The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-27

alone the national administration should
be taken away from those who have
failed, and returned to those who have
been successful and efficient.
We believe that the government should
have an ample revenue with d sufficient
surplus over ordinary expenditures to
provide for coast defenses for the steady
building up of the navy and for the con =
slant reduction of the public debt.
We believe that the present tariff with
its lowered rates and its destructive and
dishonest system of under valuations
should be replaced by one framed on
give ample protection to American
wages and American industry and to re-
store the reciprocity policy of James G..
Blaine.
We have always given protection to
our ship builders. In late years we have
neglected to protect our ship owners.
We believe the time has come to return
to the policy of Washington and Hamil-
ton, which by discriminating duties in
favor of American bottoms, secured 80
per cent of our carrying trade to Ameri-
can ships, and which if now restored,
would again revive our shipping, and
cause American freighIs to be paid to
Americans.
We regard the silver agitation as hurt
full to business and destructive of conf
dence, and as has recently been shown,
hostile to all tariff lsgisl alton designed
to give protection to our industries and
revenue to our treasury.
We are entirely opposed to the free
and unlimited coinage of silver; and to
any change in the existing gold standard
except by international agreement, each
dollar must be kept as good as every
ether dollar. The credit of the United
hn ipf ai0 at ho hi~b has
point SO that it cannot be ques-
toned anywhere, either at home, or
abroad Every promisssmus be rigidly
kept and every obligation redeemable in
coin must be paid in gold.
We are opposed to the unsound and
dangerous system of state banks. We
support the national banking system and
believe that it should be so amended as
to give it room for expansion and oppor-
tunity to meet the demands of the grow
ing business and population of the coun-
try.
The civil service laws which remove
the public service from the control of
favoritism, patronage and politics should
be honestly and thOrougly enforced, and
the classified service extended wherever
it is possible.
Immigration should be restricted, and
the Republican party should pledge it.
self to pass at once Jaw to exclude at
least the totally ignorant and illiterate.
The United States should adhere rig
idly to the American principle of the en-
tire separation of church and state, aud
no appropriation of public money for
ssctariRn schools. whether for the In
dians, or for others, should be permitted
We believe in foreign policy which
shall be at all times and with ali nations
firm, vigorous and dignifed. Our in
terest in the American continents must
be carefully guarded and for the protec-
ton of those interests we should main
tain our influence in the Hawaiian Is
lands and build and control the Isthmian
canal
We have never intsrfered and shall
not now interfere with the long estab-
lished possessions of any European
power in the Americas. But
their possessions must not be
extended. The Monroe doctrine, as de
clarsd in 1898, and enforced in 1865 and
in 1895 must always be upheld. We
sympathizs with the Cubans in their
struggle for independence. For as
them success and believe that the United
States should use its influence and good
Offices in the interests of humanity to
bring to an end the useless and bloody
war now desolating Cuba and to give to
the people of that island peace and self
government
Massachusetts Republicans have never
undertaken to pledge or bind their dele
gates to a national convention. We do
not intend to do 90 now. But we think
it fitting to declare our preference
amoug the candidates for the Republi-
can nomination te the presidency. We
present te the national conven tion
for nomination as president and
we urge all our delegates to give
their earnest, united and active support
to fearless leader tried in many hard
conflicts, a man of unblemishsd charac-
ter, answering Rspublicanism and
great abilities, the Hon. Thomas B.
Reed OF Maine.