The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-02-20

Strange bnd6 CniS youf, as III loOO, III ouoIV
is needed to mark the Republican position
upon this great economic question. The
whole world knew year in advance of its
utterance what the Republican platform
Of 1860 would be, and the whole world
knows now and has known for year past
what the Republican platform of 1896
will be.
Then and Now.
Then the battle was to arrest the spread
Of slave labor in America; now it is to
prevent the increase Of lily paid and de-
graded free labor in America. The plat
form of 1896, say, is already written
written in the hearts and at the homes OF
the masses of our countrymen. 1t has
been thought out around hundreds of thou
sands of American Enthusiastically
wrought out by tho new conditions and
harsh experiences of the past three years.
On the great questions still unsettled or
In dispute between the dominant parties
we stand now just as we did in 1860, for
Republican principles are unalterable. On
the subject of protection to American la
Dor and American interests we can reaf-
firm and will reaffirm the Lincoln plat
form of 1860. 1t needs neither amend
ment nor elaboration. Indeed we could,
begin the platform of 1895 in the exact
words with which the fathers Of the Re-
publican party began theplatform of 1860.
Its first plank, you will remember, reads
as follows:
Resolved, That the history of the nation dur
ing the last four years has fully established
the proprfety and necessity Of the organization
and representation Of the Republican party, and
that the causes which called it into existence
are permanent in their nature, and now. more
than ever before, demand it's peaceful and
constitutional triumph.
This was said near the close Of the last
Democratic administration, which for a.
time controlled all branches of the ma
tional government. With what truth it
applies to the present Democratic admin
istration, which for two years following
March 4, 1898, again had control of all
branches of the national government!
1t may be asked what the next Repub-
lican tariff law will, provide. I cannot
tell YOU l CANNOT tell you what the sched-
ules and rates will be, but they will meas
ure the difference between American and
European conditions, and will, moreover,
be fully adequate to protect ourselves
from the invasion of our markets by ORR
entail products to the injury of American
labor and will in no case be too low to
protect and exalt American labor and
promote and increase American produc-
ton.
cannot better answer this grave in
quiry than by an illustration of Mr.. Lin
coins. Some one asked him how long
mans legs ought to be. He said: THAT
is very serious question, and I have Civ
en- much thought to it a great many times.
Some should be longer and some shorter,
but want to tell you that mans legs
his body to the ground.'' And SO tell
you, my inquiring free trade friend, that
the legs of the next Republican tariff law
win be long enough to firmly support the
American body polite, sustain the public
treasury, lift up our national credit and
uphold the dignity and independence of
American labor and the enterprises and
occupations of the American people.
Republican Position Plain.
No one need be in any doubt about what
the Republican party stands for. Its own
history makes that too palpable and clear
to admit of doubt. 1t stands for a reunit
ed and recreated nation, based upon free
and honest elections in overy township,
county, city, district and state in this great
American Union. 1t stands for the Amer
lean freside and the flag of the nation. 1t
stands for the American farm, the Ameri-
can factory and the prosperity of all the
American people. 1t stands for recipro-
city that reciprocates and which does not
yield up to another country single days
labor that belongs to the American work
ingman. 1t stands upon terms of mutual
advantage: 1t stands for an exchange of
our surplus home products for such foreign
products as we consume, but do not pro-
duce. 1t stands for the reciprocity Of
Blaine, for the reciprocity of Harrison, for
the restoration and extension of the princi-
pie embodied in the reciprocity provision
of the Republican tariff of 1890. 1t stands
for foreign policy dictated by and i'm
bued with a spirit that Is genuinely Amer
lean, for policy that will revive the ma
tional traditions and restore the national
spirit which carried us proudly through
the earlier years of the century. 1t stands
for such policy with all foreign nations
as will insure both to us and them justice,
impartiality, fairness, good faith, dignity
and honor. 1t stands for the Monroe doc
trine as Monroe himself proclaimed it,
about which there is no division whatever
among the American people. 1t stands
now, as ever, for honest money and a
chance to earn it by honest toll 1t stands
for a currency of gold, silver and paper
with which to measure our exchanges that
shall be as sound as the government and
as untarnished as it's honor The Repub-
lican party would as soon think of lower
ing the flag of our country as to contem-
plate with patience or without protest and
opposition any attempt to degrade or COR
rupt the medium of exchange among our
people. 1t can be relied upon in the flu
ture as in the past to supply our country
with the best money ever known-gold,
silver and paper, good the world over. 1t
stands for commercial policy that will
whiten every sea with the sails of Ameri-
can vessels flying the American flag and
that will protect that flag wherever it
floats. 1t stands for system which will
give to the United States Ithe balance of
trade with every competing nation in the
world. 1t is for a fiscal policy opposed to
debts and deficiencies in time of peace and
favors the return of the government to
debt paying and opposes the continuance
Of a debt making policy.
On Its Own Ground.
And, gentlemen of the Marquette club,
let Inc tell you that the Republican party,
true to the advice and example of the i'm
mortal Lincoln, is going to make the CAM
paign this year upon it's own ground, not
upon it's opponent's-that Is to say, the
Of thu oon not <,n;,.r,