Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-07-21
the PLATFORM.
Of the Republican Party of the 9th
Congressional District.

I
National Republican convention held a
st. Louis, on the 10th day of June, 1898.
We disapprove and condemn the rarti
san and outrageous manner in which th
civil service laws were executed by TIN
last administration, whereby efficient an(
worthy Republican officials were sum
marily dismissed from office, withou
cause, in order to make room for bittel
adherents of the Democratic party, who
were then covered with the civil service
blanket, and now claim to hold life
tenure in positions into which they were
thust without examination as to their fit
ness, and in gross violation Of the spirit
if not of the letter of the law.
We therefore favor the immediate
modification of tie civil service rules, SC
far as they can be modified by executive
order; and we insist on the radical amend
ment of the civil service laws at the
earliest practicable moment.
We endorse the administration of Presi-
dent Mckinley, which in the short space
of sixteen months has restored confidence,
brought prosperity to the country, EN-
HANGED the prices Of all agricultural
products, encouraged and protected Amer
lean industries, preserved and maintained
sound money, provided ample revenue to
meet the ordinary expense of government,
stopped the expectation of gold TO
Europe, and filed the treasury of the
United States with a surplus Of that coin;
upheld the honor and dignity of the re-
public at home and abroad and caused
our flag to be respected and feared
throughout the world,
We heartily endorse and approve the
wise and conservative,course of the admin
istration in its conduct Of negotiations with
Spain, and in its anxiety to avert from our
people the horrors of war, We point
with pride to the fact that while every
honorable expedient known to diplomacy
was being exhausted, the president was
quietly, but efficiently. organizing and
preparing the way for the glourious victo-
ries of Manila and Santiago,
Moved no LEES by a sense of duty than
by patriotism we pledge our cordial sup
port to the government in its conduct Of
the wal with Spain, and favor continual
ton of the vigorous and aggressive cam
paigns by sea and land now in progress
until our country is blessed with speedy
peace, honorable to the United States, and
promotive Of the cause of liberty and hu-
manity throughout the world.
We congratulate the people of the whole
country that sectionalism is dead; that
dead issues have been buried! that it has
remained for a Republican executive to
rise high above party politics; that Fed
eral soldier president by comforting high
rank in the army of the United States on
such true and tried Confederate soldiers as
Fitzhugh Lee, Wheeler, Rosser, Oates,
Butler and others, and by appointing hun
dreds of Southern men, irrespective Of
party, to positions in the army aud navy,
has shown his confidence in the loyalty
and patriotism Of american citizens Of all
sections, and of all parties, and has done
more to unite the blue and the gray, and
bring together the people Of our whole
country than all other causes combined
since 1865.
We thank our soldiers and sailors Tor
the heroism displayed i'll battle, as well as
for the fortitude and patience with which
they endure the 2rivations, hardships and
suferings of an inhospitable and unhealthy
climate. They deserve and will receive
the plapdits of the American people, and
the grateful remembrance of the govern
ment.
In rendering thanks to our soldiers we
do not forget the colored American SOL
diers and sailors who fought so bravely
and shed their blood so freely at Santiago,
BY their courage and patriotism they re-
Aeeted credit on their race and proved to
the people of the whole country that they
are worthy of that citizenship in this great
American republic which was conferred
on them by the Republican party.
We arraign the modern Democratic party
of this country, national and state, for
want of craftsmanship and Of political sa-
gacity in the past and for want of patriot
ism in the present.
1t has controlled the destinies of this
nation for only four years since 1860, and
in that brief period it inflicted untold evils
on the country. 1t plunged the nation
into bankruptcy and paralyzed every
branch of American industry. 1t reduced
the price of American products below the
cost of production, and the value of Amer
lean labor TO the level of the cheap foreign
countries and c!ogged tie wheels of euter-
prise. 1t gave the country tariff law
which proved dismal failure, and an in
come tax law which the highest tribunal
in the land held to be contrary to the Con-
stitution of the United States. 1t failed to
provide sufficient revenue to defray the
ordinary expenses of the government, and
in times of profound peace increased the
National debt three hundred millions oi
dollars, by the issue of that amount of four
per cent. government bonds. These
bonds it refused to sell in open market to the
best bidder, but placed them with a syndi'
cate of favored millionaires at the grossly
inadequate price of IO4 when they were
worth ia in open market, thereby putting
in the pockets of this syndicate of bankers
ten millions of dollars of the public money
which belonged to the people of the United
States.
1t persists in the advocacy of an unwise
- E,,ooo;ol ,,olicvy Of rnsOInC