The herald., 1896-06-19

dollar has been as good as gold we are un-
alterably opposed to every measure calcu-
lated to debase our currency or impair the
credit Of our country. We are, therefore,
opposed to the free coinage of silver except
by international agreement with the lead
ing commercial nations of the world, which
we pledge ourselves to promote, and until
such agreement can be obtained the exist
Ing gold standard must be preserved. All
our silver and paper currency must be
maintained at parity with gold, and we
favor all measures designed to maintain in
violably the obligations of the United
States and all our money, whether coin or
paper, at the present standard, the stand
ard of the most enlightened nations of the
earth.
PENSIONS
The veterans of the Union armies deserve
and should receive fair treatment and gen.
erous recognition. Whenever practicable
they should be given the preference in the
matter of employment, and they are enti-
tied to the enactment of such laws as are
best calculated to secure the fulfillment of
pledges made to them in the dark days Of
the country's peril. We denounce the prac-
tice in the pension bureau. so recklessly
and unjustly carried on by the present adj
ministration, of reducing pensions and ar
bitrarily dropping names from the rolls as
deserving the severest condemnation Of the
American people.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Our foreign policy should be at all times
firm, vigorous and dgnified, and all our
interests in the western hemisphere care
fully watched and guarded. The Hawaiian
Islands should be controlled by the United
States and no foreign power should be per-
mitted to interfere with them; the Mica
ragua canal should be built, owned and
operated by the United States, and by the
purchase of the Danish islands, we should
secure the proper and much needed naval
station in the West Indies.
ARMENIAN MASSACRES
The massacres in Armenia have aroused
the deep sympathy and just Indignation of
the American people, and we believe the
United States should exert all the influence
1t can properly exert to bring these atroci-
ties to an end. In Turkey American resi-
dents have been exposed to the gravest
dangers and American property DESTROYED.
There and everywhere American citizens
and American property must be absolutely
protected at all hazards and at any cost.
MONROE DOCTRINE
We reassert the Monroe doctrine in its
fullest extent and we reaffirm the right of
the United States to give the doctrine effect
by responding to the appeals of any Amer
lean state of the friendly Intervention in
case Of European encroachment. We have
not interfered and shall not interfere with
the existing possessions of any European
power in this hemisphere, but those pos
sessions must not on any pretext be ex-
tended. We hopefully look forward to the
eventual withdrawal Of the European pow
ers from this hemisphere and to the ulti-
mate union of all English speaking parts
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inhabitants.
From the hour Of achieving their own in
dependence the people of the United States
have regarded with sympathy the strug-
giles of other American people to free them
selves 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 deter
mined 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 It's treaty obligations, we be-
lieve the government of the United States
should actively use its influence and good
Offices to restore peace and give independ.
ence to the island.
THE NAVY
ne peace ana security or the republic
and the maintenance of it's rightful infu-
ence among the nations Of the earth, de-
mand a naval power commensurate with
Its position and responsibility. We there
fore favor the continued enlargement Of
the navy and complete system of harbor
and sea coast defenseS.
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION
For the protection Of the quality of our
American citizenship and the wages Of our
against the fatal competition
Of low-priced labor, we demand that the
laws be thoroughly enforced
and so extended as to exclude from en-
trance to the United States those who can
neither read nor write.
The civil service law was placed on the
statute books by the Republican party,
which has always sustained it, and we re-
new our repeated declarations that 1t shall
be thoroughly and honestly enforced and
extended wherever practicable.
FREE BALLOT
We demand that every citizen of the
United States shall be allowed to cast one
free and unrestricted ballot and that such
ballot be counted and returned as cast.
LYNCHINGS
We proclaim our unqualified condemna.
ton Of the uncivilized and barbarous prac-
tice. we'll known as lynching, or killing of