The Van Buren press., 1900-06-23
for what we dc not ourselves produce In


return for free foreign markets.
| In the further interests of American
Workmen, we favor more effective re-
striction Of the immigration of cheap la
Dor from foreign lands, the extension OF
| opportunities Of education for working
| children, the raising OF the age limit for
| enid labor, the protection of free labor
as against contract convict labor and an
effective system Of labor insurance.
our present dependence upon foreign
shipping for nine-tenhs of our foreign
carrying is a great loss to the industry Of
| TINS country. IT Is also serious danger
| to our trade, for its sudden withdrawal
in the event of European war would seri-
ously cripple our expanding foreign comr
merce. The national defense and naval
efficiency of this country moreover, sup
| ply compelling reason for legislation
which will enable us TO recover our former
place among the trade. carrying fleets Of
| the world
The nation owes debt of profound
gratitude TO the soldiers and sailors who
have fought its battles, and 1t is the gov
! ernments duty to provide for the sur"
vivors and for the widows and orphans OF
those who have fallen In the country's
| wars. The pension laws, founded In this
Just sentiment, should be liberal and
should be literally administered, and pref
erence should be given, wherever praC-
ticable, with respect TO employment In the
! public service, to soldiers and sailors and
to their widows and orphans.
.. We commend the policy Of the repub-
! lican party in maintaining the efficiency
of the civil service
The administration has acted wisely in
| It's EFFORT to secure for public service In
| Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii and the Phil
| ippine islands only those whose fitness
has been determined by training and ex-
perience. We believe that employment in
the public service In these territories
should be confined as far as practicable
to their inhabitants
nj al, 90 ha
teenth amendment to the constitution to
prevent discrimination on account of race
or color In regulating the elective fran
! chise. Devices Of state governments
whether by statutory or constitutional
enactment to avoid the purpose of this
amendment are revolutionary and should
be condemned
Public movements looking to a perma-
ncnt Improvement Of the roads and high
ways Of the country meet with our cor
dial approvaLand we recommend this sub"
| ject to the earnest consideration of the
people and Of the legislatures Of the sew
eral states.
We favor the extension of the rural
free delivery service wherever its extern
sion may be justified
In further pursuance of the constant
policy Of the republican party to provide
free homes on the public domain, we rec
| Ommend adequate national legislation to
reclaim the arid lands of the United
States, reserVing control Of the distribu-
tion of water for irrigation to the re-
| spective states and territories,
We favor home rule for and the early
admission to statehood of the territories
OF New Mexico Arizona and Oklahoma.
The Dingley act, amended to provide
sufficient revenue for the conduct of the
war has 80 well performed It's work that
1t has been possible to reduce the war
debt in the sum of $i0,00O0O0, SO ample
are these government revenues, and so
great Is the public confidence in the in
tegrlty of its allegations that It's newly
funded two per cent. bonds sell at a
| premium. The country Is now justified in
expecting, and II will be the poIicy of the
republican party, to bring about a reduce
ton of the war taxes.
We favor the construction, ownership,
control and protection OF an lsthmian
canal by the government of the United
States,
New markets are necessary for the in
creasing surplus Of our farm products.
Every effort should be made to open and
obtain new markets, especially In the
orient, and the administration IL warmly
to be commended for its successful ef-
fort to commit all trading and Colonzing
nations to the policy of the open door In
China, In the interest OF our expanding
commerce, we recommend that congress
create u department of commerce and In
dustrics, In the charge Of u secretary,
with "a seat In the cabinet. The United
states consular system should be reOr-
ganized under the supervision of this
| new department, upon such basis of ap-
pontmont and tenure as will render 1t
still more serviceabe to the nations In
creasing trace,
The American government must pro.
tcct the person and property Of every cti.
zen wherever they are wrongfully violated
or placed In peril.
We congratulate the women Of AmericG
upon their splendid record of public sorv.
ice In the volunteer aid association, and
as nurses In camp and hospital during the
| recent campaigns Of our armies In the
| eastern and western Indies, and we ap'
precilte their faithful co-opcrat ton In all
works of education and industry,
President Mckinley has conducted tho
foreign AFFAIRS of the United states with
distinguished credit to the American peo.
pie, In releasing us from the voXatlous
condition of II European alliance for the
government of Samoa, his course II os-
peCially to be commended by securing to
our undivided control the most important
island of the Samoan group, and the best
harbor In the southern Pacific, every
American interest has been safeguardod.
We approve the annexation of the Ha,
waiian islands to the United States
We commend the part taken by our gQp'
ernment IN the peace conference at 7fhs
Hague, We assert our steadfNst adhor
ence to the policy announced IN the Mon
roe doctrine Tho provisions Of Tho
| Hague convention were wisely regarded
friendly Offices, IN the interest OF peace
between Great Britain and the South Afri
can Republic, While the American gov.
ernmcnt must continue the policy pre-.
scrbed by Washington, affirmed by every
succeeding president, and imposed upon
us the The Hague treaty, of non.interyen.
ton In European controversies, tho Amer.
lean people earnestly hope that n way
may soon be found, hOnoiably alike 10
both contendlng parties TO terminate tn,
strife between them,
In accepting, by the treaty OF Paris, the
! lust responsibility Of our vip orios In the
Spanish war; the president and the SEN
ate won the undOuDtod approval of tho
American people, Ne other course wns
possible than to destroy Spain's sovereign.
ty throughout the western indies and In
the Philippine Islands, That COURSE
created our responsibility before this
world, and with the unorganlzod popula.
ton whom our intervention had freed
from Spain, 10 provide for the main.
tonanco of law and order and for the os.
tablishmont of good government ami foi
the performance of International oblgu'
toms, our authority could not be less
than our responsibility, and wherever
sovereign rights were extended !, hecama
the high duty of the government to main.
tain Its authority to put down armed In.
surrenction and to confer the blessings OF
liberty and civilization upon all the res.
ouod peoples, The largest measure OF
lf-governmont consistent with their wei.
fare and our duties shall be secured 10
them by law TO cuba independence and
self li-govcrnmont were assured In the Hama
voice by which war was declared. and
10 the letter this pledge shall be per-
formed,
The republican party upon its history
and upon this declaration Of It's princi.
pies and policies confidently invokos tho
conslderato ana approving judgment OF