Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-07-21

We reaffirm the policy of appro-
priating the public lands of the Unit
ed States for homesteads for Ameri-
can citizens and settlers, not aliens,
which the Republican party establish
ed in 1862 against the persistent OPP
position of Democrats in Congress,
and which has brought our great
Western domain into such magnifi-
| cent development.
The restoration of unearned rail.
road land grants to the public do
main for the use of actual settlers,
which was begun under the admins
tration 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 Republi-
cans and Democrats about fifty mil
lions of unearned lands, originally
granted for the construction of rail-
roads, have been restored to the pub
lie domain, in pursuance Of the con.
ditions inserted by the Republican
party in the original grants.
We charge the Democratic Admin
istration with failure to execute the
laws securing to settlers their titles
to homesteads, and with using ap.
preparations made for that purpose
to harass innocent settlers with spies
and prosecutions under the false
pretense Of exposing frauds and vim
dlcating the law.
The government by Congress of the
Territories is based upon necessity
only, to the end that they may be-
come States in the Union; therefore,
whenever the conditions of popula-
ton, material resources, public intel
ligence and morality are such as to
insure stable local government there
in, the people of such Territories
should be permitted, as a right in
herent in them, to form for themselves
constitutions and State governments
and be admitted into the Union.
Pending the preparation for State
hood, all officers thereof should be
selected from the bona fde residents
and citizens of the Territory wherein
they are to serve. South Dakota
should of right be Immediately ad-
mitted as State in the Union, under
the Constitution framed and adopted
by her people, and we heartily en-
dorse the action of the Republican
Senate in twice passing bills for he.
admission. The refusal of the Dem.
ocratic House Of Representatives, 70,
partisan purposes, to consider these
bills, is a willful violation Of the
sacred American principle of loca
self.government, and merits the con
demnation of all just men. The
pending bills in the Senate for acts te
enable the people of Washington
North Dakota and Montana Terri
tories to form Constitutions and es
tablisn State governments should be
passed without unnecessary delay
The Republican party pledges itsel
to do all in its power to facilitate the
admission Of the Territories OF New
Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizo
ma to the enjoyment Of self-govern
ment as States; such of them as are
now qualified as soon as possible, ant
the others as soon as they may become
SO. The political power of the Nor
mon Church in the Territories as ex
ercised in the past, is menace to free
institutions and dangerous to be long
suffered; therefore we pledge tht
Republican party to appropriate legls
la:ion asserting the sovereignty O
the nation in all Territories where the
same is questioned, and in furtherance
of that end, to place upon the statute
books, Legislation stringent enough te
divorce the political from the eccles
iastical power, and thus stamp out the
attendant wlckedness of polygamy.
The Republican party is in favor Of
the use Of both gold and silver as
money. and condemns the policy Of
the Democratic administration in its
efforts to demonetize silver.
We demand reduction Of letter
postage to one cent.
In republic like ours, where the
citizens is the sovereign and the Off
cial the servant, where no power is
exercised except by the will of the
people, it is important that the sover-
eighty, the people, should possess in
telligence. The free school is the
promoter of that intelligence which is
to preserve us free nation; there
fore, the State or nation, or both com
bined, should support free institu-
tions of learning, sufficient to afford
to every child growing up in the land
the opportunity of a good common
school education.
! We earnestly recommend that
prompt action be taken by Congress
in the enactment of such legislation
as will best secure the rehabilitation
of our American merchant marine,
and we protest against the passage
by Congress of the free ship bill as
calculated 10 work Injustice TO labor