Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-01

! democratic donkey does not change its
bray. When their revenue system failed
| the remedy which the democrats applied
was the one in which their party Is most
! expert. They increased the direct taxes
and spent more money
| The havoc of the Underwood law was
stayed by the outbreak of the war In
| Europe. The war held UP the growing
! stream OF imports from the low priced
labor markets Of the Old World. Blu.
the war brought new and sterner prob
| lens OF national honor and national
| SAFETY. Have these problems been solved ?
They have not For a year and three
| quarters the United States, including the
Democratic party, has had before it the
awful lesson of the greatest war in the
history of the world and yet not one
real step has been taken to place this
| country-not on n war basis but on tho
only basis on which a nation can exist
| in peace-with a reasonable degree of ma
| tional security.
God knows. and the rest OF us sus-
pect that the Republican party has some
times failed but It never talked and
haEgled for year and ten months in
the face of danger without doing any
! thing to meet the crisis.
Here America stands to-day, not on a
sound business foundation but deuded
by gamblers prosperity due to the tenn
porary demand for munitions of war
Here America stands. in one hand n
white feather held up toward Mexico and
in the other hand tin sword pointed at
the Kaiser.
n6c Oh,
istration. 1t is the duty of this con-
vention gathered here to-day to do it's
part toward bringing a change so much
to he desired. To do this part with n
patriots devotion we must lay aside the
jealousy and passion of the past and
FACE the future, not merely with a
selilsh desire for party victory, but
with an earnest determination to serve
our state and country even if it in
wolves personal sacrifice and a giving
up OF our own desire to the will of the
party majority.
We have had division in our councils
and l hope the day may never come
when we shall not he broad enough and
tolerant enough to disagree when we
have honest differences of opinion, vet
at the same time have sincerity and
self-sacrifce and patriotism enough to
lay aside personal pride and factonal
rivalry when our beloved country is
face to face with humiliation and loss
of prestige. Differences We must have,
but the hour of danger is not the time
or occasion for a divided party.
The father and mother of a family do
not always agree in matters relating to
the household. Brothers and sisters
considering the same question do not
always arrive at the same conclusion.
But when the sanctity or safety of the
home is threa tened father and mother,
brothers and sisters lay aside all trivial
variance and stand together in defense
of the family honor.
a political party is like family. rep
resenting many shades Of theory and
conviction, and it should be our pride
as republicans to tolerate and respect
the earnest belief of those whose judg-
ment may not quite agree with ours.
Four years ago the Republican party
split and the result Is that the country
for four years and the government at
Washington have been in unskillful
hands and the ship of state has been
sailing closer and closer to the rocks of
disaster.
Our settled determination to-day
should be to forget the past, except its
lessons, and build for the future in
unity. honor and consecrated patriotism,
and to do that duty this convention will
now proceed.
The committee on resolutions. Charles
Fl. Darling Of Burlington, chairman, to
which body composed of representa-
: foII mi OF
formulating the convention platform,
read the same which was adopted. The
resolution which constitute the platform
follow:
THE PLATFORM.
Abundant utterance neither makes Tor
progress nor benefits people and pre-
tentous platform is no substitute Tor
good government. Party pledges are best
guaranteed by the record and traditions
of the party. And when this land was 10
be purged of human slavery, and when
the strength Of government of the peo-
pie, by the people and for the people" was
to be tested and demonstrated, the Re-
publican party was founded. 1t has been
justified and perpetuated in the cause of
civil liberty. 1t has been maintained and
cherished from administration to admin
istration for the advancement of our
common good and for the glory of our
common country. The Republican party
is and always has been the party OF prog
ress. 1t has stood for sound money: it
has encouraged reasonable immigration.
1t has built up railroads. 1t has dotted
our land with colleges, 1t has aided agri-
culture. And long ago our own Senator
Morrill, laid the foundation for military
training In connection with agricultural
colleges. and blazed the way to national
preparedness with a view prophetic of
our present needs. 1t has fostered thrift;
it has protected the wage Garner, until
our vast undeveloped domain has yielded
to the pacific pursuits of American indus
try. And when the undesirable elements
Of immigration became a menace, and the
accumulation OF wealth, and the strength
of corporations endangered our people,
the Republican party enacted restrictions
upon immigration and controlling regula-
lions upon corporations and monopolies.
Its system OF tariff has protected labor;