Show A MYSTIC PLATFORM WHAT DOES THE minneapolis MANIFESTO MEAN A L rare conetto vt vl glittering 1 tie aln and all if tit alic true trio of tile ll 11 ideis der axed ed the republican platform produced nt at minneapolis is a document of rare interest to the student of opinions and to the critic of style it coni combites combi birl ies es tile di li and almost infantile simplicity of tile chap book with tile of the second story back clairvoyant no one man can call understand it to toko take it in coin comprehensively preb ensi vely and infer interpret pret it intelligently would require the best endeavors of a joint sc stion of df a k kindergarten ler and a drowning crowning club 1 b I 1 no ono man an wrote rote it no ono one man c coald fild have written it riot not even colonel ate Abo himself wonder ceases when wo we remember that this masterpiece of political izal litera turo is the achievement of i a committee of forty fort eight operating through fire subcommittees of ire five ench each and all under the immediate arid and active superintendence intend enco of joseph denso foraker thero there was wag no mitt j on tho the preamble the point wi department part ment was evidently managed by foraker in person and alone tho the well known lire fire alarm rhetoric is iero acre in undiluted strength th the representatives of t toe R republicans cpu b of the united states re assembled 1 in general convention on tho the shores of the mississippi river tho the everi ever last asling ill bond 0 of an republic whose most glorious chapter of history Is the record of the republican party congratulate their countrymen on tho the majestic march of the nation under the banners inscribed with the principles of our platform of 1868 11 I 1 tell by victory at the polls and ani rity in our fields workshops and mines ininee s Is the everlasting bond biot of an indestructible tible republic the mississippi river or the general convention 01 its shores Is the record of the republican party the most glorious chapter 0 of tho the mississippi river or of tho the gener general al convention or of the indestructible republic re bublic or of the everlasting 0 bond Is 10 majestic match march of tb tho nation Mimica indicated ted by tho the democratic victories at tho the polls in 1891 and why should it need vindication inasmuch as the nation walks right along whichever party wins witts Is the the agricultural manufacturing and subterranean prosperity referred to by foraker a vindication vin di cation of the majestic burch or of the republican bartys banners or of the beaten force bill or cf the billion or of what foraker knias and could tell probably colonel Abs Abe knows likewise i dut but this is only the whipped cream on the pudding 0 we come next to the tariff plank it reaffirms the american doctrine of protection protect iou it points to the benefits of a policy which was the policy of the democratic baity while the republican party was still unseen in the mists of the future it deel deelores pres that the duties levied edyie d on off iani arr into competition with american ArAc rican products should be equal to the differences between wages it at home and abroad this is a distinct and specific declaration almost the ony only one in tile foraker plat form tonn it is taken directly I 1 from the democratic national platform of 15 1 I me platform on which grover cleveland was elected but it is not exactly abe principle inscribed on oil the republican banners of bislis or embodied in the 1 kinley revision then the plat platform fonn goes on oa to predict that mr Ul aines brilliant reciprocity idea something riot net inscribed on the banners of 1814 and therefore not vindicated by victory at the polls and prosperity ity in our fi fields tilds workshops workshop and mines will eventually give us control of the trade of the world and it is silent silent as the tomb concerning tho the reduction of the national revenue by the repeal of the internal revenue taxes or of any part of them that was distinctly inscribed on the banners of since IMI the republican billion congress discovered another and an easier way to i educe the surplus amon among the meaningless platitudes poured into the pot bythe by the gentlemen who had a hand in compounding the republican platform of 1893 are these we demand that every citizen of tho the united figall bo be allowed to cast ono one fr fro lad unrestricted ballot in all public elect tons we favor the extension ot of our oar forta foreign commerce the restoration of our oar mereau tilo marino by home built ships we our oar ap app roMil proal of 0 tho the oc trine tile ultimate reliance of 0 free popular gov eov Is 13 the of rho people and add the maintenance ot of among men we declare anew our devotion to liberty of thought and conscience of speech aud and press wo at ai 0 opposed d to any union or of abu church ach and state we 8 with all wise and legitimate efforts to lesson les son and prevent the llie evila of inton and to promote morality mora colonel abe we repeat would never have written such trash or such cant as this and offered it to the country as a formal and careful declaration of principles made by a party professing to bo be a party of principles but colonel worse luck wis was not in trusted with the great and momentous job new york sun suit tile the republican platform the platform adopted by the republicans at minneapolis is a sweeping dragnet of glittering generalities every thing hing within the range of political disputation is brought into it most moat of them in in a perfunctory way and some sort of indefinite promise given to enable tile republican leaders to deal with all shades of all questions the planks calling for local legislation to protect employees of corporations declaring in favor of the oppressed of ireland artland and It russia denouncing trusts and combines demanding free mail deliveries li approving of the civil service system the nicaragua canal the admission of territories as states the cession of arid and lands landa to states and territories abo columbian exposition and temper anco alco BIO all j alst st ro 10 much surplusage for al all i considerate consi derato voters there are three planks in the hio platform which will attract general attention and to be more carefully consid considered eted by intelligent voters than oven even the leaders of the convention anticipate these are tile tho planks in f or of protection a anil rill reciprocity pro city anil and of in anil and tile practical approval find and recommendation of the force election bill for the south these questions are arc vital antl and a ns the party lias has made a positive record on oil all of them they will bo be regarded as measures tire which must stand or fall with tile success or failure of tile the minneapolis ticket tile force bill was beaten by a republican republic publican nn senate that was then a stronger partisan body than it is today or is likely to bo be durina tile boxt administration that isano will bo be a dead weight on oil the party in the coining contest the plank on an bimetallism is a very adroit straddle of tile balver ebue what tho the minneapolis convention calls p protection is simply protection of I 1 monopoly 0 and of oppre oppression bion to labor tile mckinley bill needlessly taxes tile saries eariel of industry and ami of life antl and its duties are arc levied without any regard to the differences 1 wages abroad and atheme at homo they tiro are levied solely for employers pl not for workingmen they protect capital in somo instances in stances enormously lilous ly but no actual protection is given to labor under such a tariff reciprocity is is bilu simply a contradiction of the pi inci ples of tho the baity reciprocity is either free trade or fair trade and if from an unjust tariff policy it would greatly aid the industry arid and trado trade of the nation the in on this point is simply a and the farmers of the west and the people of all sections seem pretty thoroughly to understand it the time ewhen was when national plat platforms forms meant something but they lire fire generally now regarded is as meaningless mere tubs to v N hales biles or baits to gudgeons hudgeons gud geons and they have ceased to ile be accepted as an honest expression of what a pal baity ty will do if successful in gaining ain in power if platforms were intended intend ol to menn mc n what they say the minneapolis plit plat form might bo be summed up as a bundle of contradiction and absurdity but ns as they practically mean just nothing at all it is of little consequence what ii put into them or what is omitted philadelphia times |