The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-05-17
THE CHICAGO PLATFORM READY,

THE CHICAGO PLATFORM READY.
The draft Of the Republican plat
form of 1904 which will be submitted
to the Committee on Resolutions OF
the National Convention by Senator
Lodge, the prospective chairman, as
the basis of it's deliberations, is COM
pleted. 1t is notably terse platform,
nowhere open to equivocal interpreted
tion. sharply contrasting with any
thing a disorganized, fusion-compro-
mise opposition can present for popular
approval.
After the usual expression OF con-
fidence in the eternal principles of the
Republican party, the platform will
specifically commend Theodore Roose-
yelt. the man, for his faithful adher-
ence to the policies Of Mckinley, for
his fearless discharge of the duties of
his high Office with the single purpose
of promoting the public welfare, for
the important part he played in the
crisis of the anthracite coal strike, and
for representing the highest ideals OF
American manhood.
The platform will then review the
foreign relations Of the United States
under President Rooseyelt's admins
tration, asserting that no function of
his Office renders an untried and I'M
safe President more liable to involve
the nation in grave and inextricable
complications than the administration
Of its foreign affairs.
Among the achievements Of Theo-
dore Rooseyelts administration will
be enumerated the accomplishment of
Cuban reciprocity and the ratification
OF the treaty with Cuba which incor
porates the Platt amendment.
The wise and conservative course OF
the administration in the Venezuelan
affair the settlement of the Alaskan
boundary dispute, another triumph
for American diplomacy and for arbi-
tration; the skilful and farseeing
diplomacy which effected the negotia-
tion and ratification of the treaty with
China, whereby the United States, in
the face of subtle but powerful opposi-
tion, acquired treaty rights in Man
churia which the victor in the present
war, be it Russia or Japan, will be
bound to respect, and which guaran-
tees to American commerce a wider
opportunity in China than has ever be-
fore been accorded to any nation; the
administration and Congress will be
warmly commended for the acquisition
of the Panama Canal, the completion
OF which must accrue SO largely to the
advantage of the United States and
to the world at large.
The President will be praised for his
successful enforcement Of the Sher-
man Antitrust law, which was en-
acted by a Republican Congress and
first applied by a Republican Presi-
dent.
Grateful comment on the extraor-
binary prosperity of the nation will be
followed by a brief contrast of existing
conditions with those of 1893 and by
the assertion that the monetary sys-
tenn of the nation is now on such a
stable and satisfactory basis that men
look back with wonder and amazement
when they recall the wild vagaries and
still wilder Democratic theories of
1896.
The section which deals with pro-
lection win read substantially as fol-
lows
Protection, which guards and de-
velops our Industries, is cardinal
principle OF the Republican party. We
insist upon the maintenance Of this
principle, butwe recognize that parti-
cular tariff schedules are neither
sacred nor immutable Rates of duty
may be altered when changed condi-
lions demand their alteration, but no
revision should be undertaken unless
it is clear that the benefit will more
than compensate for the disturbance
Of business which inevitably attends a
revision Of the tariff schedules. Nor
can such revision be intrusted with
safety to any other than the party Of
protection. To intrust it to the DEM
ocratic party is again to invite the
democratic disaster and panic of 1898,
Other planks deal with the nations
debt to those who imperilled their
lives for the preservation Of the Re
public. which will be declared to have
been faithfully paid with the respon-
sibilities incurred by the Treaty Of
Paris, which win be declared to have
been sacredly kept, as witness the
prosperity OF Porto Rico and the Phil
ippine Islands; with the sacredness of
the ballot, the equality Of all citizens,
etc.
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