Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-06-27
The Republican Platform.


justification of their claims to the
matchless achievements of the thirty
years of Republican rule, earnestly
and confidently address themselves
to the awakened intelligence, eX-
perience and conscience of their
countrymen in the following declara-
ton of acts and principles;
For the first time since the Civil
war the American people have wit
messed the calamitous consequences
of full unrestricted Democratic con-
troll of the Government. 1t has been
a record of unparalleled incapacity,
dishonor and disaster. In admins
trative management it has ruthlessly
sacrificed indispensable revenue, en-
tailed an unceasing deficit, eked out
ordinary current expenses with Dor
rowed money, piled up the public
debt by $500, 100000 in time of peace,
forced an adverse balance OF trade,
kept a perpetual menace hanging
over the redemption fund, pawned
American credit to alien syndicates
and reversed all the measures and
results of successful Republican rule
In the broad effect of its policy it has
precipitated panic, blighted industry
and trade with prolonged depression
closed factories, reduced work and
wages, halted enterprise and crippled
American production, while stimu-
lating foreign production for the
American market. Every considera
ton of public safety and individual
interest demands that the Govern
ment shall be rescued from the hands
of those who have shown themselves
incapable to conduct it without dis
aster at home and dishonor abroad
and shall be restored to the party
which for thirty years administered
it with unequaled success and pros
perity, and in this connection we
heartily endorse the wisdom, patriot
ism and the success Of the admins
tration of President Harrison.
We renew and emphasize our al
leSiance to the policy of protection
as the bulwark of American indus
trial independence and the founda
ticn of American development and
prosperity. This true American policy
taxes foreign products and encour
ages home industry; it puts the bur
den of revenue on foreign goods, ii
secures the American market for the
american producer, it upholdS the
American standard of wages for the
American workingman, it puts the
Factory by the side Of the farm and
makes the American farmer less de-
pendent on foreign demand and
prices, it ditfuses general thrift and
POUNDS the strength of all on the
strength of each. In its reasonable
application it is just, fair and i'm
partial, equally opposed to foreign
control and domestic monopoly, to
sectional elimination and individual
favoritism. We denounce the present
Democratic tariff as sectional, III
furious to the public credit and de.
structive to both enterprises. We
demand such an equitable tariff on
foreign imports, which come into
competition with American products,
as will not only furnish adequate
revenue for the necessary expenses
of the Government, but will protect
American labor from degradation to
the wage level Of other lands. We
are not pledged to any particular
schedules. The question of rates is
a practical question, to be governed
by the conditions Of the time and Of
production: the ruling and uncom-
promising principle is the protection
and development of American labor
and industry. The country demands
q right settlement and then it wants
rest.
We believe the repeal of the re-
ciprocity arrangements negotiated
by the last Republican administra-
tion was national calamity, and we
demand their renewal and extension
on such terms as will equalize our
trade with other nations, remove the
restrictions which now obstruct the
sale of American products in the
ports of other countries and secure
enlarged markets for the products OF
our farms, forests, and factories.
Protection and reciprocity are twin
measures of Republican policy and
90 hand in hand. Democratic rule
has recklessly struck down both, and
both must be re-established.
Protection for what we produce:
free admission for the necessaries of
life, which we do not produce; re-
ciprocity agreements Of mutual in
terests which gain open markets for
us in return for our open market to
others. Protection builds up Demo
cratic industry and trade, and Sc
cures our own market for ourselves;
reciprocity builds up foreign trade,
and finds an outlet for our surplus.
We condemn the present admins
tration for not keeping faith with
the sugar producers of this country
The Republican party favors such
protection, as will lead to the pro-
duction on American soil of all the
sugar which the American people
use, and for which they pay other
countries more than $3.50, 1000 an
nually.
To all market products-to those
of the mine and the field, as well as
to those of the shop and the factory
to hemp, to wool, the product Of
the great industry of sheep hus
bandry, as well as to the finished
woolens Of the mill-we promise the
most ample protection.
We favor restoring the early Ameri-
can policy of discriminating duties
for the upbnilding of our merchant
marine and the protection of oul
shipping in the foreign carrying
trade, so that American ships-the
product of American labor, employed
in American ship yards, sailing under
the Stars and American-may regain
the carrying of our foreign com
merce.
The Republican party is unreserv-
edly for sound money. 1t caused the
enactment of the law providing fol
the resumption of specie payments il
1879; since then every dollar has been
as good as gold.
We are unalterably opposed tc
every measure calculated to debase
our currency or impair the credit Of
our country. We are, therefore op.
posed to the free coinage of silver
except by international agreement
with the leading commercial nations