The National tribune., 1896-06-25

1uU .N<1x1Olk1n 4AGAOO
Of our merchant marine and the protection of
our shipping In the foreign carrying trade. so
that American ships-the product Of American
labor employed in American shipyards, sailing
under the Stars and Stripes and manned, off,
cered, and owned by Americans-msy regain
the carrying CT our foreign commerce.
MONEY.
The Republican party is unreservedly for
sound money. 1t caused the enactment of the
law providing for the resumption OF specie pay
merts in 1879; since then every dollar has been
as good as gold.
We are unalterably opposed to every meas.
ure calculated to debase our currency or i'm
pair the credit of our country. We are, there
| fore, opposed to the free coinage OF silver ex-
| cept 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 existing gold
| standard must be preserved. All our silver
and paper currency must be maintained at par
| ity with gold, and we favor all measures dc.
signed to maintain inviolate the obligations OF
the United States and all our money, whether
coin or paper, at the present standard-the
standard of the most enlightened nations OF
the earth.
The veterans of the Union army deserve and
should receive fair treatment and generous rec
given the preference in the matter of employ
ment and they are entitled TO the enactment
| of such laws as are best calculated to secure
the fulfillment of the pledges made to them in
the dark days of the couDtry's peril. We de-
nounce the practice in the Pension Bureau. so
recklessly and unjustly carried on by tho pres
ent Administration, of reducing pensions and
arbitrarily dropping names from the rolls as
deserving the severest condemnation of the
American people.
Our foreign policy should at all times be
! firm, vigorous and dignifed, and all our inter-
terests in the Western Hemisphere carefully
| watched and guarded. The Hawaiian Islands
should be controlled by the United States and
no foreign power should be permitted TO inter
| fere with them; the Nicaraguau canal should
| be built, owned and operated by the United
States and by the purchase OF the Danish Is
lands we should secure a proper and much
| needed naval station in the West Indies
The massacres in Armenia have aroused the
deep sympathy and just Indignation of the
American people, and we believe that the
| United States should exercise all the influence
! il can properly exert to bring these atrocities
to an end. In Turkey, American residents
have been exposed to the grayest 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 full
extent, and we reafiirm the right OF the United
] States to give tho doctrine effect by respond
! ing to the appeals of any American State for
| friendly intervention in case of European en-
croachment We have not interfered, and
shall not interfere, with the existing posses
sons of any Euporean power in this hemis-
phere, but those possessions must not OH any
pretext be extended. We hopefully look for
ward to the eventual withdrawal of the Euro
pean powers from this hemisphere and to the
ultimate union of all speaking parts
of the continent by the free consent of its in
| habitants
CUBA.
From the hour of achieving their own in
dependence the people of the United States
have regarded with sympathy the struggles of
other American peoples to free themselves
from European domination. We watch with
deep and abiding interest the heroic battle of
| the Cuban patriots against cruelty and op-
preston, and our best hopes go out for the full
success of their determined contest for liberty.
The Government of Spain having lost con-
troll OF Cuba and being unable to protect the
property or lives of resident American citi-
zens, or 10 comply with its treaty obligations,
| we believe that the Government of the United
States should actively use its influence aud
good Offices to restore peace and give indepen.
dence to the island.
/ Inc peace ana security OF hepOOiic anu
the maintenance of its rlghtful influence
| among the nations of the earth demand
naval power commensurate with its position
| and responsibility. We, therefore, favor the
continued enlargement of the Navy and COM
plete system of harbor and seacosst defenses.
For the protection Of the quality Of our
| American citizenship and of the wages of our
workngmen against the fstal competition Of
| low priced labor, we demand that the immi-
grafton laws be thoroughly enforced, and so
| extended to exclude from entrance to the
! United States those who can neither read nor
| write.
The Civil Service law was placed OH the
statute book by the Republican party, which
has always sustained it, and we renew our re-
peated declarations that il shall be thoroughly
aud honestly enforced and extened wherever
practicable
| We demand that every citizen of the United
! States shall be allowed TO cast one free and I'M
restricted ballot and that such ballot shall be
counted and returned as cast.
We proclaim our unqualified condemnation
| OF the uncivilZed and barbarous practice well
known as lynching or killing Of human beings
suspected or charged with crime, without pro.
cess of law.
We favor the creation of a National Board of
Arbitration to settle and adjust differences
which may arise between employers aud en-
ployes engaged in Interstate commerce.
We believe in an immediate return to the
free homestead policy OF the Republican party
and urge the passage by Congress of the salts
| factory free homestead measure which has
| already passed the House and is now pending
| in the Senate.
| We favor the admission of the remaining
| Territories at the earliest practicable date hav-
| ing 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-fde 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 need full legisa-
! ton may be intellgently enacted.
We sympatize with all wise and legitimate
efforts to lessen and prevent the evils of intern
perance and promote morality.
The Republican party is mindful of the rights
and interests OF women. Protection Of Ameri-
can industries includes equal opportunities,
equal pay for equal work and protection to the
home. We favor the admission OF women to
wider spheres of usefulness and welcome their
| cooperation in rescuing the country from Dem
ecratic and Populist mismanagement and mis-
| rule.
Such are the principles and policies Of the
Republican party. By these principles we will
abide and these policies we will put into exc
cution. We ask for them the considerable judg-
ment Of the American people. Confident alike
in the history of our great party and in the