The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-06-27
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor.
A Missing Plank.

1--WE reassert the principle which was the
watchword of the Republican party In its
first great battle, of which Abraham Lin
coin was the illustrious champion, anG on
which he was elected President, that Con-
gress has full legislative power over terri
tory belonging to the United States, subject
only to the fundamental safeguards OF lib
erty, justice and personal rights"
Senator Foraker of Ohio, men,
Der of the committee on resolutions at
the Republican national convention,
asserts that the foregoing declaration
had been agreed upon by President
Mckinley, and that it formed part OF
the platform when that document went
into the hands of the members OF the
committee entrusted with the final re-
vision. General Grosvenor says, fur
Their, that this plank was understood by
the committee on resolutions to be a
part of the platform, and emphatically
asserts that it was "unfairly and sur
reptitiously," and "without the knowl-
edge of the committee" kept out of the
platform.
1t is said that there is no other evi =
dence than General Grosvenor's state
ment that this plank was kept out of
the platform by trickery or underhand-
ed means, but number of the COM
mittee on resolutions is reported as ex-
planning that it was deemed wiser to
keep out of the platform any reference
to the Republican doctrine that Con-
gress has full legislative power over
territory belonging to the Uniled
States inasmuch as "this question was
now before the United States Supreme
Court" and sit was neither advisable
nor necessary to run the risk of getting
our platform into q controversy with
the Supreme Court"
Ii it had been understood by the
committee on resolutions that the plank
respecting the territories and the Con-
stitution had been agreed upon, and
was part of the platform, the query
arises, Why did not General Grosvenor
or Senator Foraker-upon whose au
thority the former made his Statement
regarding the suppression Of the planl
--or some one else, move to amend thu
platform when it was read in open con
vention by the addition of the missing
plank? Senators Wolcott and Lodge
in their speeches as presiding officers
OF the convention, emphatically en-
dorsed this doctrine that the Constitu
ton does not of itself 60 into new ter
ritories acquired by the United States
Congress in both branches has affirm
ed the doctrine. 1t has been operative
since the formation of the government
1t was denied by Calhoun in the inter
est of the extension of slavery, it wa
reaffirmed by Lincoln in opposition t.
the extension of "the peculiar institu
tion," it finally triumphed in battle, il
Congress, and in the Supreme Court
and why subdivision of a committee
on resolutions in Republican nation
al convention should "deem it advis
able" to eliminate from the platform
plank restating the doctrine, in thi
year of grace 1900, passes understand
ing.
The doctrine declared by the suppress
ed plank is part Of the Republican
creed, whether or not it is in the pla,
form. Republicans must sustain it an
defend it. The Democrats will den
it and will put their denial into thei
platform. The omission of Republican
to declare an article of their faith tina
is as old as their party, as old as th
government itself, may not unfairly b
taken as an indication of lack Of COL
fidence in the the soundness of a priI
ciple respecting which they have ha
no question in the past, and have non
today. A weak-kneed, hating, utterl
inane and infnitessimal atom Of tn
party has put the organization in falls
position by its excessive caution abor
"getting into controversy with the 81
preme Court" The committee of th
whole on the state of the party wi
override the atom and restore the mis-
ing plank to the fabric from which
was timorously wrenched.
WOrmwOOd and Gall.