The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-06-22

states.
We reaffirm the policy of appropriate
ing the public lands of the United States
to be homesteads
For American Citizens and Soldiers,
not aliens. which the Republican party
established in 1862, against the persistent
opposition of the Democrats in congress
and which has brought our great Western
domain into such magnificent develop
ment. The restoration of unearned rail-
road land grants to the public domain for
the use of actual settlers, which was be-
gun under the administration of Presi-
dent Arthur, should be continued. We
deny that the Democratic party ever re-
stored one acre to the people, but declare
that by the joint action of Republicans
and Democrats about 50,000, 900 of acres
of unearned lands originally granted for
the construction of railroads have bean
restored to the public domain, In pur
suance Of the conditions inserted by the
Republican party in the original grants.
We charge the Democratic administra-
ton with failure to execute the laws
Securing to Settlers Titles to Their
Homesteads,
and with using appropriations made for
that purpose to harass innocent settlers
with spies and prosecutions under the
false pretense of exposing frauds and
indicating the law.
The government by congress of the ter
ritories is based upon necessity only, to
the end that they may become states in
the Union; therefore, whenever the con-
ditions of population, material resources,
public intelligence and morality are such
as to insure a stable local government
therein the people of such territories
should be permitted, as right inherent
to them, to form for themselves
constitutions and state governments and
be admitted into the Union. Pending
the preparation for statehood all officers
thereof should be selected from the bona
fide residents and citizens of the terri
tory wherein they are to serve. South
Dakota should of right be Immediately
Admitted as a State in the Union,
under the constitution framed and
adopted by her people, and we heartily
indorse the action of the Republican SEN
ate in twice passing the bills for her ad-
mission. The refusal of the Democratic
house of representatives, for partisan
purposes, to favorably consider these
bills is wilful violation of the sacred
principle of local self-government and
merits the condemnation of all Just men.
The pending bills in the senate for acts
to enable the people of Washington,
North Dakota and Montana territories to
form constitutions and establish state
govel nments should be passed without
necessary delay. The Republican party
pledges itself to do all in its 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 are now
qualified as soon as possible, and the
others as soon as they may become so.
The political power of the Mormon
church in the territories, as exercised in
the past, is a menace to free institutions
too dangerous longer to be suffered.
Therefore we pledge the Republican
party TO appropriate legislation asserting
the sovereignty of the nation in all ter
ritories where the same is questioned,
and in furtherance Of that end to place
upon the statute books legislation strin-
gent enough to divorce the political from
the ecclesiastical power and thus
Stamp Out the Attendant Wickedness of
POlygamy.
The Republican party is in favor of
the use of both gold and silver as money
cratic administration in its efforts to
demontize silver.
We demand the reduction of letter
postage to cent per ounce.
In a republic like ours, where the citi-
zen is the sovereign, and the official the
servant, where no power is exercised eX-
cept by the will of the people, it is i'm
portant that the sovereign-the people
should possess intelligence. The free
school is the prompter of that intelli-
gence which is to preserve us free ma
ton; therefore the state or nation, or
both combined, should support the free
institutions of learning, sufficient to
afford every child growing up in the land
an opportunity of a
Good Common School Education.
We earnestly recommend that prompt
action be taken by congress in the enact
ment of such legislation as will secure
the rehabilitation of our American mer-
chant marine, and protest against the
passing by congress of a free ship bill,
as calculated to work injustice to labor
by lessening the wages of those engaged
in preparing materials as well as those
directly employed in our ship yards. We
demand appropriations for the early re-
building of our navy, for the construc-
ton of coast fertilization and modern
| ordnance and other improved modern
means of defense for the protection of
our defenseless harbors and cities; for
the payment of just pensions to our SOL
diers; for the necessary work of national
Importance in the improvement of har-
bors and the channel of internal, coast
wise and foreign commerce; for the en-
couRgement of the shipping interests of
the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific states, as
well as
The Payment of the Maturing Public
Debt.
This policy will give employment to our
labor; activity to our various industries;
increase the security Of our country; pro-
mote trade; open new and direct markets
| for our produce, and cheaper the cost of
| transportation. We affirm this to be far
better for our country than the Demo
cratic policy of loaning the governments
money without interest to pet banks. :"
The conduct of foreign affairs by the
present administration has been distin-
guished by its inefficiency and its coward
ice. Having withdrawn from the senate
all pending treaties effected by Republi-
can administration for the removal Of
| foreign burdens and restrictions upon our
commerce and for extension into better
markets, it has neither effected nor pro-
posed any other in their stead. Profess
| ing adherence to the Monroe doctrine, it
has seen with idle complacency the ex.
| tension of
| Foreign Influence in Central America,
and of foreign trade everywhere among
our neighbors. 1t has refuse to charter,