The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-02
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL PRINCIPLES


The republican convention adopted our
proposal of Wednesday morning for a
platform, as follows:
The republican party, in state conven-
ton assembled, unites with the A. =. A.
in denouncing the democratic party for
all the results OF McKinleyism and Sher-
manism.
They have put few more words in
IT, but that is all there is of it, so far
as national affairs are concerned. Rhody
shiel made an effort to get plank into
the platform to the effect that the repub-
lican party would not bar a candidate
on account of religious views, but the
committee on resolutions said that it
would be Objectionable to the A. p. 4.
element, and as half Of the committee
were A. p. AS it went out. Rhody
threatened to appeal to the convention,
but the party leaders took him in hand
and he laid down and let the A. z. A.
walk on him as usual. Meanwhile the
committee inserted in the platform the
following plank taken from the A. P. A.
declaration Of principles:
We demand a rigid enforcement Of all
existing immigration laws by the ma
uonal government, and demand such
1urther legislation as will protect our
people and institutions against the influx
of the criminal and vicious classes.
This is the "knownothing'' declaration
Of the order. 1t will be observed that it
not only calls for the rigid enforcement
Of existing immigration laws. which
cover contract labor" but also demands
further legislation" to prevent the i'm
migration of 1.-The criminal and vicious
classes" This is not a proposition to
prevent the immigration of criminals"
That is already covered by our extradi-
ton laws. 1t is a proposition to exclude
classes" which are Criminal or
vicious" and there is no difficulty in
understanding what the A. p. AS and
other republicans mean by criminal and
vicious classes All persons who in any
way support the obnoxious principles
Of rum, romanism and rebellion" be-
long to those classes. All catholics are
vicious" by direct declaration. We are
informed that they all vote as the pope
directs them, and are all interested in
overthrowing the liberties of the country.
Under the rum" specification, 1.-THE
beer-drinking Dutch" 1.-THE whisky-drink-
ing Irish.'' 1.-The wine-drinking French
and Italians are all vicious" to the re-
publican party. Poor people of all kinds
are vicious" The only foreigners who
are not vicious are the titled dudes
who come over here to marry the daugh-
tiers of millionaire beneficiaries of the re-
publican protective system.
Having openly allied themselves with
the A. p. A. in this manner, the conven-
ton adopted the second part Of the
plank we submitted to it, as follows:
We denounce the present attempt of a
democratic congress to overthrow and
destroy the American industrial system.
a course that, with the general fear Of
a violent readjustment Of the country's
business to a free trade basis has in
creased the national debt. has plunged
the country into the most disastrous
business depression of its history, has
closed large numbers of banks and fac
tories throughout the country, has
American citizens out Of employment
has compelled thousands Of able-bodied
and industrious men to humiliate them
selves by asking for charity and has
filled our broad land with free soup
houses and food markets.
There is not a person of ordinary intel
ligence in the country who does not
know that this is an absolute falsehood,
for these reasons:
1. The democratic party came into
power by an election held in November,
1892. It's principles were as we'll under
stood then as they have been at any
time since. There was no indication Of
any panic or any business depression for
more than six months afterward, and
for three months after Mr. Cleve-
lands inauguration. If fear" of a
change in the tariff had been able to
produce any panic it would have ap-
peared before it did.
2. At the time the panic came on con-
gress was not in session, and there was
no prospect that it would be in session for
six months No change could be made
in the tariff law until it met.
3. When the panic came on it began
with the failure of banks-not the sus-
pension Of manufacture or commerce.
There was not man thrown out of en-
ployment in the country until the failure
of banks and the consequent withdrawal
of loans by other banks in preparation
for runs forced manufacturers and
merchants to suspend for lack Of money.
Precisely the same thing occurred in
Australia, both in protection and free
trade colonies, and there was no proposal
for any change Of tariff in any of them
4. 1t was universally urged by the
republican press at that time that the
panic was due to the Sherman silver
purchase law passed by the republicans
in 1890. John Sherman himself declared
that this was true and pleaded in excuse
that they had been obliged TO pass that
law in order to avoid free coinage law
5. The Mckinley law is still in force
1t gives higher protection" than the re-
publican Tariff law that was in force
when the great panic Of 1873 came upon
the country. There was no fear OF
any change in the tariff at that time, but
1t is noteworthy that that panic fol-