Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-11-01

tween the States.
We reaffirm the policy of appropriating
| the public lands Of the United States to be
homesteads for American citizens and set
| tiers. 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
development. The restoration Of unearn.
ed land grants to the public domain for
the use Of actual settlers, which was begun
under the administration of President Ar.
thur. 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 republicans and democrats,
about fifty millions Of acres Of unearned
lands originally granted for the construc-
tion Of railroads have been restored to the
public domain, in pursuance OF the condi.
tons inserted by the republican party III
the original grants. We charge the dem.
ocratic administration with failure TO exc.
cute the laws securing to settlers titles to
their homesteads, and with using appro.
riations made for that purpose to harass
innocent settlers with spies and Prosecu-
blOlS uQQBI lhlSG vi pOSllle
frauds and vindicating the law.
The government! by Congress OF the
Territories 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 morally are such
as to secure a stable LEGAL government
therein, the people Of such Territories
should be permitted, as a RIG ht inherent j.
them, TO form for themselves a constitution
and State government, and be admitted
into the Union. Pending tine pTepara-
ton for Statehood, all officers hereof
should be selected from the bona fide
residents and citizens OF the Territory
wherein they are to serve. South Dakota
should of right be Immediately admitted
as a State in the Union, under the con.
stitution framed and adopted by the
people, and we heartily indoTse the action
Of the Republican Senate in twice
passing bills for her admission The
refusal of the Democratic House OF
Representatives, for partisan purposes, to
favorably consider these bills, a willful
violation Of the sacred American 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 should be passed without
unnecessary delay. The republican party
pledges itself to DO all in its power to ia
cilitate the admission of the territories oi
New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho aud Ari,
zona to the enjoyment Of seH government
as states, such Of them as gTC now quail
fed, as soon as possible, and the Others as
soon as they may become 50.
The political power oi the Mormon
church in the territories, as experienced IL
the past is menace To free institutions
too dangerous to be lorg suffered. There.
fore we pledge the Tepupi' an party To ap.
proprate legislation asserting the sover-
eighty of the nation IN alt territories
where the same Is questioned, and IN
turtherance OF that end - place upon the
statute books legislation stringent enough
to divorce the political from The ecclesias-
tical power, and thus stamp out the
attendant wickedness of p"Iygany.
The republican party is Ia favor Of the
use of both gold and silver as money, and
condemns the policy Of the democratic
administration IN its ut IrtS to demOnetzs
silver.
We demand the reduction Of letter
postage to cent per ounce.
In a republic like ours. where the
citizen IS the sovereign and the official the
servant, where no power is exercised
except by the will OF the people, 1t is
important thai the sOver,ign-the people
should possess intelligence. The free
school is the promoter Of that intelligence
which is to preserve us free nation;
therefore, the state or nation, or both
cOmbined, should support free institutions
OF learning, sufficient to afford to every
child growing up in the land The oppor-
tumIy Of good common school edu-
cation.
We earnestly recommend that prompt
action be taken by Congress in the en-.
actment ot such legislation AS wall bet
secure the rehabilitation Of our American
merchant marine, and We protest against
the passage 10y Congress OF free ship
uIl, as calculated to work injustice to
laoor by iesseuing the wages Of those
engaged in preparing ma erals, as we'll
u, those directly employed in cur ship
yards. We demand appropriations for
ite early ehuldlH- "i our navy; tor the
Construction q NJ cUISl tTtthrallunS and
uhl-rE ordnance, ana other approved
m,usrn mv.,u, ut dvtruNe i,I tnr lnutCu
:r.u q ar u,tenselc>s t.thurs aud
.iI,s; ins ,nr ,'.,u~ut ,d Jusl peustur.
81. cue s,r.1, s.; 600 rrcu,.Hy ""lE' IL
Ndt"nal importance la tne Improvement
OF hnrhors aud the channels Of internal
cuS,twlso, auu foreign cOmmerce; tor the
uoouIas semeu, OF the shipping interests
@ me \ anuC. Gulf arl PsClNc States as