Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-07-12


law, enacted by Republican congress
against the protest and opposition of the
Democratic minority as bold and open
violation of the nations organic law and
q fragrant breach of the national good
faith. 1t imposes upon the people OF Porto
Rico a government without their consent
and taxation without representation. II
dishonors the American people by repudi-
ating a solemn pledge made in their be-
hr by ywrh bhe tbe Poro Reans
to a peaceful and unresisted occupation OF
their land. 1t doomed to poverty and dis
tress a people whose helplessness appeals
with peculiar force to our Justice and
magnanimity. In this. the first act OF its
imperialistic programme the Repueiican
party seeks to commit the United states
to a colonial policy. inconsistent with Re-
publican institutions and condemned by
the supreme court in numerous decisions:
We demand the prompt and honest full
fillment of our pledges to the Cuban peo-
pie and the world that the United States
has no disposition nor intention to exer.
else sovereignty, jurisdiction or control
over the island of Cuba except for Its
pacification. The war ended nearly two
years ago. profound peace reignS over all
the island, and still the administration
keeps the government of the island from
its people while Republican carpet bag
officials punder its revenues and exploit
the colonial theory to the disgrace of the
American people.
We condemn and denounce the Philip
pine policy of the present administration.
1t has involved the republic in unneces.
sary war, sacrificed the lives of many OF
States, previously known and applauded
throughout the world as the champion of
freedom, in the false and un-American
position of crushing with military force
the efforts of our former allies to achieve
liberty and self government. The Filipi-
nos cannot be citizens without endanger-
Ing our civilization: they cannot be sub
jects without imperiling our form of gov
ernment, and as We are not willing to sur
render our civilization or to convert the
republic into an empire we favor an i'm
mediate declaration of the nations pur
pose to give to the Filipinos-frst sta
BILE form of government; second indepen-
dence and third, protection from outside
interference, such as has been given for
nearly century otioa to the republics of Cen
The greedy commercialism which die
tated the Philippine policy of the Repub-
it with the plea that it will pay, but even
this sordid and unworthy plea fails when
brought to the test of facts The war OF
criminal aggression against the Filipinos,
entailing an annual expense of many mil
lions, has already cost more than any pos
sible profit that could accrue from the en-
tire Philippine trade Tor years to come.
Furthermore, when trade is extended at
the expense of liberty the price is always
too high.
The Importance of other questions now
pending before the American people Is in
nowise diminished, and the Democratic
party takes no backward step from its po-
Stion on them, but the burning issue of
imperialism growing out of the Spanish
war involves the very existence of the re-
stitutions. We regard it as the paramount
issue of the campaign.
Private monopolies are indefensible and
intolerable. They destroy competition.
control the price of all material and of the
finished product, thus rOhbinG both pro-
ducer and consumer. They lessen the en-
ployment of labor and arbitrarily fix the
terms and conditions thereof and deprive
individual energy and small capital of
their opportunity for betterment ,.
devised for appropriating the fruits of in
dustry to the benefit of the few at the eX-
pense of the many. and unless their insa-
tiate greed is checked all wealth will be
aggregated III a few hands and the
public destroyed. The dishonest paltering
ty in state and national platforms is con-
elusive proof of the truth of the charge
that trusts are the legitimate product of
Republican policies, that they are fostered
by Republican laws and that they
protected by the Republican admnistra-
ton in return for campaign subscriptions
and political support.
We pledge the Democratic party to an
unceasing warfare in nation. state and
city against private monopoly in every
We condemn the Dlngley tariff law as
trust breeding measure, Skillfully devised
desire and to place upon the many bur
dens which they should not bear.
We reafIirm and indorse the principles
of the Democratic national platform
ate the demand of that platform for an
American financial system made by the
American people for themselves which
shall restore and maintain bimetalic
price level and as part of such system the
immediate restoration of the free and un-
limited coinage of silver and gold at the
present legal ratio of IL to !. without wait
ing for the consent OF any other nation.
We denounce the currency bill enacted
at the last session of congress as a step
forward in the Republican policy which
aims to diScredit the sovereign right of
the national government to issue all mon
ey, whether coin or paper, and to hcstow
upon national banks the power to issue
and control the volume OF paper money
for their own benefit. permanent ma
tionaI bank currency, secured by govern
ment bonds must have 4 permanent debt
to rest upon. and il the bank currency is
to increase with population aud business
the debt must also increase. The Repub-
lican currency scheme is therefore a
scheme for fastening upon the taxpayers
q perpetual and growing debt.
I'VE favor the continuance and strict en-
forcement of the Chinese exclusion law
and its application to the same classes of
all ASiatic races.
Jefferson said, Peace. commerce and
honest friendship with all nations; en-
I ma, ,sit 1,