The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-06-30

Feet on the Firm Rock of Prosper
Ity-Protection a Cardinal Doctrine
of RepubIicanism-SpIe Record
of the Administration of Theodore
Roosevelt.
The full-text platform adopted by
the National convention of the Repub-
Ncan party at Chicago on June 22nd is
as follows:
Fifty years ago the Republican party
came into existence dedicated among other
purposes to the great task Of arreSting the
extension Of human slavery. In 1SGO IL
elected its first president. During twenty
four Of the fOrty-four years which have
elapsed since the election of Lincoln the
Republican party has held complete control
OF the government. For eighteen more OF
the forty-four years ii has held partial con-
troll through the possession or one or TWO
branches Of the government, while the Dem
Ocratic party. during the same period, mas
had complete control for only two years
This long tenure Of power by the Repuoll
can party is not due 10 chance. II is
demonstration that the Republican party
has commanded the confidence of the Amer
lean people for nearly two generations 10 a
degree never eQualed in our history, and
has displayed a high capacity for rule and
government which has been made even more
fty Of purpose shown by its opponents.
The Republican party entered upon its
present periOd Of complete supremacy in
1877. We have every right TO congratulate
ourselves upon the work since 1hen ac-
cOmplshed. for IL has added luster even TO
the traditions of the party which carried
the government through the storms OF the
We then found the country after four
years of Democratic rule in evil plight.
oppressed with misfortune and doubtful OF
ha been low
cred. the revenues Were declining the debt
was growing. the administration > attitude
toward Spain was feeble and mOrtifyng,
the standard of values threatened and
uncertain. labor was unemployed, business
was sunk in the depression which had sue
ceeded the panic of 1893, hope was faint
and confidence was gone.
We met these unhappy conditions vigor-
ously. effectively and at once. We re-
fpS'ced a Democratic tarln based on Tree
,le principles and garnished with sec
hal protection by consistent protective
tariff. and industry, freed from oppression
and stimulated by the encouragement of
wise laws. has expanded to degree never
before known. has conquered new markets
and has created a volume Of exports which
has surpassed imagination.
Under the Dingley tarin labor has been
fully employed. Wages have risen and all
Industries have revived and prOspered. We
firmly established the gold standard which
was then menaced with destruction Con
fidence returned 10 business and with con-
fidence an unexampled prosperity.
improvident issues Of bonds, we gave the
country an income which produced large
surplus and which enabled rs. only four
years after the Spanish mad closed,
TO remove over one hundred millions of an
nual war taxes, reduce the public debt and
lower the interest charges OF the govern
ment
The public credit, which had been so low
cred that In time OF peace Democratic
administration made large loans at extrav-
agant rates of interest, in order TO pay cur
rent expenditures, rose under Republican
administration TO its highest point, and en-
abled US TO borrow at per cent. even in
We refused TO palter longer with the mis-
cries of Cuba. We fought a quick and
victorious war with with spain We set cuba
and then gave II 10 the Cuban people with
order restored, with ample revenues with
education and public health established
United States 10y wise provisions for Our
mutual interests.
insurrection established order and given 10
life and property security never known
there before We have organized civil gov.
ernment made il effective and strong in
administration, and have conferred upon
the people Of those islands the largest civil
liberty they have ever enjoyed By our
possession of the Philippines were en-
abed TO take prompt and effective action
in the relief of the legations at Pekln and
q decisive part in preventing the partition
ic I'd the preservation Of the integrity OF
L." lhe purchase of route for an isthmian
canal. so long the dream OF American
Ssct The great work of connectipg i.,S1se 1se
Pacific and Atlantic oceans by a canal Is al
last begun, and ii is due TO the Republican
bring the arid lands OF the United States
within the area OF cultivation.
We have reOrganized the army and put
IL in the highest state of efficiency.
Our administration Of the great depart
=. ents Of the government has been honest
: md efficient. and wherever wrongdoing has
been discovered the Republican administra
tion has not hesitated TO probe the evil and
bring offenders to justice without regard tc
party political ties.
Laws enacted by the Republican which
the Democratic party failed TO enforce and
which were intended for the protection oi
the public against the unjust dlscriminatior
or the illegal encroachment OF vast aggre
cations Of capital have been fearlessly en-
forced by a Republican president, and new
laws insuring reasonable publicity as &c
the operations Of great corporations, ant
providing additional remedies for the pre-
vention of discrimination In freight rate,
nave been passed by a Republican congress
In this record Of achievement during the
last eight years may be read the pledges
which the Republican party has fulfilled.
We propose to continue these policies and
we declare our constant adherence to the
following principles:
Protection which guards and develops oul
Industries Is cardinal policy of the Repub
ISan,, liean party: s. The me measure Of protection
In the cost OF production at home and
abroad. We insist upon the maintenance Oi
the principles of protection and. therefore
.Jaris Of duty should be readjusted only
he ID conditions have so changed that the
re .ir1lic interest demands their alteration
out this work cannot safely be committed
TO any other hands than those OF the Re
publican party.
To trust it to the Democratic party IL Il
invite disaster. Whether. as in 1892, the
Democratic party declared the protective
tarln unconstitutional or, whether II de
mands tarif reform, tariff revision, IL.
real object Is always the destruction Of the
protective system. However specious th'
name, the purpose Is ever the same.
Democratic tariff has always been fol
lowed by business adversely, Republican
tariff by business prosperity. To Repub
lican congress and a Republican president
this great question can be safely intrusted
When the only free trade country among
the great nations agitates a return to pro
lection, the chief protective country should
not falter In maintaining IL.
We have extended widely our foreign
markets, and we believe in the adoption oi
all practicable methods for their further ex
tension. including commercial reciprocity
wherever reciprocal arrangements can bs
enected consistent with the principles OF
projection and without injury to American
agriculture, American labor or any Amer
lean industry.
We believe 1t to be the duty of the Re
publican party to uphold the gold STANDARD
and the integrity and value Of our nationa
currency. The maintenance Of the GOLD
standard. established by the Republican
party, cannot safely be committed to the
Democratic party. which resisted its adop
tion and has never given any proof since
that time of belief In II or fidelity to IT,
While every other Industry has prospered
under the fostering aid Of Republican legIs
lation, American shipping engaged in for
eign trade in competition with the low cost
Of construction, low wages and heavy sub