The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-21

Inc achievements and the principles OF
the Republican party, as stated in the
platform adopted by the national conven-
ton, are put forth in the simplest and
most dispassionate language. The story of
recent achievements is as plain a state
ment of the wonderful change which has
taken place during the past four years as
can be made. This means that those who
made the platform believe that the work
of the party has been so wisely done and
its achievements so remarkable that 1t is
not necessary to call upon the phrase-mak-
or and the graphic writer in telling the
story. The wonderful prosperity of the
country is made the prominent feature of
the platform. What the Republican party
pledged itself to perform at St. Louis in
1896 has been realized TO a greater extent
than the country or the party thought pos
sible at that time. The candidate of the Re-
publican party was 1.-The advance agent of
prosperity" II the return of the Republican
party to power simply gave the enterprise
and the business of the country the conf
dence to set in motion the wheels of indus
try and to lay the foundations of enduring
prosperity. that fsct is enough to com
mend it's candidates to the support of the
country in 1900.
Coming to details, the convention has put
it should. since to adhesion to the gold
standard should be attributed a large part
of the general prosperity of the country.
Republican legislation has removed long
time menace to the public credit, which
upholds all private credit. The declaration
in regard to trusts is brief but clear. The
cooperation of capital. when not intended
to create monopoly. is commended. but
when combinations are made to limit pro-
duction and control prices. Republicans
are pledged to effective legislative meas
ures. The doctrine of protection having
been approved in nearly every platform
since the party was organized. is re-
affirmed as a wise policy. because sus-
tanned by facts. The platform favors more
effective restriction of the immigration of
cheap foreign labor-an evil which is the
greatest menace to the common labor of
the country at the present TIME.
The portion of the platform which will
be most eagerly scrutinized is that relating
to what is generally known as the policy
of expansion. We went TO war TO rid Cuba
of Spanish domination-to destroy the SOW
ereignty of Spain in Cuba. If that SOW
ereignty was evil in Cuba, it could not be
less so in the Philippines. Having secured
by treaty the sovereignty of the Philip
pines. the United States must put down
the insurrection of Agulnaldo. AS to the
future of the Philippines. the platform de-
clares that 'the largest measure of self
government consistent with their welfare
and our duties shall be secured by law"
The fact that the Republican policy toward
Cuba is recited in the next sentence war
rants the inference that the people of the
Philippines will be treated with the same
consideration.
The criticism which will be made upon
the platform as a whole is that it con-
tains no ringing sentences" The an
swer to such criticism is that the Repub-
lican party has so good a cause that a
plain. unadorned statement is better than
sounding phrases.