The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-06-19

fey of discriminating duties for the upbuildirg
of our merchant marine and the protection OF
our shipping in the foreign carrying trade,
90 that American ships-tta product of Ameri-
can labor, employed in American shipyards,
sailing under the stars and stripes, and
manned. Differed and owned by Americans
may regain the carrying of our foreign com
merce.
The republican party Is unreservedly for sound
money. IL caused the enactment of the law
providing for the resumption OF specie pay
ments in 1879; since then every dollar has been
rs good as gold
Against Free Coinage.
We are unalterably opposed to every meas
ure calculated 10 debase or currency or impair
the credit of our country. We are therefore
opposed to the free coinage of silver excerpt by
international agreement with the leading COM
mercial nations of the world, which we pledge
ourselves to promote, and until such agree
ment can be obtained the existing gold stand
ard must be preserved. All our silver and pa.
per currency must be maintained at parity
with gold and we favor all measures designed
70 maintain inviolably the Obligations OF the
United States and all our money. whether coin
or paper at the present standard-the standard
of the most enlightened nations OF the earth.
The veterans of the Union army deserve and
should receive fair treatment and generous
recognition. Whenever practicable they should
be given the preference In the matter OF en-
ployment, and they are entitled to the enact
ment of such laws as are best calculated to Sc
cure the fulhllment OF the pledges made to
them in the dark days of the country's peril
We denounce the practice in the pension bu
reau, so recklessly and unjustly carried on By
the present administration, of reducing pen
sions and arbitrarily dropping names from the
rolls as deserving the severest condemnation or
the American people.
O,,r ola ebO ba ar al
firm, vigorous and dgnlhed, and all our inter
ests in the western hemisphere carefully
watched and guarded The Hawaiian islands
should be controlled by the United states,
and no foreign power should be permitted to
interfere with them; the Nicaraguan canal
should be built, owned and operated by the
United States; and by the purchase Of the
Danish islands we should secure proper and
much needed naval station in the West Indies.
Armenian Massacres and Cuba.
The massacres in Armenia have aroused the
deep sympathy and just INDIGNATION of the
American people, and we believe that the
United States should exercise all the influence
II can properly exert to bring these atrocities
to an end. In Turkey American resl ents have
been exposed TO the gravest dangers and Amer
lean property destroyed. There and every.
where American citizens and American prop
crty must be absolutely protected at all haz
ards and at any cost
extent, and we reaffirm the right of the United
States to give the doctrine effect by respond
ing to the appeals of any American state for
friendly Intervention in case of European en-
croachment. We have not interfered and shall
not interfere with the existing possessions of
any European powers in this hemisphere but
those possessions must not, on any preteXt be
extended. We hopefully look forward TO the
eventual withdrawal of the European powers
from this hemisphere. and to the ultimate un-
ion of all the English speaking part of the con.
tinent by the free consent of its inhabitants.
From the hour of achieving their ndepend.
ence the people of the United States have re-
garded with sympathy the struggles Of other
American peoples TO free themselves from
European domination. We watch with deep
and abiding interest the heroic battle of the
Cuban patriots against cruelty and oppression,
and our best hopes go out for the full success
of their determined contest for liberty. The
government of Spain, having lost control Of
Cuba, and being unable to protect the property
or lives of resident American citizens, or to
comply with the treaty obligations, we believe
that the government Of the United States
should actively use its influence and good Of
fees to restore peace and give Independence 10
the island
The peace and security of the republic and
the maintenance of it's rightful influence
amoug the nations of the earth, demand
naval power commensurate with its position
ana responsibility. We therefore favor the
continued enlargement of the navy and com.
plete system of of harbor and seacoast defenses.
Foreign Immigration.
For the protection of the quality of our
American citizenship and the wages of our
workingmen against the fatal competition Of
low priced labor, we demand that the immi-
grafton laws be thoroughly enforced and so
extended as to exclude from entrance to the
United States those who can neither read nor
write.
The civil service law was placed on the stat
ute book by the Republican party. which has
always sustained it, and we renew and repeat
our declarations that 1t shall be Thoroughly and
honestly enforced and extended wherever
practicable.
We demand that every citizen of the United
States shall be allowed to cast one free and un
restricted ballot and that such ballot shall be
counted and returned as cast.
We proclaim our unqualified condemnation OF
the unciviized and barbarous practice. we'll