The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-21
The Republican Platform.

The Republican Platform.
The Republican platform of 1900, PIE
scented to the country yesterday by th'
party convention assembled in Philadel
phia, might have been written by anybod!
who had followed the course of the Nc
Kinley Administration from March 4. 1897
down to the present time and had desired
to make the best of bad record. The
platform of 1896, upon which Mr.. Nc
Kinley was nominated, and under the
insincere promises and pledges Of which
Hanna and the trusts elected him, was
prcmissory. 1t promised anything tina;
might serve to win votes Ii pledged the
party and the candidate to work for inter-
national bimetallism, knowing full well
that Mckinley could not be elected with
out the aid of the bimetallist element in
the Republican party. The President, the
manager of the organization, and all its
minor leaders have confessed. as the
Philadelphia platform does, that this was
only subterfuge to cover the real intent
and purpose of the Hanna and Mckinley
trust combination.
lue lo5O
loyalty to the civil service reform system,
End its extension whenever practicable"
That pledge, as all men know, has been
1agrantly violated by President Mckinley
IN his practical destruction of the merit
system and his order throwing open TO
political favoritism more than five thou
sand positions which, through several IRE
ceding Administrations had been FRO
tected by the law and executive regula-
tons made in accordance with it. The
consistent policy of and the legislation
during this Administration have been in
the interests OF the trusts, the protected
monopolies, and the financial eyndicates
allied with the party and the National
Executive. The Pacific Railway settle
ments were made to help one set OF
trusts as against the Treasury. The pub
lie money has been used to furnish one
Of the greatest trust combinations with
capital TO use in Wall Street without
interest. Porto Rico has been oppress-
ed and the Constitution openly vio-
lated that trusts and exploiting adven-
turers might enrich themselves at the
corrupt bargain has been made with
Great Britain, providing for the defeat of
an American inter-oceanic canal, for the
resuscitation of the thieving Panama Canal
project, for the abandonment of the Mon
roe Doctrine, and for the surrender to
England of a port and hinterland in
Alaska These are items from the history
OF the Mckinley Administration. The
platform upon which the country is asked
to perpetuate such regime is what
might have been expected in the circum-
etances.
Observation-Disclosures prosperity"-is
the keynote of tie appeal. In 1888 the
Democratic minority in Congress, backed
by the patriotic sentiment of the Ameri-
can people, forced Mr.. Mckinley, unwil-
lingly. into war with Spain. That move
ment unlocked capital, forced enterprise
into action, and an adventitious shortage
of world crops once more gave the Amer
lean farmer chance for his life. The
conditions for prosperity were right at
hand. But for the criminal panic OF 1898.
manufactured to order by Grover Cleve-
lies and the grasping consolidated money
power, they would have been in evidence
and operation all the time from 1889 to
the present hour.
The platform takes JUNCTION to the Re-
publican party for that the excess Of ex-
ports over imports during the Mckinley
Administration has been greater than ever
before in our history. If there were any
point in II 1t is fair to presume that the
platform maker would have claimed the
late solar eclipse. The advent of McKin-
ley happened to synchronise, as We have |
said with period of short crops abroad, |
and with the turning point in the econom-
zeal production Of European coal, iron. and |
steel. We will not withhold from the pol
icy OF the Republican party some measure
Of contributory credit for the general up
ward movement. The Dingley tariff, in
compelling home consumers TO pay ex-
cessively for American manufactured prod
ucts, has enabled the protected monopolies
to sell widely In foreign markets, in COM
petition with foreign producers, but only
at the expense of American consumers
we must pass over some points IN this
platform as hardly JustifyinS discus
zion OF course 1t points with pride to
the Spanish War but is silent about the
embalmed beef horrors, Algerism, Eagan-
sn, and Sampsonism, and the whitewash
brush. II "renews our allegiance to the
gold standard. which the party in 1896 dis
avowed and with which, honestly advo-
,ated, il would have gone to defeat. The
section devoted to trusts Will bear repro
iuction:
eve recognize the necessity and propriety Of
he honest cooperation OF capital to meet new
,usfness conditions, and especially 10 extend our
apidly increasing foreign trade, but We condemn
III conspiracies and combinations intended 10 re-
,trict business, 20 create monopolies, TO limit
TO control prices and favor such
egiflation will effectively restrain and prevent
II such abuses protect and promote competition,
md secure the rights o! producers, isbortrs, and
u who are engaged in industry and commerce."
II will be noted that not a word is said
concerning the ridiculous proposed six
zenith amendment to the Constitution
which was introduced By the trust con-
ingent In Congress, which provided for
aking the power to regulate trusts out
4 the hands Of the States, and which was
aughed into oblivion In the House Of Rep |
Neither is any mention made