The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-01
ODE PLATFORM
Text of the Decla ration - Which the
Republicans Will Stand in the Coming
Campaign. y y y . . y

Fifty years ago the republican party
came into existence, dedicated among
other purposes, to the great task of ar
resting the extension of human slavery.
In 1860 it elected its first president.
During twenty-four of the fortyfour
years which have elapsed since the cleo
ton of Lincoln. the republican party
has held complete control of the gov
eminent. For eighteen more of the
forty-four years it has held partial
control through possession of one or
two branches of the government: while
the democratic party during the same !
period has held complete control for |
only TWO years.
This long tenure OF power by the re- |
publican party Is not due to chance. It'll
is a demonstration that the republican
party has commanded the confidence OF |
the American people for nearly two
generations to II degree never equaled !
in our history. and has displayed n high
capacity for rule and government.
which has been made even more con- !
spicuous. by the incapacity and intlrm
ity of purpose shown by its opponents,
The republican party entered upon
It's present period of complete suprem-
acy in 1897. We have every right to
congratulate ourselves upon the work
added luster even TO the traditions OF
the party which carried the govern
mcnt through the storm of the civil
war. We then found the country. after
four years of democratic rule. in evil
plight, oppressed With misfortune.
doubtful of the future. The public
credit had been lowered revenues We're
declining, debt growing, the admins
tration's attitude towards Spain was
feeble and notifying. the standard of
values was threatened and uncertain.
labor was unemployed. business sunk in
the depression which had succeeded the
panic of 1898. hope was faint and con-
tidenCe gone.
We met these unhappy conditions
vigorously, effectively and Mt once. We
replaced democratic tariff law based
on free trade principles and garnished
with sectional protection by consist
ent protective tariff. and industry,
freed from oppression, and stimulated
by the encouragement of wise laws,
has expended to a degree never before
known, and has conquered new markets
and created a volume of exports which
has surpassed the Imagination.
Under the Dingley tariff labor has
been fully employed wages have risen,
and all industries have revived and
prospered.
We firmly established the gold
standard which was then mcnaced
to business. and with confidence, uneN-
ampled prosperity. For deficient rev
enues supplemented by improvldent is
sues of bonds, we gave the country an
income which produced large sur
plus and enabled us, only four years
after the Spanish war had closed, to
remove over S1O0,000,000 of the annual
war taxes, reduced the public debt, and
lower the interest charge of the gov
eminent. The public credit which
had been so lowered that in time OF
peace a democratic administration
made large loans at eXtravagant rates
of interest in order to pay current ex-
penditures. rose under republican adj
ministration to its highest point, and
enabled us to borrow at per cent,
even in times of war.
We refuse to pnlter LONGER with the
misery of Cuba. We fought d quick and
victorious war with Spain. We set Cuba
free, governed the island three years.
and then gave it to the Cuban people
with order restored, with ample rev.
cnueS and public health established and
free from debt. ana connected with
the United States by II wise provision
for our mutual interests. We have re-
Organized the government Of Porto Rico
and its people now enjoy peace ana
In the Philippines we have suppressed
Instruction. established order and
given to life anu property a security
never known there before. We have
organized civil government and made
it an effective and strong administra-
tion, and have conferred upon the peo-
pie of those islands the largest lvici
pie Of those islands the largest civil lib
erty they have ever enjoyed.
BY sur possession of the Philippines we
were enabled to take prompt and effective
action in release of the legations at Pc
king, and a decisive part in preventing
the partition and preserving the integrity
OF China
The possession OF Il route for an 18th
milan canal, so long the dream of Ameri-
can craftsmanship. Is now an accom-
plished fact, and the great work of con-
meeting the Pacific and Atlantic by canal
is at last begun. and 1t Is due to the re-
publican party.
We have passed laws which will bring
the arid lands Of the United States within
the area of cultivation.
We have recognized the arms and put
1t in the highest shape of efficiency. We
have passed laws for the Improvement and
support of the militia. We have pushed
| forward the building of the navy for de-
fence and protection of our honor and in
terests.
| Our administrations OF the great depart
| lnents Of the government has been homes
| and efficient and whenever wrongdoing
| has been discovered the republican admin.
| istration has not hesitated to probe this
! evil and bring the offenders to justice
fl,flI
| Laws enacted by thc republican party
which the democratic party failed to en-
| force, and which We're intended for thc
| protection of the public against the un.
! just discrimination Illegal cncroacn-
1nent of vast aggregatons of capital have
! been fcarlessly enforced by a reDublicar
| president. and new laws cnsuring reason.
able publicity as to the operations of grea
| corpora tons and providing additional
| remedies for the prevention of discrimi.
| nation in freight rates, have been passed
| by republican congress. In this record
of achievements. during the past 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 tc
the following principles:
Protection which guards and develops
cur Industries Is the cardinal poucy ol
the republican party. The measure OF
| protection should always at least equa
| the difference in cost of production e
| home and abroad. We insist upon malate
nance of the principles of protection ant
! therefore the rates of duty should be re
adjusted only when conditions have 81
changed that the public interest demands
their alteration. But this work canno
/ safely be committed to any other hand
than those of the republican party ~
cntrust 1t to the democratic party is Il
| invite disaster. Whether, as in 1892, tn
A Model Seruap+