We denounce the Mills bill as de-
structive to the general business, the labor
and the farming interests of the country,
and We heartily indorse the consistent and
patriotic action of the Republican repre-
sentatives in congress in opposing Its passage.
We condemn the proposition of the Demo
cratic party to place wool on The free list,
and we insist that the duties thereon shall be
adjusted and maintained 50 as to furnish full
and 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
ia annoyance aud 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 Wis tend to eneck imports
of such articles as are produced by our peo-
pie, the production of which gives employ
inent to our labor, and release from import
duties those articles OF foreign production
except luxuries) the like of which cannot be
produced at home. Ii there snail still remain
larger revenue than Is requisite for the
wants of the government, we favor the entire
repeal or internal taxes rather than the sur
render of any part OF our protective system,
at the JOINT behesss OF the WHISKY trusts and
the agents or foreign manufacturers.
We declare our hostility to the introduc-
ton into this country Of foreign contract
labor and Of Chinese labor, alien to our civil
izations and our constitution, and we demand
the rigid enforcement of the existing laws
against 1t, and favor such immediate legisla-
ton as will exclude such LABOR from our
shores.
We declare our opposition TO all combina-
lions Of capital. organized in trusts or other
wise, 10 control arbitrarily the condition Of
trade among our citizens; ai.n recommend
to congress and the state ley lures, in their
respective JurlSdIcaops, such legislation as
Will prevent the execution OF ali schemes to
Cypress the people By undue charges on their
supplies or by unjust rates for the traSspor-
tatoa Of their products to market Wea
prove the legislation by congress to prevent
alike unjust burdens and unfSir 6iscrimina-
t1ols betr cen the states
We reatirm the policy OF sppropriating
TIE public lands of the United States to be
homesteads for American citizens and set
tiers not aliens, which the Republican party
esta hhshed ip 1862, against the persistent op-
position Of the Democrats in congress, ana
which has brought our great western domain
INTO such magnificent development The
restoration Of unesrned railroad land grants
TO the public domain for the use Of actual
settlers, which was begun under the admin
istrauon 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 the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis about 5000. 900 Of acres Of unearned
lands originally granted for the construction
OF railroads have been restored 70 the public
DOMAIN, IN pursuance of the conditions In
serted by the Republican party in the origi-
nai grants We charge the Democrats ad-
with failure TO execute the laws
to settlers title TO their hornesteats,
and with using appropriations made for that
purpose 10 uarsSS innocent settlers with