Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-19

 pledge ourselves to promote, and until such agreement can be obtained the ex- isting 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 main tain inviolably the obligations of the United States, and all our money, wheth- CT coin or paper, at the present standard the standard of the most enlightened nations of the earth.
 Bud for the Soldier Vote.
 The veterans of the union army de- serve and should receive fair treatment and generous recognition Whenever practicable they should be given the pref erence in the matter of employment, and they are entitled to the enactment of such laws as are best calculated to secure the fulfllment of the pledges made to them in the dark days of the country's peril We denounce the practice of the pension bureau, so recklessly and un- justly carried on by the present adminis- tration, of reducing pension and arbitra- rily dropping names from the rolls as de- serving the severest condemnation of the American people.
 Foreign Policy.
 Our foreign policy should be at all times firm, vigorous and dignified, and all our interests in the western hemi- sphere carefully watched and guarded. The Hawaiian islands should be con trolled by the United States and no for eign power should be permitted to inter- fere with them; the Nicaraguan canal should be built, owned and operated by the United States; and by the purchase of the Danish islands we should secure @ proper and much needed naval station in the West Indies.
 The massacres in Armenia have aroused the deep sympathy and just in- dignation of the American people, and lalt t1,of TTraif fn6 a exercise all the influence it can properly exert to bring these atrocities to an end Tn Turkey, American residents have been exposed to the gravest dan gers, and American property has been destroyed. There and everywhere our citizens and American property must be absolutely protected at all hazards and at any cost.
 Monroe Doctrine Reasserted.
 We reassert the Monroe doctrine to it's full extent and we reaffirm the right of the United States to give the doctrine effect by responding to the appeals of any American state for friendly inter- ventlon in the case of European en- croachment. We have not interfered and shall not interfere with the existing possession of the European powers in, this hemisphere, but those possessions must not on any pretext be extended. We hopefully look forward to the
  CTS from this hemisphere. and to the ultimate union of all English-speaking parts of the continent by the free con sent of it's inhabitants.
 'sMoral" Aid for Cuba.
 From the hour of achieving their own independence the people of the United States have regarded with sympathy the struggles of other American peoples to free themselves from European domina- ton. 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 determined contest for liberty
 The government of Spain, having lost control of Cuba and being unable to pro- tect the property or lives of resident American citizens or to comply with its treaty obligations we believe that the government of the United States should actively use it's influence and good offices to restore peace and give independence to the island.
 Bigger Navy and More Coast Defenses. The peace and security of the republic and the maintenance of it's rightful in fluence among the nations of the earth demand a naval power commensurate with it's position and responsibility. We therefore favor the continued enlarge ment of the navy and a complete system of harbor and sea coast defenses.
 Restricted Immigration.
 For the protection of the quality of our American citizenship and of the wages of our workingmen against, the fatal com petition of low priced labor we demand that the immigration laws be thoroughly. enforced and so extended as to exclude from entrance to the United States those who can neither read nor write.
 Civil Service and the Ballot.
 The civil service law was placed on the statute book by the republican party, which has always sustained 1t, and we renew our repeated declarations that it shall be thoroughly and honestly en- forced and extended wherever practical ble. We demand that every citizen of the United States shall be allowed to cast one free and unrestricted ballot and that each ballot shall be counted and returned as cast.
 Lynching Denounced.
 We proclaim our unqualified condenl- nation of the uncivilized and barbarous practice, well known as lynching, or kill ing, of human beings suspected or charg- ed with crime without process of law.
 Arbitration.
 We favor the creation of national board of arbitration to settle and adjust differences which may arise between em- ployers and employees engaged in inter-
 
 Homestead Policy.
 We believe in the immediate return to the homestead policy of the republican party, and we urge the passage by con- gross of the satisfactory free homestead measure which has already passed the house and is now pending In the senate.
 The Territories.
 We favor the admission of the remain ing territories at the earliest practicable date, having due regard to the interests of the people of the territories and of the United States All the federal officers appointed for the territories should be elected from bona ffde residents thereof. and the right of self government should be accorded as far as practicable
 We believe the citizens of Alaska should have representation in the congress of the United States to the end that needfui legislation maybe intelligently enacted
 Tickling the Prohibitionists.
 We sympathize with all wise and legiti- mate efforts to lessen and prevent the evils of intemperance and promote mo- rality.
 A Sop to Woman, Lovely Woman.
 The republican party is mindful of the rights and interests of women. Protec- tion of American industries includes equal opportunities equal pay for euual