The herald., 1896-08-27

| ana IOrm OF government. we SnOulu
receive none who come to make war
upon our institutions and provoke pub
lie disquiet and turmoil. Against all
| such our gates must be kept tightly
| closed.
OUR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS.
The soldiers and sailors of the United
States should neither be neglected nor
forgotten. The government which they
served so well must not make their
| lives or condition harder by treating
| them as supplcants for relief in old
age or distress nor regard with disdain
| or contempt the earnest interest one
| comrade naturally manifests for the
welfare of another Doubtless there
has been pension abuses and frauds in
the numerous claims allowed by the
government, but the policy governing
the administration of pension bureau
must always be grand and liberal. No
| deserving applicant should ever suffer
because of a wrong perpetrated by or
| for another. Our soldiers and sailors
gave the government the best they had.
| They offered health and strength, life
and limb to save the country in the
| time of its greatest peril and the gov
ernment must honor them in their need
as in their service with the respect and
gratitude due to brave, noble and self
sacrificing men, who are justly entitled
| to generous aid in their increasing ne
| cessities.
| OUR MERCHANT MARINE
The declaring of the Republican
| platform in favor of the upbuilding of
our merchant marine has my hearty ap-
proval. The policy of discriminating
duties in favor of shipping which pre-
vailed in the early days of our history
should be again promptly adopted by
congress and vigorously supported
until our prestige and supremacy on the
| seas is fully attained. We should no
| longer contribute directly or indirectly
to the MAINTENANCE of the colossal mar
ines of foreign countries. but provide
an efficient and complete marine of our
own. Now that the American navy
is assuming the position commensurate
with our Importance as a nation, poll
icy l am glad to observe, the Republi-
can platform strongly endorses, we must
supplant 1t with merchant marine that
will give us the advantages in both our
coastwise and foreign trade that we
ought naturally and properly to enjoy.
1t should be at once a matter of pub
lie policy and national pride to repossess
this immense and prosperous trade.
| CIVIL. SERVICE REFORM.
| The pledge of the Republican conven.
| ton that our civil service laws shall be
sustained and thoroughly and honestly
enforced and extended wherever prac-
ticable, is in keeping with the position
| of the party for the past twenty-four
years and will be faithfully observed.
Our opponents decry these reforms.
| They appear willing to abandon all the
advantages gained after so many years
| of agitation and effort. They encourage
a return to methods of party favoritism
which both parties have often denounc-
| ed, that experience has condemned and
that the people have repeatedly disap
provd. TIL Republican party earnestly
opposes this reactionary and entirely
unjustfiable policy. 1t will take no
backward steps upon this question. 1t
will seek to improve but never degrade
the public service.
OTHER PLANKS.
There are other and timely declara-
tions in the platform which 1 cannot
here discuss. 1 must content myself
with saying that they have my approval
If, as Republicans, we have lately ad-
dressed our attention with what may
seem great stress and earnestness to the
new and unexpected assault upon the
financial integrity of the government,
we have done it because the menace is
so grave as to demand especial consid-
Grafton, and because we are convinced
that if the people are aroused to the true
understanding and meaning of this sill
yer and imitation movement, they will
avert the danger. In doing this, we feel
that we render the best service possible
to the country, and we appeal to the in
telligence, conscience and patriotism of
the people, irrespective of party or sec
ton, for their earnest support. 1t will
maintain law and order We avoid no
issue. We meet the sudden, dangerous
and revolutionary assault upon law and
order and upon those to whom is con-
fided by the legislation and the laws the
authority to uphold and maintain them,
which our opponents have made, with
the same courage that we have faced
| every emergency since our organization
| as party more than forty years ago.
Government by law must first be as
sured, everything else can wait. The
spirit of lawlessness must be eXtin-
| guished by the fires of an unselfish and
| loyal patriotism. Every attack upon
the public faith and every suggestion of
the reputation of debts, public or pri-
vate, must be rebuked by all men who
believe that honesty is the best policy,
or who love their country and would pre-
serve unsullied ou national honor.
| SECTIONALISM ALMOST OBLITER-
ATED.
The country is to be congratulated on
the almost total obliteration of section
alism, which for many years marked
the division of the United States into
slave and free territory, and finally
threatened it's partition into two sep
arate governments by the dread ordeal
of civil war. The era of reconciliation,
so long and earnestly desired by Gen.
Grant and many other great leaders of
the north and south, has happily come,
and the feeling of distrust and hostility
between the sections is everywhere van
ishing, let us hope, never to return.
| Nothing is better calculated to give
strength to the national wealth, in
| crease o1Ir mower and influence abroad.