Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-08-17
REPUBLICAN, PLATFORM


Following is the platform adopted by
the Republican party at their State
convention which was held in Roanoke,
Va, August 9Th and 9th, 1905:
"The Republican party of the state
of Virginia presents this declaration of
principles and appeals to the voters OF
the state for support:
81. THE NATION.
Gas national Republicans, we believe
in the principles of the Republican
party as enunciated in our national plat
forms, and prominent among them we
believe in sound and stable currency,
in a protective tariff, in national eX-
pansion, in holding to the Monroe doc
trine, in promptly building the Panama
canal, in navy large enough to care
for all American interests, and in that
continued progress in all directions so
worthily summed up in the history of
Republican administration of the gov
ernment.
I'll. THE PRESIDENT.
eve find these ideas exemplified in
Theodore Roosevelt, president of the
United States. We respect him as
man, we honor him as president, and
we applaud and support his determln-
alton to see that every man in the
United States has square deal, no
more, no less.
'III. VIRGINIA'S SHARE IN THE NATION.
eve deplore the unimportant part
which Virginia has occupied in the great
national movements carried on by the
Republican party. Her Democratic
leaders have held aloof from share in
the national progress. We demand
that she be relieved from the bonds of
Democratic obstruction, and that, under
Republican control she takes once
more that place in the national coun-
ellis to which alike her history, her peo-
pie and her resources entitle her. Only
by alliance with the party of progress
in the nation can Virginia have her
share in the national advance.
CIV. POPULAR EDUCATION.
"The Republican party in 1868 found
ed free schools in the state of Virginia
and pledged to their support a portion
of the state revenue. The Democratic
party, during all its years of state con-
troll, has held such support down to the
minimum absolutely required by the
constitution passed, and has never
availed itself of the opportunity under
that constitution to increase the state
support of the schools. In its boasted
constitution of 1902 no increased sup
port has been given to the schools.
"Unfriendly Democratic legislation
had starved the schools and destroyed
their efficiency, when the Readjuster
party in 1882 came to their rescue and
by wise legislation restored their utility
and value. The Democratic party
twenty years ago first promised free
school books. It's redemption of that
promise has been the establishment of
a multiple school book list, which has
placed an outrageous burden
upon the people of the state
who have children to bring up,
and has offered to local officials temp
tation to corruption not always resisted.
"Graft has been exposed in the de-
partment of education, which itself has
been made a part of the Democratic
political machine.
"The states surplus funds have not
been held sacred to the schools, but
have been devoted to unwise, inequit-
able and excessive appropriations.
"All these things have kept the chill
dren from enjoying the full measure of
education which is their right.
"Denouncing such corruption, waste
of the public money, and burdens upon
the people, the Republican party
pledges itself to carry out the Republi-
can policy of education and to make the
system of free schools in the state the
first object of its regard, to the end
that all children Of school age be given
a longer school term and the best prac-
ticable schools.
eve pledge ourselves, if placed in
power, to free the schools from parti-
san control, to increase their efficiency
by liberal appropriations, to furnish
free books that every child in this COM
monwealth may have a common school
education, and to administer the schools
honestly and solely with regard to their
efficiency.
'V. THE CONSTITUTION OF 1902.
eve denounce the Democratic party
for the manner in which the new consti-
tuition was forced upon the people of
Virginia by proclamation, after the
pledge that the same should be submit
ted to the people for ratification or re-
lection.
"VI. THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
eve favor the traditional Republican
doctrine of leaving to the people of
each community to decide whether in
toxicating liquors shall be sold among
them and the condition of such sale,
if allowed, trusting to their sound judg-
ment to determine this great question
in each locality.
''VII. HONEST ELECTIONS.
''By a series of partisan election
laws the Democracy so corrupted the
body polite in Virginia that for period
of twenty years honest elections were
unknown in large part of the state.
A new constitution was made with the
avowed purpose of restoring honest
elections. But recent events, notably
the Democratic primary at Richmond,
have proved that pure elections cannot
be secured by Democratic effort. The
Republican party in Virgini.. ly be-
lieving that the purity of the ballot is
the safety of the state, pledges itself,
if placed in power, to an honest count
of the ballots, unfalsified returns, and
wholesome, non-partisan election laws
that will protect voters of every politi-
cal creed from the outrages of dishon-
est election officers.
''vIII NoN-PARTISAN JUDICIARY.
"We favor a non-partisan judiciary,
and pledge the Republican party, if it
shalt have control Of the legislature, to
elect two of the five members of the
supreme court of appeals from the op-
position party, and to enact such leg