Evening star., 1897-07-28
PLEDGES REDEEMED
Chairman Babcock on the Work of
the Republican Party.
Cites PLATFORM AND PERFORMANCE
Promises More When Congress
Meets in December.
7 III E FALL ELECTION

'It will be observed that the republican
party has lost no time in redeeming some
Of its pledges made in the last campaign
said Chairman Babcock Of the republican
congressional committee to a Star reporter
today. 1.-The promises to the people were
made in good faith, not for political effect
and the President and the republican ma
jority in Congress have proceeded to their
effectual way.
"It will be recalled that the republicans
in their national convention at St. Louis, a
little more than year ago, said:
1--WE renew and emphasize our allegiance
to the policy of protection as the bulwark
of American industrial independence and
the foundation of American development
and prosperity. This true American policy
taxes foreign products and encourages
home industry; it puts the burden of reve-
nue. on foreign goods: it secures the Ameri-
can 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 dependent on
foreign demand and price; it diffuses gen
eral thrift and founds the strength of all
on the strength of each In it's reasonable
application it is just. fair and impartial,
equally opposed to foreign control and do
mestic monopoly. to sectional discrimna-
|
Benefit From the Tariff.
'I hold that the policy outlined In that
utterance has been enacted into law in the
tariff bill just passed In my opinion the
new law Will prove in the next few years
to be the most beneficial tariff legislation
ever enacted. 1t will come nearer COM
bining the protection of American indus
tries and American farmers with the rails
ing of revenue for the government than any
other bill While 1t is difficult to figure
with pencil and paper the effect of the law
upon the revenues, 1t is my opinion that
with the natural growth of business, the
upbuildrg OF industries and the increase
of the purchasing capacity of the people
the new law will not only produce enough
to furnish ample revenues of the govern
ment, but will leave surplus.
"Nine-tenths of the voters of the country,
1 believe, irrespective of party, will COM
mend the new tariff. The democratic votes
in Congress the bill do not represent
the sentiment of the democrats throughout
the country on the tariff question. There
has been a Steady increase of protection
sentiment throughout the west and south.
I'VE are even now beginning to see the
results of republican supremacy in govern
mental affairs. Higher prices for agrcul-
tural products are being quoted all through
the west. Advices that l receive from
business men indicate RAPIDLY increasing
volume of business. In the case of my
own firm in Wisconsin, engaged in the lum-
Der business, our transactions for last
month were larger than they have been
during any month since 1s.1 The future
is bright for the republican party, which
will reap the reward for having brought
about the legislative conditions that make
these material conditions possible.
1T must be remembered. however, that
thele was another principal object to be
attained by the republican party as well
as the revision Of the tariff The party
pledged itself to the maintenance of sound
money for the use of the people of the
United States. The platform said in this
respect.
For Sound Money.
The republican party Is unreservedly
for sound money. 1t caused the enact
meut of the law providing for the resump-
ton of specie payments in 1s79 since then
every dollar has been as good as gold. We
are unalterably opposed to every measure
calculated to debase our currency or impair
the credit of our country. we are there
fore opposed TO the free coinage of silver
except by international agreement with
the leading commercial nations of the
world, which we pledge ourselves to pro-
mote. and until such agreement can be OBJ
taineJ the existing gold standard must be
preserved. All our silver and paper cur
rency must be maintained at parity with
gold, and we favor all measures designed
to maintain inviolably the obligations OF
the United States and all our money,
whether coin or paper, at the present
standard, the standard Of the most en-
lightened nations of the EARTH
1.-The President has moved with prompt
ness in the direction OF fulfilling this
pledge. He has already sent commission
abroad to negotiate with the principal pow
ers of the world for an international agree
ment for the enlarged coinage of silver,
the only system under which this govern
ment could open its mints to free silver
coinage with safety and honor.
More than that. he has called for the
authority to appoint a commission to re-
wise the currency banking system of the
country, and the republicans in the House
have responded promptly. If 1t were not
for the democratic drag upon the wheels Of
pl ogress in the Senate, that commission
would even now be assembling and prepar-
ing for it's work.
Promises Carried Out.
1.-The administration has carried out, as
far as possible at this time, it's promises
made to the people in response for de-
mand for the annexation of Hawaii. A ma
jority of the people of the United States
want to see those islands under the pro-
lection of the United States, and the action
which the President has taken in sending
in the annexation treaty is good guarantee
that the protection will be given in due
time"
when Congress convenes in December
the remainder of the republican program
will be put into effect. The party means
business; it is not indulging In political
clap-trap nor the glittering generalities of
democracy.
II think the first evidence of the appre-
citation of the people of the United States
| of the efforts of the republicans will be
given in the fall elections in Ohio. 1 look
| for the election of a republican legislature
and the return of Mr.. Hanna to the Sem
ate"