Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-10-04
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ISAAC p. IAMPSON, of CuyahOga.
ABSALOM II. NATION, of Hamilton.
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

The Republicans of the United States assembled
by their delegates in National Convention pause on
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 wreaths
of imperishable remembrance and gratitude the
heroic names of our later leaders who have more
recently been called away from our cOuncl-Grant,
Garfield, Arthur, Logan, COnklng. 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 memory
will be treasured in the history both of the Repub
lcanS and 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, with that hostility
To all form of despOtiSm and oppression which is
the fundamental idea of the Republican party we
send fraternal congratulations to our fellow Amer
leans of Brazil, upon their great act Of emancipa-
ton, which completed the abolition of slavery
throughout the two American continents We
earnestly hope that We may soon congratulate our
felOwcitiZenS of Irish birth upon the peaceful re-
cOveTy of home rule for Ireland
We reaffrm our unSwervlng devotion to the Ma
iOna Constitution and to the indiSSOluble union Of
the States, to the autonomy reserved to the States
under the Constitution, to the personal rights and
liberties of citizens in all the States and Territories
of the Union, and especially to the supreme and
sovereign right of every lawful citizen, rich or
poor native or foreign bOri 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 representa-
ton of all the people, to be the foundation of our
republican government, and demand effective legis-
latOn to the integrity and purity of elections
which the fountains of all public authority We
charge that the present Administration and the
Democratic majority in Congress owe their eXis-
tenee to the suppression of the ballot by criminal
nulliticatiOn of the Constitution and laws Of the
United States.
We are uneOmprOmiSingly in favor of the Ameri-
can system of protection; We protest against its
destruction as proposed by the President and hi S
party They serve the interests of Europe we will
support the interests of America We accept the
ISSUE and confidently appeal TO the people for their
Judgment. The protective system must be main
tanned. Its abandonment has always been follow
ed by general disaster to all interests except those
Mills bill destructive to the general interests of
the country, and we heartily indOrSe the consistent
and patriotic action of the Republican Representa-
tNeS in Congress in opposing its passage.
We condemn the proposition 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 pTOtec-
tOn to that industry.
The Republican party would effect all needed re-
ductiOn OF the national revenue by repeating the
taxes upon tobacco, which are an annoyance 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
check imports of such articles as are produced by
our people, the production of which gives employ
ment to our labor, and releases from import duties
those articles of foreign production Except lux
urleS), the ike OF which cannot be produced at
home III there shall still remain a larger revenue
than is requisite for the wants of the Government,
we favor the entire repeal of internal taxes rather
system at the joint behest of the whisky trusts and
the agents OF foreign manufacturers.
We declare our hostility to the introduction into
this country of foreign contract labor, and of