The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-07-08
The National Platform.

tuO lNottotat
The republican party being one of
deeds instead of mere promises, it is GER
tainly proper that the platform should
give summary of its achievements in
constitutional craftsmanship since it en-
tered'upon full control of International,
legislative and executive departments
iniS97. Necessarily this is somewhat
lengthy for thu government, under re-
publican management, has been busy
doing things that needed, doing since
that time. Practically half the entire
document is taken up with this recital.
Following this record of achievement,
OF party pledges to the people, the
source efpower, which have been full
filled, is the pledge of the continuance
of the policies which have doneso much
for the country, and specific enumer-
alton of the particular tenets' upon
which the republican party appeals to
the voters to continue its lease of power
There is not in this single equivocal
statement. There is nothing in the ma
ture of estraddle." Naturally the first
place is given to the tariff. This plank
opens with the frank declaration that
protection is the cardinal policy of the
republican party. The degree of this is
set down as not less than the difference
between the cost of production at home
and abroad. Every wage-earner knows
that the American wages scale is higher
than the European one; and hence the
republican policy is buiwark to better
wages than his European competitor oh
tains
The principle of protection is cardin-
al; the rates of duty should be changed
when the conditions of production rem
der 1T advisable. "There is no sacredness
in the schedules the essential is to pre-
serve the protective principle. Hence
the resolution declares for the readjust-
ment,of rates of duty only when the
changing conditions requires this to be
done in the public interest The truth
of the additional statement is patent to
every citizen, that such alteration must
be committed to the friends of protection
the republican party. To commit it
to the democrats is to invite disaster, as
was the case in 1893.
On the question of reciprocity, there
is no doubt the platform agrees with
the opinion of an overwhelming major
ity of the republicans of the nation 1t
declares for the adoption of all practic-
able methods for the extension Of a
rapidly growing foreign markets. and
for reciprocal trade whenever it can be
affected without injury to our farmers,
workingmen and manufacturers. Prac.
tically, this means reciprocity in non
competing products.
Second to protection comes the ques-
tion of finance, and on this the utter
ance is as emphatic as it well can be
made in declaring the duty of uphold
ing the gold standard. and the mainte-
nance of the parity Of every issue, gold,
silver and paper'> The two preceding
national campaigns would seem to have
settled this as an accepted government
al policy. However, it is yet to be de-
termined whether the democratic party
will a third time come before the people
advocating any form of debasement of
the currency, and to the topic is due the
second place given it in the republican
platform.
Combinations of labor and of capital
are recognized as the outcome of the
economic, movement of the age, and
both, when formed for lawful purposes,
are entitled to legal protection; but the
platform declares that neither must in
fringe on the rights and interests of the
people, and pledges the party to prevent
such infringement
The restoration of our merchant mar
inc is favored, and the new commission
to investigate ways and means is APP
proved. The building up VI the navy is
endorsed, to maintain the Monroe doc
trine, to protect our own commerce,
and promote the safety and welfare of
the people. Chinese labor exclusion is
applauded; adhesion to the civil service
law is reaffirmed; liberal pension pol
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