Rensselaer Union, Volume 12, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1879 — The Platform of the Massachusetts Republicans. [ARTICLE]

The Platform of the Massachusetts Republicans.

The Massachusetts State Republican Convention met at Worcester on the 16th, and adopted the following platform of principles: The Republican party of Massachusetts, at the close of the first quarter of a century of Its history, pledging Itself anew to continued performance of the duties in which it originated and to the defense and maintenance of those principles upon which it was founded, and which are still essential to the peace, security and prosperity of the Republic makes these declarations: 1. We affirm the doctrines heretofore proclaimed and maintained, that the United States of America is a Nation; that, while local selfgovernment in all matters which belong to the States must be fully recognized, the National Government should secure to its citizens fromwhom it claims allegiance complete liberty and exact equality in the exercise of their civil and political rights; that whether assailed by political persecution at home or menaced by tyranny abroad, all citizens of the United States, without distinction of origin, race, creed or color, must be protected by the National Government in all rights granted by the Constitution and laws; that our institutions rest upon the equality of all men before the law, and that a free ballot, uninfluenced by fraud, intimidation or force, and honestly counted, is the right of every qualified voter, and we demand that elections shall be free from all interference by unlawful bodies of armed men, and shall also be free from interference of National or State military forces, except when employed as a part of the posse comftatus. We denounce that fierce partisan intolerance which prevents a free ballot, denies freedom of political opinion and action, and takes from any of the people the right to choose their homes and to control and enjoy the fruits of their labor. 2. We deprecate the course of the members of the Democratic party who have undertaken to revive sectional animosity for the purpose of securing political ascendency in the Southern States, and who have revived the memories of sectional strife by a defiant declaration of a purpose to repeal laws made necessary by war and enacted to secure the results of the war; and we condemn their attempts to secure by legislation what was not accomplished by arms—namely, the establishment under the name of State Sovereignty, of those pernicious doctrines which destroy National supremacy, and which, in fact, have led to secession and civil war. 6 The pledges of the Republican party to maintain National honor and to preserve National credit have been redeemed in the face of bitter opposition by the prompt resumption of specie payments and reduction both of the principal and interest of the public debt; and we congratulate our fellow citizens upon the restoration of confidence and revival of business which have followed honest, prudent and wise management of public affairs under a Republican Administration. We are oposed to repudiation in all its forms, either by a “scaling” of debts or a debasement of legaltender circulation. We insist that the paper and the coin circulation of the country shall at all times be maintained at par with the gold standard of the commercial world. 4. We applaud the Arm and patriotic course of President Hayes In maintaining the Constitutional prerogatives of the Executive, and in courageously and successfully resisting all efforts of a Democratic Congress to cripple the functions of the Government. We recognize the earnestness and sincerity with which he has labored to restore harmony and good feeling to all sections of the oount ry, to secure purity, efficiency and frugality in every branch of public service, and to divorce Civil Bervioe from the management of partisan politics, to sustain the financial credit of the Government, and to insist upon free and honest elections, and we will support the President in the responsibility of making nominations to office without dictation from other departments of the Government, and in persistently carrying out the principles relating to Ciril Service declared in the Cincinnati letter of acceptance. The remaining resolutions refer to State affairs.