The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1904-07-01
REPUBLICAN, PLANkS
Platform Upon Which ROOse-
velt and Fairbanks Stand.
Sound Principles That Appeal 10
the Mind and Heart of the
Great American People.

The platform adopted by the convention is
as follows:
Fifty years ago the republican party came
into exi.tence, dedicated among other pur-
poses to the great task Of arresting the ex ten
sion of human slavery. In 1860 it elected i !
hr4t 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 it has
held partial control through the possession of
one or two branches of the government, while
the democratic party during the same period
had had complete control for only two years.
This long tenure of power by the republican
party Is not due to chance. 1t is a demon
stratIon that the republican party has com
| manded the confidence of the American people
Tor nearly two generations to a degree never
equaied in our history, and has displayed q
high capacity for rule and government which
has been made even more conspicuous by the
| mcapacity and intirmity of purpose shown by
| it's opponents.
The republican party entered upon its pres
ent period of complete supremacy in 1897. We
| have every right to congratulate ourselves
upon the work since then accomplished for it
has added lustre even to the traditions of the
party which carried the government through
the storms of civil war.
III EVIL fhSnC.
We then found the country after four years
| OF democratic rule in evil plight. oppressed
with misfortune and doubtful Of the future
Public credit had been lowered, the revenues
| were declining, the debt was growing the ad-
mlnistrations attitude toward Spain was
feeble and mortifying, the standard of values
was threatened and uncertain, labor was
| crippled, business was sunk in the depression
which had succeeded the panic of 1898; hope
was faint and confidence was gone.
We met these unhappy conditions vigor-
/ ously, effectively and alone. We replaced
democratic tariff law based on free trade
principles and garnished with sectional protec
tlOn by protective tariff, and industry, freed
| from oppression and stimulated by the en-
| couragement Of wise laws, has expanded to a
| degree never before known, has conquered
new markets and has created volume of ex
ports which has surpassed imagination Under
| the DmgleY tariff labor is being fully EN-
| ployed.
Wages have risen and all industries have
| revived and prospered. We firmly estab-
| lished the gold standard which was then
menaced with destruction. Confidence re
| turned to business, and with confidence and
| uneXamp!ed prosperity.
For deficient revenues, supplemented by
| lmprovident issues of bonds, We gave the
| country an Income which produced a large
| surplus and which enabled US only four years
\
over one hundred millions Of annual war
| taxes, reduce the public debt and lower the
| interest charges OF the government.
he public credit, which had been 80 low
| cred that in time of peace democratic ad-
| ministration made large loans at extravagant
| rates OF interest in order to pay current eX
! penditures, under republican admin ira
tion to its highest point and enabled us
| borrow at per cent even in time of war We
| refused to palter longer with the miseries of
Cuba. We fought quick ard vigorous war
with Spain. We set Cuba tree governed the
| island for three years and then gave it to the
Cuban people with order restored, with ample
revenues, with education and public health
established, free from debt and connected
with the United States by wise provisions, for
our mutual interests.
Benefit Other Lands.
We have organized the government Of
Puerto Rico and its people now enjoy peace,
freedom, order and prosperity.
In the Philippines we have suppressed in
surrection, established order and given to life
and prosperity security never known there
before. We have organized civil government,
made it effective and strong in admnistra-
tion, and have conferred upon the people of
those islands the largest civil liberty they have
even enjoyed. By our possession of the hill
ippines were enabled to take prompt and
effective action in the relief of the legations at
I6klHG, anu a ObClSINb part III preventing the
partition and the preserving Of the integrity
Of China.
The possession of route for an Isthmian
canal, so long the dream of American states,
manship, is now an accomplished fact. The
! great work of connecting the Pacific and the
Atlantic oceans by canal is at last begun,
| and it is due to the republican party. We
have passed laws which will bring the arid
lands of the United States within the area of
| cultivation.
We have reorganlzed the army and put it IN
| the highest state of efficiency.
| We have passed laws for the improvement
| and support of the militia.
We have pushed forward the building of the
navy, the defense and the protection OF our
| honor and interests
Our administration of the great depart
ments of the government has been honest and
| efficient, and wherever wrong has been discov-
cred the republican administration has not
hesltated to probe the evil and bring the of
| tenders to Justice without regard to party or
| political ties Laws enacted by the republi
can party which the democratic party failed to
| enforce and which were intended for the pro-
lection Of the public against the upj just dis
| elimination of the illegal encroachmeut of vast
| aggregations of capital have been fearlessly
enforced by republican president and new
laws insuring responsible publicity as to the
operation Of great corporations and providing
additional remedies for the prevention of dis
| elimination in freight rates have been passed
by republican congress
Many Pledges Fulfilled.
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 this principle and we de-
clare our constant adherence to the following
principles:
Protection, which guards and develops our
industries is a cardinal policy of the repub-
lican party. The measure of protection
should always at least equal the difference in
the cost of production at home and abroad.
We insist upon the maintenance Of the princi-
pies of protection, and tariff rates of duty
should be readjusted only when conditions
have so charged that the public interest de-
nands their alteration.
But this work not safely be committed
to any other hands than those of the repuI :
lican party. To entrust it to the Democratic
party is to invite disaster. Whether as in
1892 the Democratic party declared the pro-
tective tariff unconstitutional, or whether it
demands tariff reform tariff revision, its
/ ,ooI ob;ant ic alwavS tho of the