The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-07-05
The Republican Platform.


NO ROOM FOR FREE TRADERS ON II. But
FREE SUFFRAGE AND AFFAIR COUNT STRONG
| LY ADVOCATED. TO REDUCE INTERNAL
! REVENUEAND PROHIBIT FOREIGN CONTRACT
| LABOR. TRUSTS CONDEMNED. THE WRONGS
OF SOUTH DAKOTA. FAVORING BOTH GOLD
| AND SILVER MONEY. DENOUNCING THE
| ADMINISTRATION AND THE FISHERIES
TREATY.
The Republican National Convention adopt
ed the following declaration of principles:
The Republicans of the United States assem-
bed by their delegates in National Convention,
pause Oh the threshold of their proceedings to
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 wrcaths of imperishable remembrance
and gratitude the heroic names of our later
leaders who have more recently been called
away from our cOuncils-Grant, Garfield, Ar
thur, Logan, Conkling. May their memories
be faithfully cherished. We also recall with
our 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 Republicans and of the RepubIic-the name
Of that noble soldier and favorite child of
victory, Philip II. Sheridan.
In the spirit of those great leaders, AM, 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 throughout
the two American continents. We earnestly
hope that we may soon congratulate our fellow
citizens of Irish birth upon the peaceful re-
ccvery of home rule for Ireland.
FREE SUFFRAGE.
We rcaflirm our answering devotion to the
national Constitution and to tie indissolube
union of the States; to the autonomy reserved
to the States under the Constitution: to the
personal rights and liberties of citize ms 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 represen-
tation of all the people to be the foundation Of
our republican government and demand effect
i've legislation 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 existence to the suppress
sion of the ballot by a criminal notification of
the Constitution and laws of the United States.
PROTECTION TO AMERICAN INDUSTRIES.
We are uncompromsingly 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
terestS Of Europe; we will support the inter-
ests of America. We accept the issue and
confidently appeal to the people for their jutlg-
ment. The protective system must he MAIN
tained. Its abandonment has always been fol-
lowed by general disaster to all interests. eX-
cept those of the uSurer and the sheriff. We
denounce the Mills bill As destructive to the
general business, the labor and the farming
interests Of the country, and we heartily in
dorse the consistent and patriotic action of the
Republican Representatives in Congress in
opposing its passage.
OPPOSED TO FREE WOOL.
We condemn the proposition of the Demo-
cratic party to place wool on the free list. and
we insist that the duties thereon shall he adj
ju>tcd and maintained SO as to furnish full and
adequate protection to that industry.
REDUCE INTERNAL REVENUE.
The Republican party would effect all needed
reduction of the national revenue by repeating
the taxes upon tobacco, which are an annoy
ancc 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 will tend to cheek imports of such
articles As are produced by our people, the
production of which gives employment to our
labor and release from import duties those
articles OF foreign production Except luXuries)
the ike of which cannol be produced at home.
II there shall still remain larger revenue
than Is requisite for the wants of the Govern
ment. we favor the entire repeal of internal
taxes rather than the surrender of any part of
our protective system. at the joint behests of
the whi>key trusts and the agents of foreign
manufactures.
FOREIGN CONTRACT LABOR.
We declare our hostility to the introduction
into this country Of foreign contract labor and
Of Chinese labor, alien to our civilization and
our Constitution. and we demand the rigid ell
forcement of the existing laws against it. and
favor such immediate legislation as will exclude
such labor from our shores.
TRUSTS CONDEMNED.
We declare our opposition to all combine
1ions of capital. organized in trusts or other
wise, to control arbitrarily the condition of
trade among our 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 oppress
the people by undue charges on their supplies.
or by unjust rates for the transportation of
their products to market. We approve the
legislation by Congress to prevent alike unjust
burdens and unfair determinations between
the States.
HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE.
We reatiirm the policy of appropriating the
public lands of the United States to he home
steads for American citizens and settlers, not
aliens. which the Republican party established
III lSG2, against the persistent opposition of the
Democrats in Congress, and which has brought
our great Western domain into such magniti-
cent development The restoration of unearn-
Ell railroad land grants to the public domain
for the use of actual settlers, which was begun
under the Administration of President Arthur,
should be continued. We deny that the Dem
ocratic party has ever restored one acre to the
people, but declare that by the joint action of
fbn liI.n,c nJ,r,,%
900 of acres Of unearned lands originally grant
Ell for the construction of railroads have been
restored to the public domain, in pursuance of
the conditions inserted by the Republican party
in the original grants. We charge the Demo-
cratic Administration with failure to execute
the laws securing to settlers titles to their
homesteadS, and with using appropriations
made for that purpose to harass innocent set
tiers with spies and prosecutions under the
false pretenca of exposing frauds and vindcat-
ing the law.
HOME RULE IN TERRITORIES.
The government by Congress of the Terri
tories is based upon necessity only. to the end
that they may become States in the Union;
therefore, whenever the conditions of pOpua-
tion. material resources, public intelligence and
morality are such as to insure stable local
government therein, the people of such Terri
tories should be permitted, as right inherent
in them. the right to form for themselves con-
StItulIohs uiIu JldlC SONc duu Dt
mitted into the Union. Pending the prepara-
tiOn for Statehood, all officers thereof should be
selected from the bona tide residents and citi-
zens of the Territory wherein they are to
serve.
ADMIT SOUTH DAKOTA.
South Dakota should of right be Immediate
ly admitted as State in the Union, under the
constitution framed and adopted by her people,
aEd we heartily indorse the action of the Re-
publican Senate in twice passing bills for her
admission. The refusal of the Democratic
House OF Representatives, for partisan pur-
poses, to favorably consider these bills, is Il
wilful violation of the sacred American princi-
pies 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 governments should he passed without
unnecessary delay. The Republican party
pledges itself to do all in its power to facilitate
the admission of the Territories of New Mex-
co, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona to the enjoy
mcnt of self-government as States, such of
them rs arc now qualified, as soon as possible,
and the others as soon as they may become SO.
MoRMONIsM.
The political power of the Mormon church in
the territories as exercised in the past is a men,
ace to free institutions, danger no longer to
he suffered. Therefore we pledge the Republic
can party to appropriate legislation asserting
the sovereignty Of the nation in all Territories
where the same is questioned, and in further
ance of that end to place upon the statute books
legislation stringent enough to divorce the
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